Unimaginably steep lines where one caught edge will send you hurtling into the frigid ocean. Days of sailing through rough waters as pods of orcas circle nearby. Some pretty hands-off parenting. All this and more await you in the new adventure film, In a Lifetime, which chronicles a five-week expedition to Antarctica by snowboarder Xavier de le Rue, his younger brother Victor and his teenage daughter Mila.

Directed by Jérôme Tanon and produced in collaboration with The North Face, in just 44 minutes this diary-style documentary covers epic mountaineering in the more remote place on earth, previously untouched lines, climate change and family dynamics, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of Antarctica.

It makes it a little difficult to know where to start when I sit down with Xavier and Mila to discuss the project with them. So I go with the obvious – how does it feel to you take your 18-year-old daughter into such a remote and challenging environment?

“It’s not like just going on holiday with your daughter. There's an objective, so it's a completely different mindset,” explains Xavier.

The weeks and months before the expedition were filled with worries about what he calls the “nightmare scenarios” – boats sinking during the five-day traverse across the choppy Drake Passage, a stretch of water between Chile and Antarctica that’s considered one of the most treacherous voyages in the world. But when it came to Mila’s initiation into big mountain free riding on steep couloirs and exposed faces that saw the 18-year-old breaking down in tears as snow ominously slides away under her skis?

“I always felt pretty relaxed,” says Xavier.

“I have a big trust in her and it's funny, I'm not scared when I see her skiing because I know how she reacts and I'm very confident about this.”

The famed big mountain snowboarder is a three-time champion of the Freeride World Tour, as is Vincent. Mila already looks set to follow in their footsteps, but this expedition saw her using gear like crampons and an ice axe for the first time. Learning to use technical equipment for the first time in such a high-stakes scenario and there’s no mountain rescue to come and bail you out would be a challenge for anyone, much less a teenager.

“The cool thing is that on a trip like this she could have gone downhill, but she pulled herself together,” says Xavier.

For him, the trip was all about overcoming fear now he’s reached an age where he finds his friends are taking fewer and fewer risks.

Put three family members together for five weeks on any boat and you’d expect a little family drama – “she’s a bit defiant with me” says Xavier of their relationship now Mila's reached her teenage years – but the trio manages to get on remarkably well despite danger, seasickness and hangovers.

“You don't have time to get on each other's nerves because you always have targets, the boat is always moving so you always have new areas with new objectives with new things,” says Xavier, who also describes the crossing as “five days of hell.”

Despite the film’s name, Xavier previously skied the epic line known as The Captain in Antarctica 12 years ago, but this time he wanted share it with his brother – he says they’ve lived parallel lives due to their 10-year age gap. The result is no ordinary ski film, seeing the family hike through a penguin colony to begin one ascent and sail through massive icebergs in search of new lines.

“It feels like a dream, being there,” says Mila, who turned 18 during the expedition.

It’s no surprise that the film also comments on climate change – Xavier is the host of the Sustainability Dialogues podcast and has long been a mouthpiece for the climate crisis. The trio sails to Vernadsky, a Ukrainian research base where marine and climate scientists reveal that even far from human intervention, seawater has warmed 4°C in the last 80 years.

They also used the trip to properly test out their new line of technical ski and snowboarding gear – designed from recycled materials that can be turned back into new raw materials at the end of their life cycle. The North Face A-68a collection has been five years in the making.

“The idea was, for once, to embrace one of those collaborations with my sponsors to being able to make something which actually mattered, which was not just a marketing ploy,” says Xavier, who admits frustration that one of the hardest parts of being a spokesperson for climate change is the innate conflict involved with manufacturing and travel.

When I ask for his advice on practicing sustainability in skiing and in life, his suggestion is “just to get better.”

“Analyze yourself and try to get interested and try to talk about it with your friends and see what they do and see what you can do. If you fly, try to fly a bit less, if you eat meat, try to eat a bit less. But who am I to say that? Because I am consuming like everyone else.”

To put it mildly, pieces from the collection like the A68-a DryVent Mono Shell Jacket, covered in red dots, are quite outlandish – Xavier tells me they were inspired by expedition gear from 100 years ago – but any doubts of their performance dissolve when we see the family scaling ice walls and falling into the sea then being hauled out, laughing.

Of A Lifetime is streaming now on The North Face’s YouTube channel and is one to watch over the holidays for anyone who loves nature, winter sports and adventure.

