Ski Mountaineering Skills Course

Want to summit and ski big, snowy mountains? This course is for backcountry skiers, like you, who are looking to gain the skills they need to climb and ski the great peaks of the world.  This course provides the baseline skillset you need to get started climbing and skiing mountains with exposure to steep, firm slopes.

Whether your goal is to ski Mt Baker, Mt Shuksan, the North Cascades or high peaks across the globe, the skills covered in this course are universally beneficial.  No matter where you go, these skills will be the foundation of efficient climbing and will help you manage the hazards of the mountains.

In this program we'll cover:

• Ski Mountaineering Gear
• Ice Axes 
• Boot Crampons
• Ski Crampons
• Ropes
• Carabiners
• Mountaineering efficiency including the Rest Step
• Crampon Techniques
• Ice Axe Techniques including Self Arrest and Team Arrest (for Glacier Travel)
• Descending techniques for mountaineering
  
• Basics of rope team travel

Requisite Experience

You should have a solid ski touring background and be proficient with your backcountry ski touring gear.  Beyond that, we will teach all of the skills you need for ski mountaineering on non-glaciated terrain without technical climbing (4th Class rock or ice) or rappelling.