Anyone can strap on a pair of skis and head off the trail. But to move quickly, efficiently and enjoyably takes skill, knowledge and experience. There is a world worth exploring, and a world of difference, off the beaten trail in the mountains and valleys of Alaska. This two day course is designed to enable a nordic skier, taking their first tentative steps off the trail, and leap them confidently onto long backcountry tours.
During this course we will be learning the standard backcountry skills, such as uphill ski climbing, route selection and navigation, intro to avalanche hazard assessment and rescue, selection of equipment, strategies for descents, and much more. But almost more importantly, we will be teaching many of the smaller tips and techniques, most not found in books, that help experienced back country skiers move as smoothly and as efficiently as they do. If you want to look gWe will be running this course for two days in the Hatcher Pass region of the Talkeetna Mountains. Participants are expected to be intermediate nordic skiers, in good physical condition and equipped with backcountry telemark skis and climbing skins. Plastic or double leather boots are recommended.
Mountain Touring Course - Two days - $350.00 (by appointment only)
Now you are ready to crank it up a notch, or maybe you did and gave yourself a scare. You are ready to ski steeper terrain and maybe want to bag a peak. It's time to learn to be a ski mountaineer! You want to use a rope to get over that steep pass crossing, know how to safely knock off that cornice, pull off a ski pole self-arrest and do kick turns on wicked steep terrain. If you would like to learn these skills, and many more, we have the course for you!
For two days we will be working on ski-related skills applicable to steeper and more rugged terrain. Included will be how to really maximize equipment while climbing uphill, how to descend a slope when turns are out of the question, use of ice axe and crampons, safe movement in avalanche terrain and other skills to numerous to mention. We will also be using the rope for quick skier type belays as a method to stay out of trouble!
This is a two-day course and participants are expected to be at least advanced nordic skiers or alpine skiers with alpine touring skies. Skiers must also be in very good physical condition. Equipment required will be wide single camber metal edged skis, plastic boots, climbing skins and a small selection of mountaineering gear. Ski crampons are recommended.
Ski Mountaineering Course - Two days - $350.00 (by appointment only)
"I have a belief that you can make a thousand runs in a ski area, and one run in the backcountry, but the run you will remember 20 years from now, will be that one run in the backcountry." - David Staeheli
Are you a mountaineer trying to expand your skills to include the use of alpine touring equipment? Or are you an alpine skier looking to find those special ski runs that can only be found by making your own way? In either case, if you would really like a jump on making alpine touring ski equipment work effectively, this course may be for you.
Alpine touring is not just about the equipment. Although we will show how to choose and use the gear, of much more importance are the skills and techniques that make this equipment so useful and enjoyable in the backcountry. We will be covering uphill track setting, use and care of climbing skins, movement skills in avalanche terrain, use of avalanche transceivers, and many other tips and techniques. If you want boundaries to apply only to other people, this is the short course that will show you how .
Participants need to be advanced skiers in good physical conditioning. They will also need to have or rent alpine touring (randonnée) skis with climbing skins and alpine touring boots .
Alpine Touring Course - Two days - $350.00 (by appointment only)
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