• The best ski jackets for men: protection on the slopes
• The best ski backpacks: for adventures on and off-piste
• The best ski goggles: unbeatable protection for your eyes

With so much fresh powder in Colorado's backcountry, it's hard to resist the temptation to get out and look for some nice lines, but a mountain rescue team yesterday issued a reminder not to forget about life-saving preparations in your excitement.

At around 2 p.m. on Saturday, Alpine Rescue Team received a call to assist an injured skier below Torrey’s Peak, a 14er on the Front Range near Denver. Fortunately for the man, a passing skier was able to use Apple's Emergency SOS function to call for help and stayed with him to help keep him warm until rescue crews arrived.

A team of 18 volunteers responded and located the skier in a creek bed where they stabilized his leg then evacuated him in a toboggan. The man wasn't out of the field until 7 p.m., two and a half hours after sunset in the area.

"This is a good reminder to share your plans and prepare for the possibility of spending an unexpected night in the backcountry," warns ART.

Regardless of whether you are skiing, hiking, ice climbing or snowshoeing, it's vital to always leave a detailed plan with someone you trust, outlining your departure and return time as well as your planned route.

Packing for an unplanned night in the backcountry means bringing the following:

• Extra warm layers such as a down jacket, hat and gloves
• An emergency blanket or shelter
• A firestarter (consider also bringing your camping stove)
• Food and water
• Headlamp
• First aid kit
• Map and compass
• Portable charger

In addition, while Apple's SOS function can be a lifesaver, if you're venturing into the wilderness where cell service is spotty, it can be worth investing in a satellite communicator such as a Garmin InReach to signal for help if things go wrong.

• The best crampons: tested for sure-footed traction on frozen terrain
• The best winter hiking boots: for unbeatable performance in the cold

In April 2017, a lone hiker arrived at the summit of Mount Harvey, a 5,420-foot peak north of Vancouver. He had fallen behind his group on the ascent and when he reached the top in deep snow, all he could see were their footprints – five sets altogether – leading off the edge, and an obvious break where the snow had given way. Five hikers died that day, falling over 1,600 feet when the snow they were standing on turned out to be a cornice.

Cornices are a natural snow formation that occurs in the mountains every winter, but they become especially dangerous in the spring, when warming conditions cause them to collapse, and under low visibility conditions. If you’re still planning on taking some snowy adventures with your crampons or backcountry skis this year, read on to understand the dangers of cornices, and how to reduce your risk.

What is a cornice in the snow?

Snow cornices are overhanging masses of snow that are formed by wind. They build up over the course of the winter on the leeward (that’s downwind) side of ridgelines and mountain summits. These structures can be very beautiful to look at and can grow to be wider and longer than a city bus. Underneath them, however, can be thousands of feet of thin air. When the warming temperatures of spring bring more frequent freeze/thaw cycles, they can become unstable and break off, spelling disaster for anyone who is hiking or skiing on it, or underneath it, at the time.

How do you identify a cornice?

Cornices are very difficult to detect. If you’re looking up at a cornice from below, or from an adjacent peak, it can become clear that what looks like a rock shelf covered in snow is actually just protruding snow as you may be able to see a shadow underneath the overhang. When you’re traversing across a cornice in snowshoes or on skis, however, it can be impossible to know whether what you’re standing on is solid or could give away at any moment. 

If you’re standing on a snow-covered ridge or crest, the edge might appear to be 20 feet away, but could actually be behind you, and what you’re standing on could break off and take you down the cliffside with it. Even if you know a mountain well, it’s really not easy to identify a cornice in the snow, but when you’re mountaineering or skiing on a ridge or crest, you should always assume that what you’re standing on isn’t solid.

Cornice safety tips for mountaineering and skiing

Cornices pose several hazards to anyone adventuring in alpine areas and in winter. First, they can break away underneath you and send you tumbling down the cliffside. They can also fall down on top of you if you are climbing below them, and in doing so, they can trigger an avalanche, which can affect climbers even further down the mountain.

The consequences, of course, can be deadly. Just last week, an experienced climber died after the cornice he was standing on gave way and he fell 2,000 feet into the crater of Mount St Helens and there are similar tragedies every year. Like crevasses, cornices are a very real part of mountaineering, and while they’re difficult to detect, there are measures you can take to reduce your risk.

