Are You Ready for an International Ski Expedition?

Most backcountry skiers reach a point where the local terrain starts to feel familiar in a way that’s hard to describe. The challenge is still there, but something has shifted. The mountain has become known.

That feeling is worth paying attention to, because it usually means something: you’re ready to go somewhere else.

Alpenglow’s international ski expeditions exist for exactly this moment. But they aren’t interchangeable, and “ready” means something different on each of them. What follows is an honest breakdown of all five programs: what makes each one worth doing, what kind of skier it’s built for, and what you should genuinely have under your belt before you show up.

Note: All of our international ski expeditions are made for intermediate/advanced skiers who are comfortable off-piste in a variety of conditions and have 10-20+ days of backcountry skiing.

A Note on Guides Before We Start

Every one of these expeditions is led by IFMGA or AMGA-certified guides, which is a standard that most guide services in the United States have never required. It matters here because the terrain is consequential, the logistics are complex, and having a guide who has spent years in these specific mountains changes the quality of every single day. Alpenglow was the first major guide service in the US to require this certification across the board, and it’s one of the things that separates these programs from anything else on the market.

Patagonia / Cerro Castillo

Location: Cerro Castillo, Chile

Length: 8 days

Who it’s for: If you’ve been backcountry skiing for a few seasons and feel comfortable on variable terrain, Patagonia is the most accessible entry point into international ski mountaineering that Alpenglow offers. You don’t need a mountaineering resume. You do need fitness, comfort on steeper terrain, and a genuine appetite for remote environments.

What makes it singular: This expedition was hand-built by lead guide Gaspar Navarrete and experienced Patagonia skier Diego Saez Beros, two longtime guides and ski partners who have spent years exploring the Andes.

The base of operations is the tiny village of Cerro Castillo in Chilean Patagonia, where the terrain outside the lodge door ranges from wide alpine bowls to technical couloirs off the Cerro Castillo massif.

There are no chairlifts, no resort infrastructure, and very few other people. Each day, the guides evaluate conditions in real time and choose the best objective accordingly.

The night ends with a traditional Asado, a slow-cooked lamb BBQ with local farmers, music, and Chilean wine. It’s a rare combination of serious skiing and genuine cultural access, and it’s the kind of trip that doesn’t feel like anything else.

What you need coming in: Solid backcountry skiing experience on variable snow. Comfort with crampons, ice axes, and mountaineering-style approaches. Good physical conditioning. A tolerance for uncertainty in the service of great skiing.

Japan Backcountry Ski

Location: Hokkaido, Japan

Length: 9 Days

Who it’s for: This is Alpenglow’s most accessible expedition in terms of technical demands, and deliberately so. The Japan program was designed to give experienced backcountry skiers a world-class international experience without the altitude demands or technical mountaineering requirements of the South American programs. That said, expect big days and deep powder — guides aim for 4,000 or more vertical feet — and you’ll want to be in strong shape to make the most of it.

What makes it singular: Hokkaido’s snowpack is unlike anything in North America, or anywhere else for that matter. The cold Siberian air masses that cross the Sea of Japan depositsnow that is lighter, drier, and more consistent than what most American skiers have ever skied.

Alpenglow’s guides move between Kutchan and Furano, reading conditions to find the best untracked terrain each day. The evenings are spent in traditional onsens soaking in geothermal water. The food is exceptional. The culture is unlike anywhere the expedition world typically goes.

This is the trip that Alpenglow’s own team describes as pure Type 1 fun, meaning it’s enjoyable while it’s happening, without needing the retrospective filter that often makes mountain suffering feel worthwhile.

What you need coming in: Confident backcountry skiing on variable terrain. Fitness for sustained multi-hour days. No prior mountaineering experience required, though some familiarity with skinning in variable conditions will serve you well.

Volcanoes of Chile

Location: Lake District, Chile

Expedition Length: 9 Days

Who it’s for: This program is for experienced backcountry skiers and splitboarders who want big vertical, a true expedition feel, and the particular satisfaction of skiing down a massive volcano. Days involve 5,000 feet or more of climbing, and the terrain demands both technical skiing ability and comfort with crampons, ice axes, and steep variable snow.

