Backcountry Course by Certified Guides
During two days of ski touring or splitboarding, learn and practice essential avalanche skills, beacon rescue, safe route selection, efficient skinning, downhill technique on skis and splitboards, while enjoying our legendary Wasatch terrain. If you are fit and have good aerobic endurance, you will do well on this two-day trip. To know what a day backcountry touring with Wasatch Mountain Guides is like, learn more here.
This two day backountry introductory course is for you if you want to learn the basics to safely ski or splitboard tour (and get away from resort crowds!), have off-piste skiing or snowboarding experience, and are motivated to learn how to safely find and ski powder in the backcountry. This course is great for those that don't have the exeperience, budget, or time to complete a certified avalanche course. Additionally, this course is great preparation for an avalanche course. Those courses are recommended for those with some to intermediate backcountry touring experience.
Not what you're looking for? Check out our other backcountry ski/snowboard and avalanche education courses:
- Avalanche Level 1 Course (American Avalanche Institute certification)
- Avalanche Rescue Course (American Avalanche Institute certification)
- 1-Day Introduction to Backcountry Skiing/Snowboarding Course
Course Details:
- A minimum of 2 participants needed, maximum of 8 (client to guide ratio max: 4:1)
- If solo, contact us if you'd like to join an existing group or to schedule you on the next availability
- Difficulty: No backcountry experience necessary; intermediate to advanced downhill ski ability and good fitness required
- Meeting Time: Generally 8am
- Meeting Location: Big or Little Cottonwood Park and Ride Lot, Alta or Brighton, depending on objective. We may also meet in the Provo area mountains.
- We provide:
- IFMGA or AMGA certified guides
- Avalanche beacon, shovel, probe, and pack (if needed)
- What you need: you will be sent an equipment list once booked
Curriculum:
- Getting to know our equipment
- Objectives for safe travel in avalanche terrain (terrain, terrain, terrain!)
- Current hazards (weather and avalanche forecast)
- Group capabilities and limitations
- Group travel procedures
- Beacon rescue
- Maximizing our efficiency on skins
- Kick turning skills and tricks
- Safety concerns whilst ascending a line
- Safety concerns whilst skiing/boarding a line
- Introduction to snow stability assessment techniques
- Picking suitable unguided tours
- Progression of tours to enable goals to be achieved
Dates:
These are Private Courses so simply contact us or Book Trip to schedule.
Price per person:
- $500 ($540 weekend)
- Minimum of 2 participants required
- If solo, contact us if you'd like to join an existing group or to schedule you on the next availability
Max Client to Guide Ratio:
- 4:1
- We can book groups larger than four and will add an additional guide to the group, keeping max client to guide ratio 4:1. Price remains at $500 ($540 weekend) per person.
