Can I customize a day for my group?

Yes! A large portion of our business is designed around custom adventures. Booking a private day gives you the freedom to tailor the day around your goals, pace, and group size.

What is your local adventures cancellation policy?

Please click here to review our domestic cancellation policy

How much hiking will we do?

The amount of hiking during the day varies somewhat on the zone and motivation of the group. The shortest day you can expect contains about 2 hours of skinning, and the longer days may have upwards of 4 hours of skinning.

What safety standards do you have?

At Alpenglow, we have only the highest standards of safety and guide qualifications. All of our local backcountry tours are led by AMGA trained/certified guides. Our guides assess the snow conditions and avalanche hazards every morning to mitigate risk, and are supervised by fully certified IFMGA guides.

What sort of experience is needed for Backcountry 3.0?

Expert skiers or riders who have taken both our Backcountry 1.0 course, Backcountry 2.0 course and also have 5-10 days of backcountry experience are welcome to join. Skiers and riders who have not taken our courses but have more than 25 days of backcountry experience are also welcome. Skiers/riders must be expert level- confident on all black diamond runs, on and off-piste, at a resort in all conditions.

I need to rent gear for my South Lake Tahoe adventure, where can I go?

We recommend visiting Sports LTD or Sierra Ski and Cycle . Both locations are in South Lake Tahoe.

Where can I purchase trip insurance?

We strongly recommend that you purchase trip insurance to protect your activity purchase against unforeseeable circumstances. We recommend Spot as a provider of trip insurance. Spot is a 3rd party provider and is not affiliated with Alpenglow Expeditions – please refer to the Spot website or contact Spot directly for all terms and conditions.

South Lake Tahoe Backcountry 3.0

Learn Backcountry Skiing and Splitboarding in Lake Tahoe with professional ski guides.

South Lake Tahoe Backcountry 3.0

$329

Per Person

Advanced Full Day / 8 Hours South Lake Tahoe, CA

The third part in our three-part Intro to Backcountry course series, this South Lake Tahoe course is designed to be your formal introduction to ski mountaineering principles and practices. This ski mountaineering course can be taken as a stand-alone option, but is designed to be taken in conjunction with our Backcountry 1.0 and 2.0 courses. In this course, you’ll learn advanced backcountry skills on how to safely approach steep lines while adding non-standard tools like ice axe, crampons and harnesses to your touring tool kit. Both skiers and splitboarders are welcome in this course. This is an advanced level course. Please see the preparation section before reserving. We also offer this course in North Lake Tahoe.

February 8, 2025

Inquire

private backcountry ski guiding in lake tahoe with professional mountain guides

Backcountry 2.0 Intro

Course Overview

Refine your skill-set and expand your abilities in technical, high alpine terrain with our AMGA-Certified Ski Guides in South Lake Tahoe!

Backcountry 3.0 is a day-long, in-depth introduction to ski mountaineering principles, techniques and skills. This course is designed for backcountry skiers and splitboarders who are interested in exploring steeper, higher and more exposed lines.

Ski mountaineering is the next step for backcountry enthusiasts who are looking to get farther out from the trailhead, while having the tool kit to tackle steeper slopes.

This course is the third act in our three-part Intro to Backcountry series. Please see Backcountry 1.0 and Backcountry 2.0 for descriptions of the previous courses.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE BACKCOUNTRY TOURING LOCATIONS
This course will take place in the area surrounding South Lake Tahoe, within the Carson Ranger District of the Humbodlt-Toiyabe National Forest. Your ski guide will pick the location with the best conditions for the day. Alpenglow operates in partnership with the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

WHAT TO EXPECT
Skiers and splitboarders in this intro to ski mountaineering course should expect to get approach, assess, and descend technical terrain with various hazards present. Your guide will be hands-on, teaching and coaching you through lessons on rope technique, ski cramponing, and self arrest scenarios.
Each morning starts off with a safety meeting with your guide and a gear check to make sure everyone has what they need for the day. Depending on the zone, we’ll either tour right out of our offices, or take a short drive to a trailhead.
Your ski guide will come prepared with a defined itinerary for the day, but you’ll have the opportunity to shape the day depending on your coursemate’s goals.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
Advanced skiers or riders who have taken both our Backcountry 1.0 course, Backcountry 2.0 course and also have 5-10 days of backcountry experience are welcome to join. Skiers and riders who have not taken our courses but have 25+ days of backcountry experience are also welcome. Course participants must be expert level skiers/riders, competent in a variety of terrain and snow conditions, and must be able to link turns on ungroomed runs while maintaining control. This is comparable to confidence skiing or riding all ungroomed black diamond runs at the resort confidently, in variable conditions.
Skiers or riders 12-16 years old can join us with a parent. 16 years and over are able to join without accompaniment.