What makes it singular: The volcanoes of southern Chile — Villarrica, Lonquimay, Llaima, Lanín — are unlike any ski objective in the northern hemisphere.

The lines are wide and steep, the terrain is otherworldly, and the views are 360-degree panoramas of a landscape that looks like it was designed to be skied. Corn snow is the dominant condition, and on a good day it is as close to perfect as spring skiing gets.

After a full day on the mountain, the itinerary includes natural volcanic mineral hot springs and farm-fresh Chilean food. The expedition’s 4×4 support and Alpenglow’s pre-built local logistics eliminate the time wasted between objectives, so the ratio of skiing to logistics is as high as it can possibly be.

What you need coming in: Multi-day ski tour experience. Confidence on steep, variable terrain. Familiarity with crampons and ice axes. Strong cardiovascular fitness for sustained vertical days.

Switzerland Ski Adventure

Location: Andermatt, Switzerland

Expedition Length: 8 Days

Who it’s for: This trip was built by Alpenglow founder Adrian Ballinger from a zone he kept returning to over decades of skiing around the world. It’s designed for skiers who want massive vertical, dependable snow, and serious backcountry access without the altitude acclimatization demands of the Andean programs.

What makes it singular: Andermatt sits at the crossroads of some of the most serious terrain in the Swiss Alps, with descents of up to 6,000 feet in a single line and snow conditions that remain cold and consistent throughout the season.

The cultural experience here is genuinely different from what the expedition world usually offers: a working Swiss village, real alpine lodges, and the kind of food and hospitality that has made this region one of the great ski destinations in the world for over a century. Alpenglow handles all logistics.

You bring your touring setup, your fitness, and your appetite for sustained vertical.

What you need coming in: A minimum of 10 days backcountry ski touring. Confidence across a wide range of snow conditions and steep terrain. Strong fitness. No high-altitude mountaineering required.

Ecuador Ring of Fire

Location: Ecuador

Expedition Length: 9 to 16 Days

Who it’s for: This is the most technically demanding ski expedition Alpenglow offers. It’s built specifically for experienced backcountry skiers and splitboarders who want to cross into ski mountaineering territory: learning to integrate glacier travel, crevasse rescue, roped travel, and crampon and ice axe skills with their existing skiing ability.

If you’ve done Shasta or have significant backcountry experience and want to push into higher and more technical terrain, this program was built for exactly that transition.

What makes it singular: Alpenglow’s guides have been operating in Ecuador since 1994, longer than almost any other guide service working there. The Ring of Fire itinerary covers Cayambe (18,997 feet), Cotopaxi (19,347 feet), and Chimborazo (20,564 feet, the farthest point from Earth’s center due to the equatorial bulge) — all on skis.

The guide-to-skier ratio is 3:1, which is rare at this level and makes a genuine difference in both safety and learning. The acclimatization is built into the itinerary carefully, starting in Quito at 9,500 feet and moving progressively higher through cultural stops and technical skills sessions before the first summit attempt.

What you need coming in: Confident use of crampons and an ice axe. Comfortable skiing on steep, variable snow in control. Familiarity with rope systems and glacier travel, or the willingness to learn them with expert instruction. Serious physical preparation for full summit days above 18,000 feet.

So, Which One Is Right for You?

The honest answer is that most backcountry skiers with a few solid seasons under their belt are ready for at least one of these programs right now. Japan and Patagonia are built to be accessible. Chile and Switzerland require more experience but no mountaineering background. Ecuador is its own category: a genuine transition from backcountry skiing into expedition mountaineering, with all the technical instruction built into the trip.

If you’re not sure where you fall, reach out to Griffin Mims, Alpenglow’s International Client Manager. His job is to help you find the right fit, not to push you toward the most ambitious option. That kind of conversation usually takes fifteen minutes and saves months of second-guessing.