Expand upon baseline backcountry skiing or riding knowledge and allow your accessible Tahoe backcountry terrain to blossom before your eyes.
Solidify your backcountry touring fundamentals in this second part of our 3-part Intro to Backcountry series. This backcountry touring course is designed for someone who already has the basic training and experience to go on a backcountry tour, and seeks the next step. Our Backcountry 1.0 course plus 5-10 days of touring experience, OR 10+ days of touring experience are ideal prerequisites. Backcountry 2.0 picks up where 1.0 leaves off, continuing the basics of touring in the backcountry.
You must be an advanced intermediate skier/rider for this course and be competent on and off-piste in a variety of conditions. Skiers/riders should be comfortable on all blue runs and most black diamond runs at a ski resort.
LAKE TAHOE BACKCOUNTRY TOURING LOCATION
This backcountry touring course will take place on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. Operating in partnership with the Tahoe National Forest and the Truckee Donner Land Trust, our outdoor classroom contains some of the best terrain in the region to continue your backcountry progression. For your day out, we have many trailhead options at our disposal and, with your input, your guide will pick the location with the best conditions for the day. Our permitted zones include Tahoe National Forest, Eldorado National Forest, Inyo National Forest, Truckee Donner Land Trust, Mt. Rose / Carson Pass, and Humboldt-Toiyabe. This course is also available in South Lake Tahoe.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Depending on fitness level of the group, technical ability, and daily conditions, backcountry skiers and riders can expect to get multiple laps of fresh tracks while expanding upon techniques and skills learned on past tours. Terrain varies from wide open bowls to widely spaced trees.
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 guide will come prepared with a defined itinerary for the day, but you’ll have the opportunity to stop and ask questions along the way.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN OUR INTRO TO BACKCOUNTRY SERIES
Advanced intermediate skiers or riders who have taken our Backcountry 1.0 and have spent 5-10 days out touring since, OR those who have 10+ tours under their belt. Participants must be competent on and off-piste in a variety of terrain and snow conditions. This is comparable to being confident on all blue runs and most black diamond runs in the resort (including ungroomed terrain). This video gives a good example of intermediate to advanced skiers and riders. Skiers or riders 12-16 years old can join us with a parent. 16 years and over are able to join without accompaniment.
LEARNING OUTCOMES OF BACKCOUNTRY 2.0:
- Leadership in the backcountry setting
- Tour planning
- Avalanche hazard management
- Touring movement skills
- Difficulty: Strong intermediate to advanced skiing/riding level required
TAHOE BACKCOUNTRY TOURING RENTALS
A complete backcountry touring setup is required. We have a small demo fleet that we rent to our clients at competitive prices. We rent beacons, probes, shovels, touring skis, touring boots and splitboards.
THE ALPENGLOW DIFFERENCE
As a Tahoe ski guiding 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.