Backcountry Skiing Immersion Clinic

Join us for a 3 Day Intermediate and Advanced Backcountry Ski Immersion Clinic

You will learn mountain navigation with GPS, tour planning, hazard analysis, and technical ski improvement.  Leave this course with ample amounts of time in the field practicing the skills presented to you.  Whether it be setting the perfect ski track, managing time, slope assessment, or creating an elegant ski tour that maximizes the terrain,  after this course, you will have an in-depth understanding of how to manage complicated tours by pre-building tour plans and managing them in the field whether it be with GPS or Analog mapping tools.

Technical ski improvement is also a large focus of this unique and high-end course.  On Day 1 you will spend time with a guide using video feedback to help better understand how to improve technically. Being good on your feet and having a better understanding of the technical nature of skiing will only raise your level of enjoyment and safety.  You will work on techniques for skiing powder with better flow, steeps with confidence, and being efficient in variable snow.  Video feedback for ski instruction is well known for being extremely effective.  

This camp has no equal. Contact us for more details.

We are not offering a group Ski Immersion camp this winter, however we can certainly customize a camp for your private group. We have a minimum of 2 participants in any camp.

Dependent on the number of participants and your custom itinerary. Please call to discuss.

Day 1

        Your first day starts early with a gear check and paper work.  After intros are done you will dive right into some of the basic of tour planning.  Mobile and Laptop apps and techniques will be discussed.  We will start with basics of way point planning and exporting to your phone. We will then head out on the hill for some warm up laps with your guide and may the technical learning commence.  With just iPhone video and some indoor feedback sessions we work on improving your technical skiing abilities.  Over lunch we will progress our mapping to a basic tour plan for the afternoon.  After lunch we head out to verify our tour plan and spend a few more hours skiing and using video feedback to keep progressing our technical skiing capabilities. We will also discuss the next day’s tour plan assignment and go over WX, FX, terrain, escape plans, and other snow pack considerations that one would consider in their tour plan for the next day.

Day 2 

      After your guides take you through a morning meeting process where we will go over the Avalanche Forecast, Weather and tour plan we head to the trailhead. Group Beacon checks, group communication and group gear conversations will start the day at the trailhead.  Then pacing, ski track setting, etiquette, hazard and transitions/breaks locations and chores at each will take us to the summit of our assignment.  Get the chance to lead your group on the way up and the way down in order to practice real decision making with professional guide feedback.  On the descent learn about communication styles with and without radios, safe zone forecasting, pitch length and hazard management.  Once your group leads itself back to the trailhead you will participate in a group debrief weighing your opinions of the day and relate them to possible tours for the next day. 

Day 3

      Building on day 2 is the focus.  Having highlighted the skills you want to refine on day 3 you get more time to practice.

Course Topics

• Technical ski instruction feedback
• 3 days of GPS tour planning practice and professional feedback
• Equipment selection for both personal and groups
• Time Management and expectations
• Escape Plan or Plan B
• Skin Track setting
• In the field weather and snow pack observations
• Pacing and group management
• Transitions/Break timing
• Safe Zone forecasting
• Group communications with and without radio
• Pitch length
• Stay flexible
• Leap Frogging
• How to create elegant ski tours
• Maximize terrain and time
• Group debrief styles