SKILLS COVERED:
-Steep skiing techniques
-Basic snow climbing, using ice axe and crampons
-Basic rope techniques for steep ground and glacial travel
-Use of ski crampons

THE ALPENGLOW DIFFERENCE

As a Tahoe guide company with countless expeditions to high-altitude peaks around the world over the last 15 years, we bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to our beloved “home mountain”. Our teaching and guiding philosophy has been honed from the flanks of the Himalayan giants to the technical peaks of Peru, and we are beyond excited to be able to bring our program to this fantastic mountain. In addition to our international expedition roots, we are accredited by the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA), being one of the very few guide services in the region to hold such a high standard. Each of our guides is trained by the AMGA in the terrain in which they operate, and the program is supervised by internationally licensed IFMGA mountain guides. This high standard, along with our many years of experience, translates to a fantastic mountain adventure!

Alpenglow Expeditions operates under special use permit with the Tahoe, Eldorado, Inyo, Humboldt-Toiyable and Shasta-Trinity National Forests. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Preparation

Prerequisite

Advanced skiers or riders who have taken our Backcountry 2.0 PLUS 5-10 days of backcountry experience, OR those that have 25+ days of individual touring experience are welcome to join.

Fitness

Excellent physical fitness is required. Skiers and splitboarders must be able to hike for many hours at a time while carrying a pack.

Technical

Participants must be competent in backcountry travel, and expert level skiers/riders that are confident on all black diamond runs at a resort in all conditions.

8 – 8:30am: Meet & Greet
Meet your guide, and get an overview of the day.
8:30 – 12pm: Morning Skills Session
Starting with the basics, we gradually add new skills and techniques to the table.
12 – 12:30pm: Lunch
In between the morning and afternoon sessions we’ll take a break for some much needed calories.
12:30 – 4pm: Afternoon Skills Session
Building on the skills of the morning, we will enter demanding terrain and get some hands on practice.

Our Guides

Meet Your Instructors.

FAQ’s

The answers to our most commonly asked questions.

: Yes! A large portion of our business is designed around custom adventures. Booking a private day gives you the freedom to tailor the day around your goals, pace, and group size.
: Please click here to review our domestic cancellation policy
: The amount of hiking during the day varies somewhat on the zone and motivation of the group. The shortest day you can expect contains about 2 hours of skinning, and the longer days may have upwards of 4 hours of skinning.
: At Alpenglow, we have only the highest standards of safety and guide qualifications. All of our local backcountry tours are led by AMGA trained/certified guides. Our guides assess the snow conditions and avalanche hazards every morning to mitigate risk, and are supervised by fully certified IFMGA guides.
: This course will take place in the area surrounding South Lake Tahoe, within the Carson Ranger District of the Humbodlt-Toiyabe National Forest. Your guide will pick the location with the best conditions for the day. Alpenglow operates in partnership with the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Classroom sessions will be held completely online. We also offer this course in North Lake Tahoe.
: Expert skiers or riders who have taken both our Backcountry 1.0 course, Backcountry 2.0 course and also have 5-10 days of backcountry experience are welcome to join. Skiers and riders who have not taken our courses but have more than 25 days of backcountry experience are also welcome.
Skiers/riders must be expert level- confident on all black diamond runs, on and off-piste, at a resort in all conditions.
: We recommend visiting Sports LTD or Sierra Ski and Cycle. Both locations are in South Lake Tahoe.
: We strongly recommend that you purchase trip insurance to protect your activity purchase against unforeseeable circumstances. We recommend Spot as a provider of trip insurance. Spot is a 3rd party provider and is not affiliated with Alpenglow Expeditions – please refer to the Spot website or contact Spot directly for all terms and conditions.

Equipment

Here’s what you’ll need.