1. Check the weather

When you're checking the mountain weather forecast before any excursion, pay attention to rising temperatures in recent days as this can increase the instability of snow, as can high winds. High winds in recent days may also have led to cornices growing rapidly. Under these conditions, know that cornice risk will be higher and consider staying away from ridges and standing well back from any apparent edge.

Furthermore, if visibility looks set to be low on the day of your expedition, you’re going to want to make sure your navigation skills are extra keen. Use a topo map and plan a route that keeps you far away from edges to ensure you’ll be safe in a whiteout.

2. Change your route

In truth, the best way to avoid the hazards of cornices is to steer clear of them. If the forecast looks like cornice danger might be high, your best option is to choose a lower route to ensure you won’t accidentally end up on a cornice unplanned. Stay off the summits and also away from routes that take you below areas you’ve identified where cornices might build up.

3. Go with a guide

If you’re you’re new to the area or lack mountaineering experience, it can be worth it to go out with a guide who knows the area well. Yes, it will cost more and of course, there’s never any guarantees about what will happen in the backcountry, but they’re very likely to know the areas where cornices tend to build up and will be keen to steer you away from danger.

4.  Undergo avalanche safety training

Even if you’re not standing on a cornice when it breaks off, you could find yourself caught up in an avalanche if you’re below it. Avalanche safety training will teach you how to identify avalanche-prone areas and avoid them, as well as how to use gear like an avalanche beacon and probe. Always check the avalanche forecast before going out and if the risk is moderate or higher, change your plans and live to hike or ski another day.

• Best ice axes: tested by experts

Footballing legend has shared footage of himself snowboarding – and wiping out – at a luxury resort in Canada's backcountry. The Inter Miami owner shared the video, which you can watch below, plus several snaps of his ski trip on his Instagram account over the weekend.

One of the photos reveals the footballer was cat skiing with a small group, including his son Cruz, 19, at the exclusive Island Lake Lodge resort in BC. Similar to heli-skiing, but far cheaper, cat skiing uses a snowcat to get you out of bounds and into untouched powder stashes. According to Fernie.com, the star's trip coincided with 51 inches of new snow which made for epic riding conditions.

Though he's had a long and successful career out of being nearly flawless in the midfield, Beckham learned that four plus feet of snow is a challenge for even the world's top athletes. The video shows him cruising through the thigh-deep powder in the trees and making some nice turns initially before wiping out. He comes up laughing with a face full of snow and keeps going, only to go down again seconds later, all in good humor.

"What an amazing experience with friends, creating incredible memories…ending with the perfect triple somersault face plant."

Olympic snowboarder Shaun White commented that he too was riding at Island Lake Lodge that day, to which Beckham playfully responded: "I might need a lesson or 2."

Island Lake Lodge is a luxury backcountry resort on private land in the Canadian Rockies near the city of Fernie with 7,000 acres of terrain. Though anyone can access their cross country trail system, a private cat skiing trip like the one Beckham took will set you back over $2,500 for two days. Trips are booked up until the end of March.

The resort has been the backdrop for several ski films including Warren Miller's Ride. Bear Grylls filmed an episode of his survival show Man vs Wild at the lodge.

• Best ski jackets for men: protection on the slopes

Hazardous conditions on Mount Washington this weekend proved fatal for one backcountry skier, who died on Saturday after plunging down a steep ravine. Several other incidents and rescues took place on the same day, which came one day after we reported on a hypothermic hiker who was rescued while trying to climb the icy mountain in sneakers.

According to a news release by the US Forest Service, 20-year-old Madison Saltsburg died of traumatic injuries she sustained after falling 600 feet down Tuckerman Ravine, a steep bowl popular with expert skiers.

"Saltsburg and her skiing companion were faced with hard, icy snow surfaces, open crevasse holes, and unforgiving conditions for a slip and fall," writes the USFS, who worked with mountain rescue into the night in increasingly treacherous conditions to evacuate Saltsburg's body.

"Throughout the year, this very steep ski mountaineering terrain, and other areas around Mount Washington are subject to ever changing mountain hazards. These commonly include avalanches, open crevasse holes, icy steep slopes, and falling rocks and ice."

The report also details another callout on Saturday where teams responded to two skiers who had sustained traumatic injuries in falls on the icy snow. Meanwhile, multiple other hiker and skier falls were witnessed throughout the day that did not result in serious injuries.

