Jet Boil Stove – Mini Mo
Jet Boil Stove – Mini Mo Weight: 14.6 oz / 415 g Perfect for the modern backpacker, this cooking system combines Jetboil’s tried-and-true efficiency and versatility with a tigher, convient package. This stove reaches a rolling boil in just over two minutes with half the fuel consumption of traditional systems. Forgot your lighter, no worries,…
Neo 3 tent – 3 person
Neo 3 tent – 3 person Forget the ‘gram, it’s so much better in-person. Whether you’re after your first tent or looking to upgrade, the Ohm is a great option for any adventure. Wake up to awe-inspiring views from your backcountry bedroom, thanks to the enormous panorama door that frames surroundings like a camera lens.…
Neo 2 Tent – 2 person
Neo 2 tent – 2 person Forget the ‘gram, it’s so much better in-person. Whether you’re after your first tent or looking to upgrade, the Ohm is a great option for any adventure. Wake up to awe-inspiring views from your backcountry bedroom, thanks to the enormous panorama door that frames surroundings like a camera lens.…
Tantalus Traverse
Tantalus Traverse The unforgettable sea to skyline traverse The Tantalus traverse is the iconic skyline of the sea to sky area. This 2 days traverse travels over steep granite rock, and wild glaciers all with stunning views of the sea to sky valley and out to the Georgia straight. To keep…
Meet the Guides – Christine Feleki
Meet the Altus guide team. Christine Feleki is part of an amazing crew of athletes ready to share their knowledge to get you out in the backcountry.
Meet the Guides – Brett Menter
Meet Brett Menter, a professionally certified Altus guide ready to take you out on your next big backcountry or mountaineering adventure.
Backcountry Base Camp
Backcountry Base Camp Remote, Wild, Epic Imagine a remote backcountry ski destination just for you and your friends… As we seem to yearn for more and more remoteness from the ski resort’s maddening crowds, we get to explore more new areas to serve as our backcountry playgrounds. We will be setting up camp in a…
AST 1
AST 1 Your First Step to Accessing the Backcountry The AST 1 – Avalanche Skills Training course is the long-established standard in introductory avalanche education. This course is designed to bring resort skiers into the backcountry with the foundational skills to understand avalanche formations and proper backcountry travel. Also, this course will give students the…
Alpha Mountain – NW ridge
Another Tantalus range classic is the NW ridge of Alpha Mountain. Often overlooked as the East and West face routes of the mountain get most of the attention. This route is much longer, more challenging and involved than the 2 more popular routes. With climbing never harder than low fifth, this route is packed with challenging route finding, interesting descent, and difficult anchors. A worthy challenge for budding new alpinists.
Tantalus – Descent Beta
Climbing Mount Tantalus seems to more and more underestimate these days. Although the climbing is never too tough the route-finding both going up and down can be mind-boggling. Particularly if you are coming in blind doing the Traverse.
What is Backcountry Skiing?
Do you have a craving to ski on ungroomed, all-natural snow in some of the most beautiful wilderness mountains' have to offer? If your answer is yes, then backcountry skiing can provide the adventure you're looking for.
Backcountry skiing generally occurs in sparsely populated areas outside designated ski resorts - truly making it an adventure. Human power is frequently the means of access and ascent, but some adventures may require helicopters and ski lifts may be used so long as the land accessed is backcountry.
Types of Backcountry Skiing
According to Wikipedia, backcountry skiing can include:
- Frontcountry: off-trail within ski area boundaries where ski lifts and emergency services are close at hand.
- Slackcountry: terrain outside of the ski area boundary that is accessed from a lift without having to use skins or bootpack. Usually this also includes area with access back to the lift as well. For purists, this could also include where people use a car as a shuttle.
- Sidecountry: terrain outside marked ski area boundaries yet accessible via ski lift. Typically sidecountry requires the skier to hike, skin, or climb within ski area boundaries to reach or return from the sidecountry area, or both.
- Backcountry: skiing in remote areas not within ski area boundaries. Ski patrol, marked ski runs, grooming, snowmaking, and ski lifts are absent.
Want to Try Backcountry Skiing?
Give Altus Mountain Guides a call to start your adventure today +1.604.848.8543
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Altus mountain guides is a group of motivated professionals dedicated to providing our clients with outstanding quality in the mountains with safe adventurous trips. From our base in Squamish and Whistler BC we provide you access to the most amazing mountain experiences the West Coast has to offer. Our exciting itineraries showcase the Coast Range but reach beyond to the interior ranges of the Selkirkʼs and Purcellʼs and onto the Rockies. We also offer trips internationally from the historic and classic European Alps to the windswept wilds of Patagonia.