Download Equipment Link

Select a category

Avalanche Transceiver
A digital transceiver that is simple to use or that you are extremely comfortable using.
Recommended: Black Diamond Recon Avalanche X Beacon
Climbing Skins
Many options are available, and are often comparable. Most important is to ensure your skins are trimmed properly for the ski you will be touring with. Skins with a secure tail clip are preferred.
Recommended for Skis: Black Diamond Glidelite Mix STS Climbing Skins
Recommended for Splitboards: Black Diamond Glidelite Mix Splitboard Climbing Skins
Liner Gloves
These gloves keep the inside of your mitts or other gloves from accumulating sweat on the inside and turning inside out when you take them off, as well as provide additional insulation.
Recommended: Black Diamond Lightweight Screentap Liners
Lightweight Baselayer Top
A long sleeve base layer that is fitted, lightweight and quick drying. Make sure it is long enough to tuck in.
Recommended Men’s: Black Diamond Men’s Solution 150 Merino Crew
Recommended Women’s: Black Diamond Women’s Solution 150 Merino Crew
Mid-Weight Warm Layer Top
This mid-layer will be worn over your base layer most of the trip.
Recommended Men’s: Black Diamond Men’s Coefficient LT Quarter Zip Pullover
Recommended Women’s: Black Diamond Women’s Coefficient LT Quarter Zip Pullover
Probe
A strong, lightweight avalanche probe, 260-300cm.
Recommended: Black Diamond QuickDraw Pro Probe 280
Shovel
A lightweight metal avalanche rescue shovel. Extendable handle is recommended.
Recommended: Black Diamond Evac 7
Ski Crampons
While ski crampons are strongly recommended on our domestic backcountry ski programs, they are required on all of our International Ski Expeditions. These are typically used on early spring days when the snow is often icy on the way up before the conditions transition. Many bindings accept a compatible crampon made by the manufacturer.
Recommended: Black Diamond ATK Ski Crampons
Ski Helmet
A ski specific helmet that is less than 10 years old.
Recommended: Scott Track Plus Helmet
Ski Touring Bindings
Alpine Touring bindings are designed to allow up-hill travel and down-hill descent. We recommend a lightweight binding with heel risers to assist on steeper terrain.
Recommended: Black Diamond ATK Crest 10 Touring Bindings
Ski Touring Boots
These need to be a touring specific boot with walk mode, and a rubber sole. Typically sized a bit larger than your regular alpine boot, and light weight is a huge plus. Be sure to try many pairs on to find the right fit; it can make or break a day in the mountains!
Recommended: Fischer Transalp Pro or Transalp Tour WS
Ski/Splitboard Poles
Adjustable ski poles with powder baskets. Note: Splitboarders, be sure to use 3 section poles so they collapse small enough to reasonably attach to your pack while in riding mode.
Recommended: Black Diamond Expedition 2 or Expedition 3 Poles
Skis w/ Touring Bindings
A lightweight touring ski with touring bindings. Our guides suggest something between 95mm and 110mm underfoot. Keep in mind that extremely lightweight boards are great on the uphill, but can prove challenging in variable conditions.
Recommended Skis: Black Diamond Helio Carbon 95 Skis
Recommended Bindings: Black Diamond ATK Crest 10 Bindings
Snowboard Boots
The same boots you wear at the resort are great for your splitboard. Be sure they’re comfortable, backcountry touring means long days in your boots!
Recommended: Burton Tourist Snowboard Boots
Splitboard
A splitboard that you are comfortable riding in a variety of conditions.
Recommended: Jones Solution Splitboard
Splitboard Crampons
While splitboard crampons are strongly recommended on our domestic backcountry splitboard programs, they are required on all of our International Splitboard Expeditions. These are typically used on early spring days when the snow is often icy on the way up before the conditions transition. Many bindings accept a compatible crampon made by the manufacturer.
Recommended: Spark R&D Ibex ST Splitboard Crampons
Synthetic Top
A simple, lightweight synthetic jacket. This item is good for layering systems to stay warm in cold, wet conditions.
Recommended: Black Diamond First Light Stretch Hoodie
Touring Backpack
Internal frame pack that is between 25 and 35 liters. Either purchase a matching pack cover, or use garbage bags as liners to protect from precipitation. Make sure the pack is fitted to YOUR body.
Recommended: Black Diamond Dawn Patrol 32L
Ski Socks
Ski socks will keep your feet warm and dry during long tours in the mountains.
Recommended: Smartwool
Locking Carabiner (2)
Small, lightweight locking carabiners are best.
Recommended: Black Diamond LiteForge Screwgate
Ski Mountaineering Ice Axe
A small, light weight ice axe designed for ski mountaineering. Typically between 45cm and 55cm.
Recommended: Black Diamond Venom LT Classic Piolet
Goggles
These will be worn on stormy or windy days. Make sure you are getting a snug fit with lenses for bright sun. Ventilation and anti-fog features are desired.
Recommended: Vuarnet Everest Goggles
Neck Gaiter (Buff)
A multi-purpose neck gator that can also be worn under your hat. Make sure that it covers as much skin as possible and yet is still comfy.
Recommended: Alpenglow Buff
Sunglasses
