Mar 23, 2025 | AIARE Avalanche Education, Backcountry Skiing, Colorado, Education, Ski Mountineering
This spring in Colorado there was a pattern with the kinds of avalanches people were getting involved with: dry snow avalanches in a spring context. There are a couple nuances with this specific setup that can help us operate more effectively in the...
Mar 10, 2025 | Backcountry Skiing, Education, Educational Program, Ski Mountineering
I’ve gotten some questions about this from a number of people. I might go so far as to say it’s a troubling trend. You should really not think about it as ski “cutting” while on belay. You can sidestep, jump, stomp and observe on belay. But you...
Feb 25, 2025 | Backcountry Skiing, Guided, Rock Climb, Ski Mountineering
I get a lot of people asking about how to get into ski mountaineering. But first, what is ski mountaineering, truly? Well… its mountaineering with skis… obviously. Let’s break that down though. One way we could look at it is: skiing in terrain where...
Nov 5, 2024 | AIARE Avalanche Education, Backcountry Skiing, Education, Ski Mountineering
Colorado is known for big scary avalanches. But some seasons are worse than others. How do we tell if a season is going to be a scary one or a moderate one. A good way to understand it is through the idea of snow climates. Colorado’s mountains tend to follow the...
Oct 28, 2024 | AIARE Avalanche Education, Backcountry Skiing, Colorado, Education, Educational Program, Guided
Here’s some thoughts I frequently find myself giving to people asking how to get into the backcountry. The first thing is to understand it can be a long, complicated journey depending on your goals. It’s important to be realistic about your ability to commit the time,...
Oct 10, 2024 | AIARE Avalanche Education, Backcountry Skiing, Colorado, Education, Educational Program, Guided, Rocky Mountain National Park, Ski Mountineering
I’m really excited about getting this program running this winter. This is a program that I really think will provide the best bang for your buck as far as winter backcountry readiness is concerned. Many students I work with in avalanche safety courses don’t...