The USFS warns backcountry skiers and hikers that while avalanche risk is currently low on the mountain, springtime mountain conditions can be the most hazardous, due to the freeze/thaw cycle, falling ice and crevasses in the snowpack. They urge all skiers and mountaineers to carry navigation tools such as a map and compass as well as crampons, an ice axe and a helmet in steep mountaineering terrain. Anyone venturing into avalanche-prone terrain must also carry avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe.

Why is Mount Washington so dangerous?

Mount Washington is the highest peak in the northeastern US at just over 6,000 feet tall, and has claimed more lives than any other mountain in the country. It is a strenuous hike and the mountain is frequently home to some of the worst weather in the world. Learn more in our article on what makes Mount Washington so dangerous.

• Best emergency blankets, bags and shelters

Two skiers who ventured out-of-bounds from a Colorado ski resort required mountain rescue services after realizing they were unprepared and ill-equipped for the terrain.

According to a Facebook post from Pitkin County Sheriff's Office, the skiers dialed 911 on Saturday at approximately 5:50 p.m. after skiing out of bounds below the Hero’s Lift on Aspen Mountain into an area "known to be hazardous terrain."

"The two skiers did not have adequate clothing or equipment for the terrain that they were in," reports the Sheriff's Office. Backcountry skiing requires avalanche safety training as well as equipment such as an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe.

Aspen Mountain Rescue was recruited and a team entered the field at 6:30 p.m. on snowmobiles taking extra clothing and headlamps. By 7:15 p.m., three more teams had joined the search using drones and at 7:24 p.m., shortly after sunset, the skiers were located and had to begin the "long and difficult descent." 

 "The rescuers and the two skiers were forced to ski slowly and carefully using headlamps to see due to the darkness and extremely difficult terrain."

All skiers and snowboarders are reminded to obey all terrain closures and ski boundary signs at all times.

Backcountry skiing safety

Backcountry skiing has seen a massive growth in popularity over the past few years, partly thanks the the COVID lockdown. With ski resorts shut down, powder-hungry skiers started going ever more off-piste, venturing into the backcountry for a more adventurous experience. But as the number of backcountry skiers has grown, so have the associated incidents, as documented in the film Backcountry Responsibly. Learn more about what you need for the backcountry in our article on backcountry ski gear.

• The best ski backpacks: tested by experts

The bodies of five cross country skiers who went missing in the Alps over the weekend have been found, while officials say one party remains missing.

The group of six, which reportedly contained five members of one family, set off on Saturday from the Swiss ski resort Zermatt, which sits at the foot of the Matterhorn. It is believed they were attempting to tour to Arolla, Italy on a two-day section of the famous Haute Route, a roughly 75-mile path between Zermatt and Chamonix. However, they disappeared around Tete Blanche mountain, which straddles Switzerland and Italy, prompting a massive response from mountain rescue.

The section of path the group was touring mostly lies below 9,000 feet and isn't believed to be particularly avalanche prone, but according to reporting in the BBC, severe weather has plagued the region in recent days, bringing heavy snowfall and high winds, and is thought to be to blame for the tragedy. The conditions hampered initial rescue efforts, and the bodies were not discovered until Sunday.

The identities of the deceased have not yet been made public, however Reuters reports that the skiers ranged in age from 21 to 58 and five came from the Valais Canton, while one is from Fribourg.

Backcountry skiing safety

Before setting off in the backcountry, you need to have some training in backcountry safety. This means possessing navigation skills such as carrying a compass and knowing how to read a map, and carrying a backcountry first aid kit. You'll also need an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe and a satellite communicator to request help if you need it. Learn more in our article on backcountry skiing.

• Best emergency blankets, bags and shelters 

Emergency rescue teams in Vermont had their hands full this weekend when a callout during a cold snap resulted in a massive rescue mission.

According to an official press release issued by Killington Police Department, they received a call at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Saturday reporting that between seven and nine skiers and snowboarders were lost in the backcountry. After coordinating with search and rescue, it was determined that the total lost individuals actually numbered 21, six of whom were reported to be juveniles.

The SAR team responded with 12 members who faced challenging conditions to locate the party.

"Team members hiked, snowshoed and skinned approximately 5 miles, in frigid temperatures to assist in evaluating and bringing those lost back to safety," writes KPD in the statement.

After leading the large group to the rescue truck and personal vehicles to warm up, the SAR team began to make preparations to return home – but before they could, another call came in for two more lost skiers. 

