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Ski and Splitboard Mountaineering Seminar

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This 5 day course is meant to provide competent resort skiers and snowboarders with all the tools needed to get as rowdy as they want in the backcountry. Because this course takes place in an expedition format participants will also gain valuable skills for camping in snowy conditions in the backcountry so they can gain the skills to do more advanced multi day ski and snowboarding trips.


Participants will learn everything from basic avalanche and ascending skills they can use in mellower terrain to belay and rappelling skills that might be important in more consequential terrain.

Dates and Locations

April 10th-14th, Lake City Colorado

May 15th-19th, Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado

Backcountry Skills You'll Learn

This is a 5 day course focused on backcountry skiing and riding where mountaineering objectives are involved. A full equipment list is provided prior to the start of the course.


Prerequisites

  • Participants must have solid skiing experience in all conditions. Ideally black and double black terrain with variable snow.

During this course students will learn to:

  • Avalanche rescue skills. How to do beacon checks, rescue a companion and how to operate and store avalanche equipment.
  • Differentiate where specific avalanche hazards exist within the landscape and identify avalanche terrain where consequences may be more severe.
  • Use snow and weather information and forecasts to make terrain decisions to enjoy the best skiing.
  • Practice basic and advanced backcountry skills such as using climbing skins on skis, kickturns, and other ascending skills.
  • Learn climbing skills for steep snow such as snow anchors and rappelling as well as skills for easier rock scrambling to get to the top of objectives where a ski descent is the goal.
  • Backcountry snow camping skills such as site selection and setup to provide protection and comfort on multiday ski missions.
  • Advanced techniques for skiing consequential terrain. This can be easier skills such as how to transition from boots to skiing in steep terrain to more advanced skills such as belayed skiing.
  • Methods for skiing consequential terrain as a group to ensure the most enjoyment with the safest outcomes.

Equipment Included:

All technical mountaineering equipment:

-ice ax, crampons, snow protection and any other basic climbing gear such as harness and helmet.


All group camping equipment:

-tents, stoves, morning and evening meals, water purification.


Avalanche equipment:

-avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe.

We do not provide a backcountry set up. We're happy to help participants in purchasing or renting equipment but each participant will need:

-skis with backcounty bindings. Pin bindings are ideal but frame bindings are acceptable

-touring boots that work with those bindings.

-ascending skins

-ski poles. we recommend collapsible poles.


We do not provide personal clothing or camping gear such as:

-sleeping pad or bag

-backpack

-jackets

-snacks during the day.

-water bottles

Not Included: