After many requests over the last few months, I’m finally at it again with a fresh new blog post on backcountry skiing & splitboarding etiquette. If you ask a few experienced backcountry aficionados about the dos and don’ts, they’ll probably go on a 30-minute-long rant on what grinds their gears when travelling through backcountry ski terrain. Fair enough – it’s a polarizing subject. I’m proposing below a few key points I noticed, which are not all-encompassing but important nonetheless. By all means, share your thoughts in the content section below and I might add it to the list.
Information sharing on the uptrack
Information sharing on the uptrack is high on my list when it comes to backcountry skiing & splitboarding etiquette. It’s critical even! I make it my mission to inform fellow uptrackers of the avalanche red flags encountered on the trail. This includes whumpfing, cracking, audible or visible avalanche observations, as well as ski quality on different aspects and areas. This critical information sharing (when done correctly and accurately) improves everybody’s backcountry safety.
Know before you go
Gather all the information before heading out in the backcountry. There’s a plethora of online tools providing daily avalanche and weather forecasts as well as real-time webcam and weather actuals. Guidebooks are also a great resource to familiarize yourself with a specific route or consider different options based on the forecast. Look at terrain photos, topographic maps and route descriptions. While The Uptrack has all that and more, focusing on the Revelstoke and Rogers Pass area, Douglas Sproul wrote a massive guidebook on the wicked backcountry lines at Rogers Pass.
Always go out with the right avalanche and backcountry gear. I make it a point to do a gear check before leaving our house. While I typically don’t forget my shovel, transceiver and probe, it’s too easy to misplace important items such as sunglasses, sunscreen, ski crampons, etc!
Follow good travel practices in avalanche terrain
When it comes to backcountry skiing and spitboarding etiquette, sharing the terrain with other skiers and riders is a big one. When climbing the uptrack, give other parties some space. Give them a wide berth, if you notice the party is spacing out while travelling through consequential features. Most likely, they’re reducing their exposure and limiting their load on a sketchy snowpack. The same applies to the downhill sections. Do not, I repeat, do not ski above another party. You risk triggering an avalanche above them, one that could easily take them for a ride as well. Give them time to finish the run until they’re clear of the avalanche path. Alternatively, you can choose another line that doesn’t affect the folks below you. Keep communication clear and concise within your group. Whether with a clear line of sight, a distant pole wave or VHF radios, find a way to keep in touch with others in your party at all times!
Respect and maintain the uptrack
Breaking trail after a storm is part of backcountry skiing and splitboarding fun. Good etiquette is a must! Offer some help breaking trail if you see someone in your party or another party trenching through deep snow. Take turns at the front. After all, it’s a community effort. In my books, whoever broke trail the most gets first descent. Don’t sneak past a group breaking trail only to get a first descent!
Another good one is uptrack maintenance (the trail, not the blog)! First and foremost, avoid skiing over the uptrack (if possible) and its corners, especially in steeper terrain where a platform allowing an effective kick-turn was dug in. Give overused corners some love by digging the uphill side wall with your pole baskets or even bust out your avalanche shovel when the snow is hard.
Respect the mountains and their community
if your group is faster than the party ahead, pass them with respect. Be patient and ask politely first: most skiers or splitboarders will cede the way naturally. There’s no need to push the person aside throwing a quick elbow along the way. This is not a European resort after all! Don’t bring up the long rivalry between skiers and splitboarders. When travelling with a mixed group, plan to ride a line that works for both planks, wide and narrow! Set a nice downhill track for our snowboarder friends out there and stop the group on top of bumps, not before, leaving space for the snowboarders to continue the descent without endlessly hopping through an uphill section.
Leave no trace. Good environmental stewardship is a critical component of backcountry skiing and splitboarding etiquette. It’s easier to follow those rules in the winter than in the summer since the snow offers a blank canvas upon which to travel. Pack out all your garbage (including fruit peels). If you’ve gotta take a bathroom break, do it away from the main uptracks, and aim toward trees. A little tree irrigation goes a long way! Avoid going for a #2 in the alpine, on glaciers or at treeline: fecal matter will decompose much slower at higher elevations than in the forest down low.
In addition, avoid damaging flora. There’s a time and place for glading branches and cutting trees to make the uptrack work for you. If possible, smartly lay your uptrack to avoid doing just that. A good chunk of our backcountry terrain is in protected national parks. Some tree species such as the Whitebark Pine risk extinction due to diseases, fire suppression, climate change and insect attacks. Learn to recognize and protect them.
Follow local guidelines
Around Revelstoke, some areas have specific local guidelines that must be observed. For instance, Glacier National Park conducts artillery-based avalanche control on the slopes threatening the Trans-Canada Highway corridor. In conjunction with the avalanche control program, Parks Canada established the intricate Rogers Pass Winter Permit System that allows backcountry skiers and splitboarders safe access to its world-class terrain. Failure to follow the permit system will result in expensive fines for the user. Our access to Glacier National depends on us. Parks Canada reserves the right to prohibit recreational access to its mountains. That would be a tremendous loss for mountain recreationalists and professionals alike! Camping in Glacier National Park requires a winter backcountry camping permit and is heavily enforced. Chat with the nice staff at the Discovery Center for more information.
Believe it or not, most of our backcountry terrain is outside of protected parks or conservation areas on what Canadians call “crown land”. Several centuries of forest exploitation have opened up new areas by building an extensive network of forest service roads (FSR) and clearing trees. Many recreationists utilize these networks either by vehicle or snowmobile to access our backcountry terrain. While this network of backroads is maintained by loggers at a high price, they are willingly letting recreationalists use those roads. Travel with a VHF radio in your vehicle, keeping an ear out for the logging radio traffic. Call your kilometres just as the loggers do. Always cede the way to logging trucks heading downhill: they can hardly break down steep sections when loaded with heavy cargo. Carry tire chains and emergency gear in your vehicle as the FSRs are often icy.
Safety is paramount
Don’t ride alone. Even during periods of great avalanche stability, you could trigger the unlikely slide, catch an edge on boilerplate windboard or clip a buried tree and break a leg. So many injuries can happen in the backcountry. Having a group to rely on is essential in the event of a rescue. I carry an emergency satellite communication device such as the InReach Mini. Newer iPhones now have satellite communication capabilities.
Know your limits and discuss them with your group. Pushing an individual past his prime will only result in an injury over time. Fatigue and high elevation also tend to impair judgement. From experience, I know my judgement begins to be affected past 2900m. Good hydration and eating habits in the backcountry will go a long way to preserve your physical and mental strength in the mountains.
Final Words
Here it is: my compiled list of dos and don’ts when it comes to backcountry skiing and splitboarding etiquette. It’s not at all an exhaustive list. It’s just what I’ve observed over many years of travelling in our pristine backcountry. Again, I encourage you to leave a comment in the comment section below. I may even add it to the list at some point! As always, encourage others to follow good practices, etiquette and guidelines specific to an area (such as Rogers Pass). A gentle reminder goes a long way to avoid painful consequences later on. Be a good steward of our environment and lead by example! See you on the slopes.