Six rescue personnel then returned returned to the woods to locate the missing duo, walking them out to safety at approximately 7:30 p.m. and bringing their rescue tally to 23 for one mission.

Backcountry skiing safety

Skiers and snowboarders are reminded that they enter the backcountry at their own risk. Before setting off, you should have avalanche training and carry an avalanche beacon, be in good shape and have backcountry gear. Learn more in our aricle on backcountry skiing.

• Backcountry ski gear: what you need to get the secret stash

I very nearly learned about tree wells the hard way. It was my second winter living in Vail and one of the best snow years on record. All of my previous skiing had taken place in Vermont, where snow wasn’t a given and when it came, it was typically icy. So I was learning to ski powder in a trial-by-fire.

That morning, my roommates and I had awoken to the text that all skiers dream of: 14 inches of fresh powder overnight. We hauled on our ski pants, grabbed our snorkels and hit the road. I was with two expert skiers, but because I’d got to the point where I could handle powder reasonably well and wouldn’t slow them down too much, they let me come with them into the trees rather than leaving me on the frontside. They were a little ahead of me and I’d take my time, revelling in this new experience of floating through knee deep powder in a forest while gentle flakes drifted down from the branches above. It was magical.

I fell, a lot. One such tumble had me ejecting and face planting into soft, pillowy snow under the branches of a pine tree. I thrashed around a bit, giggling with the novelty of it all, and as I struggled to get my skis back on, I heard my friends calling my name. 

“I’m okay!” I shouted back. “I just fell in some deep snow next to a tree.”

A minute later, a bit out of breath, I skied out of the trees to find the others on the run looking ashen-faced. Again, I tried to assure them that I was fine – the snow was so soft I could never have hurt myself and I wasn’t going fast enough to hit the tree. That’s when they told me about tree wells.

What is a tree well?

A tree well is a hole or depression that forms in the snow surrounding the base of a tree. They’re most common around conifer trees and you’re more likely to encounter one out west than back east if you’re in the US. Out in the open, falling snow compacts and becomes firm, but the branches of conifer trees prevent this settling from taking place, resulting in a depression of deep and very loose snow near the base of the tree which is obscured by the branches. Depending on how much snow has fallen over the winter, tree wells can be 10 feet deep, or more.

What happens when you fall into a tree well?

Now, my story might not sound that scary. After all, I got up, brushed myself off and went on to have the most memorable ski day of my life. But it could have gone horribly wrong.

Last year alone, 17 people died as a result of falling into tree wells just in Colorado resorts. According to Wilderness Medicine Magazine, tree well deaths account for 65 percent of non-avalanche related snow deaths.

Basically, because of how deep and soft the snow is, if you fall head first into a ski well, it’s very difficult to extract yourself and you are in danger of suffocation, especially if the tree well is so deep that your friends are no longer able to see you.

How to stay safe around tree wells

Before you start composing a strongly worded email to me, I am aware that I did a lot of things wrong. I wasn’t nearly experienced enough to be skiing where I was and I didn't have any training in backcountry skiing or deep snow safety. I’ve since gone on to take powder skiing lessons with a pro, do avalanche training with ski patrol and in general take things a lot more seriously on the hill (and yes, I still enjoy coasting through the trees, but I prefer an Aspen glade these days).

The best way to avoid tree wells of course is to stick to groomed in-bounds runs. Here you won’t find either tree wells or trees. If you want to ski trees and find a powder stash, I get it, but particularly out west, you have to know the risks and adhere to the following to stay safe:

• Educate yourself on powder and backcountry skiing as well as avalanche safety.
• Ski with a partner and stay in sight of each other.
• Ski within your ability and stay in control.
• Stay in the spaces between trees and give the trees themselves a wide berth.
• Stop frequently to assess the situation.
• Don’t use the wrist straps on your ski poles.
• Carry emergency gear: your phone, avalanche beacon, shovel, probe, RECCO reflector and consider an inflatable ski backpack.

If you do get it wrong and tumble into a ski well, it’s important not to panic as this can make things worse. Instead, stay calm and try to roll over and grab onto branches, keeping your head higher than your feet if possible. Make noise by shouting or using your whistle so your partner can find you and make space around your face to help you breathe.

If it’s not you but your partner that goes down, you have to act fast. Don’t think you can ski down to get help – alert ski patrol with your phone if you can, or use your whistle to alert other skiers. Immediately start trying to dig your friend out. Don’t try to pull them out; instead, figure out where they’re head is and start digging in from the side to free up space around their airway.