Must have dark lenses. Minimal light should come in below, above, or around the sides of the lenses.“Wrap” style is best. Ventilation is important and a retainer strap is very useful (Chums or Croakies).
Recommended: Vuarnet Ice Rounds
Hat
Bring your favorite baseball hat for shelter from the sun. No white under the brim – the reflection off of it from the sun is blinding.
Recommended: Alpenglow Hat
Balaclava
We recommend a tight-fitting balaclava that is worn under your hat. Make sure that it covers as much skin as possible, but is comfortable enough to wear for hours.
Recommended: Black Diamond Coefficient LT Balaclava
Beanie
A comfortable, warm well-fitting hat that covers your ears. Make sure that one of your hats fits under a helmet.
Recommended: Black Diamond Levels Beanie
Lightweight Gloves
All-around gloves for mountaineering, backcountry skiing, and hiking. These gloves (and similar options) are warm, wind-resistant, durable and have a sure grip. You will rarely take these gloves off. They should be snug-fitting, and have some sort of reinforced palm.
Recommended: Black Diamond Alpine Softshell Gloves
Heavyweight Gloves
These gloves should be full GORE-TEX®, with a removable fleece liner (so you can take the liner out and dry it at night). These gloves are used at higher altitudes and are needed to keep your hands dry, and warm. Over the cuff style is desired.
Recommended: Black Diamond Guide Gloves
Hard Shell Jacket
A lightweight, waterproof and breathable jacket WITH A HOOD that can withstand extreme weather conditions. Make sure you have pit-zips and if you are using an old jacket, re-waterproof it.
Recommended Men’s: Black Diamond Stormline Stretch Rain Shell
Recommended Women’s: Black Diamond Stormline Stretch Shell
Hard Shell Climbing Pant
Your waterproof bottom layer for extreme weather days. Make sure you have water-resistant zippers, crampon patches + good pockets.
Recommended Men’s: Black Diamond Men’s Recon Stretch Pants
Recommended Women’s: Black Diamond Women’s Recon Stretch Pants
Mid-Weight Puffy Jacket
A simple, lightweight puffy jacket. This item is good for layering systems and staying warm. We recommend 800-fill down that is packable and resists inclement weather.
Recommended Men’s: Black Diamond Approach Down Hoody
Recommended Women’s: Black Diamond Approach Down Hoody
Lightweight Top
Ultra-light base layer that effectively wicks moisture away from your body and is breathable. Quick-dry is important as well. One light-colored shirt is recommended for extremely sunny days.
Recommended Men’s: Black Diamond Lightwire Short Sleeve
Recommended Women’s: Black Diamond Lightwire Short Sleeve
Lightweight Baselayer Bottoms
Fitted and quick drying. This piece will be a base-layer that will get you through a wide range of temperatures. This can be 3/4 length bottoms if preferred.
Recommended Men’s: Black Diamond Solution 150 Merino Baselayer
Recommended Women’s: Black Diamond Solution 150 Merino Baselayer
Two 1L Nalgene Bottles
Two 1 Liter Wide Mouth Nalgene bottles.
Recommended: Nalgene 1 L wide mouth
Mountaineering Harness
Must have belay loop, gear loops and adjustable leg loops so that you can layer up underneath it. Easy to pack, lightweight + comfortable. *Harnesses are also available to rent (for our introductory climbing courses) at no charge from Alpenglow expeditions on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Recommended: Black Diamond Couloir
Helmet
An easily adjustable lightweight helmet that fits with hat and Balaclava. Make sure this is a climbing-specific helmet. *Climbing helmets are also available to rent (for our introductory climbing courses) at no charge from Alpenglow Expeditions on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Recommended: Black Diamond Vapor Helmet
Mountaineering Crampons
Steel crampons with anti-balling plates are required (so that snow does not build-up in the base of your foot). Make sure that crampons have a heel bail and that they fit snugly on your ski or snowboard boots. Crampons are available to rent (for our introductory climbing courses) at no charge from Alpenglow Expeditions on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Recommended: Black Diamond Sabretooth Crampons

Testimonials

The most memorable experiences on skis
“My Backcountry 1.0 ski trip with Alpenglow was the best decision I made before attempting to ski in the backcountry. My guide, instructor Ben W, not only gave me the most memorable experiences on skis but he also educated me on the importance of safety and the fundamentals of skiing in the backcountry. His professional certifications, avalanche training, and personalized instruction assured me that I was learning from a qualified and professional instructor. I learned new skills, hiked on my skis, had some awesome descents and enjoyed the beautiful views of Lake Tahoe. Although trying new skills can feel challenging and overwhelming, Ben was always patient and happy to answer any questions and guide me throughout the day. He always reinforced the importance of having fun and returning back safely to enjoy another day of skiing. I am excited to go to the next level with Alpenglow’s Backcountry 2.0 class and a basic avalanche safety class.
Thank you Ben and the staff of Alpenglow!”
Jenna M.