Spring is in the air – I can almost smell it! The warmer temperatures, strong solar radiation and clear skies bring on a new set of challenges. The snowpack undergoes rapid change throughout the day…
Browsing Category Learn
Planning A Spring Ski Tour: Optimize Your Peak Pursuit
As the days grow longer and the sun shines high over the mountains, I move around our mountain playground differently than during the bulk of the winter season. I truly believe that planning a spring…
Spring Ski Touring Basics: Weather, Corn Skiing And Avalanches
Long sunny days, warm temperatures, and high-elevation adventures: ski touring (or splitboarding) in spring is by far my favourite activity. Whether you’re bagging a high peak with skis strapped to your back or skiing the…
Backcountry Skiing & Splitboarding Etiquette: The Dos and Don’ts
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…
Backcountry Winter Camping Gear For Alpine Touring
Backcountry winter camping requires specialized gear optimized for use in cold temperatures and capable of withstanding the worst of winter storms. Here’s an example. In 2018, I decided to winter camp in -25C weather with…
Planning A Ski Tour At Rogers Pass: The Online Tools
Knowing where to look for information is crucial to planning a ski tour at Rogers Pass (Glacier National Park). After all, those weather and avalanche forecasting tools will help you choose the right line for…
Getting Caught In An Avalanche: A Wild Ride
Ski guides don’t usually talk about getting caught in an avalanche. After all, their livelihood depends on managing clients through avalanche terrain, travelling safely, and avoiding avalanche incidents. Most simply brush it off but never…
The Early Season Snowpack: How It Affects Your Winter
November 1st. You peer through the rain streaming down your bedroom window. It might be raining down here but it’s dumping up there. You pull out your touring skis (or snowboard), waxed the day before…
How To Choose An Avalanche Transceiver / Beacon
The avalanche transceiver, otherwise known as a beacon, is an essential part of the avalanche safety gear triad, which also incorporates the shovel and probe. Worn by most backcountry skiers and snowboarders around the world,…
How To Choose Climbing Skins For Ski Touring
You never trust them, they stick to literally everything (including themselves) but they always get you up to high places. Often overlooked, skins are a fundamental piece of ski touring gear. As there are so…