• Skiing safety: know the code

Backcountry skiing has seen a massive growth in popularity over the past few years, partly thanks the the COVID lockdown. With ski resorts shut down, powder-hungry skiers started going ever more off-piste, venturing into the backcountry for a more adventurous experience. And once they caught the bug there was no going back. According to SnowSports Industries America, there are now more than six million backcountry skiers in the United States.

But as the number of backcountry skiers have grown, so have the associated accidents. It’s part of the very nature of the sport – skiing less will-regulated areas, further from emergency services, often over more technical terrain, it almost encourages participants to take more risks. 

It’s an issue that this new film, Backcountry Responsibly, tackles head on. Made by Teton Gravity Research, who specialize in skiing documentaries, in partnership with Friends of Bridger-Teton, the film‘s blurb makes the point, “In the heart of the 2022/23 winter season, one of the biggest snow seasons on record, Wyoming’s Teton County Search & Rescue experienced five rescues in five days. Why? Lack of knowledge? Heuristic traps? Social media creating false confidence? Sheer bad luck?”

Through interviews with professional athletes, rescuers, teachers and trainers, and some nail-biting footage, Backcountry Responsibly takes a look at the issue of safety while backcountry skiing, placing the emphasis on the skiers themselves to be a part of the solution and not the problem.

Because, sure, risk is part of the adrenalin rush that attracts people to the sport, but you need to know the difference between risk and downright stupidity and arrogance that might end up putting other people at risk unnecessarily.

• Backcountry ski gear: what you need to get the secret stash

Now that the mercury is well and truly heading south on the thermometer, it was only a matter of time before the first snow slide of the season in Colorado's ski country. The first avalanche of the 2023/24 winter season was reported to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center earlier this week, and there's no doubt it will be the first of many.

After the CAISC's grim recap of last winter's avalanche statistics in the state – which placed Colorado in the lead across the nation for avalanches with a total tally of 5,813 reported avalanches and 11 deaths – there's no doubt that the news will cause some degree of consternation even amongst those most excited for ski season to get underway.

On Monday, the CAIC received the report describing cracking and minor collapsing that occurred while two skiers were skinning up the Northwest ridge of Mountain Boy Peak, a 13er south of Independence Pass. The slope is at a 38-degree angle.

"Slope made a big "whoompf" and cracks shot across upon slide initiation," states the report, adding that surface hoar was observed. Surface hoar is frost crystals that are prone to collapsing.

The report details the cause as wind-loaded snow slab on top of facets as the result of snow which fell in late September and early October. The slide triggered just below the ridgeline and was about 100 yards wide, running around 300 feet before coming to a stop. Debris were approximately three to four feet in depth. No one was injured in the slide.

Avalanche safety

Backcountry skiers are reminded that avalanches can occur on any slope that is 30 degrees or more and is covered in snow and ice. Unstable snowpack is the most dangerous, meaning that the snow contains different layers of snow that vary in consistency, for example a layer of unconsolidated, loose snow topped by a thick, solid slab of ice.

Never venture into the backcountry without avalanche training and an avalanche beacon. You can learn more in our article on avalanche safety.

• Best ski jackets for men

With overnight lows reaching freezing in Colorado's high country and more snow on the way by the end of next week in ski areas like Vail and Aspen, state officials are warning of another deadly season ahead.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center recently published a review of the 2022/32 winter season, which proved one of the worst on record for the state and placed Colorado in the lead for avalanche danger across the country.

The report reveals that last winter saw 5,813 reported avalanches with 11 deaths, four more than the annual average over the previous decade. The CAIC recorded 96 incidents with 122 people caught in avalanches, vastly exceeding the 10-year medians of 56 incidents and 84 people caught. There were 18 avalanches where multiple people were caught.

The first incident of the season took place in the backcountry in October 2022, when a skier triggered a slide in Pitkin County. The first fatality occurred on December 26, when a family of four triggered an avalanche on Berthoud Pass, killing one, and the last was on April 29, when a solo skier was caught and buried in a gully on the east side of Bald Mountain, near Breckenridge. 

Of the 11 fatalities, four victims were not carrying avalanche beacons, which can be activated to allow a faster response time from mountain rescue teams.

"We hope the number of multiple-involvement accidents and number of victims not wearing avalanche transceivers are just anomalies and not the sign of a worrisome trend, though this is the second year in a row with similar patterns," write the Center in the release.

The season was largely characterized by abundant snowfall west of the Continental Divide, with eastern areas remaining relatively dry. It's not yet known whether this year will be an El Niño or La Niña year, but while skiers and snowboarders are praying for snow, avalanche safety experts are warning for extra precautions. The CAIC has changed their reporting method to the afternoons with forecasts to cover two days to allow those recreating in the backcountry time to plan.

Avalanche safety

If the weather has been unstable, with lots of snow and wild temperature swings, you should assume that the avalanche risk is higher. High winds can also create avalanche conditions.

If you are heading out into the backcountry on a slope that is 30 degrees or steeper, you are always at risk for an avalanche. The biggest step you can take to keep yourself safe is to take an avalanche safety class where you will learn how to recognize unstable snow, techniques for navigating out of an avalanche once you’re in it and knowing how to use an avalanche beacon and shovel. 

Read more in our articles on avalanche safety and what it takes to save a friend from an avalanche.

• Best ski gloves: tested and rated

On any given power day in Vail, you’ll see the same sight – dozens of skiers and snowboarders hiking up to a gate above Chair 22 to ski the famed sidecountry terrain of East Vail Chutes. Once there, skiers and riders descend massive cliffs and drops with powder stashes galore. When they reach the bottom, there’s no lift to get back to the resort – they’ll need to have left a car there, take the bus or rely on the kindness of strangers. 

Sidecountry access is becoming increasingly popular among winter sports enthusiasts seeking to escape the crowds and find untouched powder, so much so that some resorts even advertise it. But the easy access may give some skiers an impression of safety that is a falsehood – practically every winter, a skier dies in east Vail. 

If you’ve heard about sidecountry skiing and are already brushing off your ski pants eager to give it a go this winter, read on to understand exactly what it means, and how to keep yourself safe when you leave the ski resort boundary.

What is sidecountry? 

In all honesty, sidecountry isn’t really a thing. When you’re skiing in-bounds at a resort, you can term it frontcountry skiing, and that’s a place where bombs are chucked to force avalanches, runs are groomed and obstacles are removed or marked by poles. But the moment you leave the frontcountry – no matter how you get there – you’re in the backcountry.

Sidecountry, however, has become a common term assigned to terrain that you can access via ski lifts, meaning you don’t need specialized uphill skiing equipment such as skins, AT skis, touring boots or a splitboard to get there. You can hop on the chairlift in your regular alpine set up and, perhaps with a little sidestepping or herringbone action, make your way into the backcountry.

Is sidecountry skiing dangerous? 

You might not need special gear to get to the sidecountry, but once you’re there, you really should have a lot of the same specialized equipment and skill as backcountry skiers, and by that, we don’t just mean powder skis. 

The dangers that exist in the backcountry – avalanche risk and hidden obstacles – are there even though you might feel pretty safe, having got here on the lift. After all, it just feels like an extension of the resort. But it isn’t. What’s essential to know is that, the moment you cross that boundary line from the resort into so-called sidecountry, there’s no ski patrol to help you or avalanche mitigation work being done. Sidecountry runs can look gnarly or relatively tame, as in the Minturn Mile accessed from the other side of Vail resort, but they’re never immune to slides.

That means that you should be traveling with a ski backpack filled with avalanche gear – an avalanche beacon and probe for starters and possibly even airbags. It’s also not a bad idea to have a map of the area and a compass, since people can and do get lost in the sidecountry. You should be an experienced powder skier and have researched the terrain in advance, to be sure that it’s within your ability level. If you find yourself at the top of a mandatory cliff with no way to bail out, ski patrol isn’t coming to your aid.

What’s so great about sidecountry skiing? 

If sidecountry skiing is just as dangerous as backcountry skiing, is there any real benefit? Well, sure. It has all the joys of backcountry skiing with less effort. That means you don’t have to spend hours hiking in, so you can access some incredible skiing without devoting your whole day to the endeavor. You can even pair it with a day of skiing groomers or get a great line in before heading to work. There are lots of great reasons to enjoy sidecountry skiing, just make sure you’re prepared for heading to the backcountry – because that’s exactly where you’re going. 

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A skier from Washington, USA, has shared a video of himself accidentally plunging 50ft off a cliff at an unnamed European ski resort. The man captured the whole incident with his selfie stick, and the resulting clip (which you can watch below) shows him coming perilously close to landing on bare rock.

"This is what accidentally falling off a 50 foot cliff looks like," said skier Reid O'Brien, who uploaded the video on TikTok. "My friend sent me this and goes 'apparently they don't mark cliffs in Europe'."

Amazingly, O'Brien's friend seems to have escaped injury – and he's not the only one. As Powder writer Matt Lorelli recalls, in January 2017, a 25-year-old named Devin Stratton was unhurt after accidentally plunged off a 150ft cliff while skiing down the back side of Mount Timpanogos in Utah.

"I immediately thought about my cousin who was [left a] quadriplegic from a car accident and thought, 'I'm gonna be paralyzed,'" Stratton told the Washington Post. "And then when I saw how big the cliff was when I was going over the edge, I thought I was dead for sure."

Amazingly, the only thing bruised was Stratton's pride, although it did take him and a friend five hours to track down his missing ski after the fall.

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After decades of reveling in the conveniences of skiing at resorts, skiers are turning to the backcountry in droves. Industry figures show that backcountry skiing increased once again in 2022, with skiers and snowboarders hungry for powder skiing away from the masses. That trend has been accompanied by a surge in avalanche fatalities – according to the Guardian, 2021 saw the deadliest week in avalanche history since 1910.

If you’re heading into the backcountry, you’re going to want to start with some avalanche safety training and go shopping for a proper ski backpack that allows you to carry food, water, extra base layers and avalanche safety gear such as a probe, shovel and beacon. For added safety, you might also be considering getting yourself kitted out with an avalanche airbag.

How does an avalanche airbag work?

An avalanche airbag is an airbag designed to fit inside – or already integrated into – a ski backpack. Naturally, you might be thinking about the airbags in your car, which deploy upon detecting a collision. No good, you're thinking; if you just happen to take a hard tumble on the slopes and end up turning into a giant orange balloon, that will definitely get you on Jerry of the Day. 

To deploy an avalanche airbag, you’ll need to pull on a cord or handle on the shoulder strap, at which point a brightly colored balloon will activate, filling with some 150 liters of air or other gas. It's rather like the airbag in your car in that sense, but the goal isn't to provide trauma protection; rather, it’s to keep you buoyant so that you don’t get buried, because you’ll have more volume than you normally do, which keeps you higher. The analogy that’s often used to explain how they work is that if you take a bag of trail mix and shake it, all the small sesame seeds will sink to the bottom of the bag and those big banana chips will stay at the top. If you’re able to deploy your airbag when you get caught in a slide, you’re a banana chip.

Further, if you do get buried, the airbag may allow a little more of an air pocket around you so that you can keep breathing until someone digs you out. Lots of new ski backpacks are built to be airbag compatible, such as the Arva Airbag Reactor Calgary 18, while some such as Mammut’s Pro X Removable Airbag 3.0 come with a removable airbag already installed and others come with an integrated, non-removable airbag. 

How effective are avalanche airbags?

Backcountry adventures are best supported by safety gear, from avalanche beacons and climbing helmets to emergency blankets and hiking whistles. It all gives us a sense of security, and by default perhaps more confidence, but it doesn’t always provide as much protection as you might think. Case in point, the RECCO reflector, which could in theory save your life if a ski patroller was nearby who happened to have a detector, but is a passive device that doesn’t transmit a signal to communicate your circumstances or location.

So what about an avalanche airbag? It definitely adds some cost to your ski gear, to the tune of at least $500 for the airbag alone, and a couple of kilos to your ski day. No big deal if it ensures you survive a slide in the backcountry, but is it effective enough to be worth it all?

According to the Utah Avalanche Center, research shows that a deployed avalanche airbag will reduce mortality by 50% in all cases where the user was able to deploy their airbag, which doesn’t sound bad, especially when you consider that you’ve only got about 15 minutes to survive if you get buried.

But, you might be thinking, an avalanche airbag needs to be manually deployed, and there are a few reasons why this might not be possible. If you're getting swept downhill in an avalanche, you simply might not have time or wherewithal to reach for the cord, your arm could be restricted by your ski pole or you could not have set up your airbag correctly and be unable to reach it. Taking that into account, the research reported by the UAC does note that in one fifth of cases, the user was unable to deploy their airbag, and adjusting for that brings the overall effectiveness down to 41%. 

There are also a few other factors to consider: an airbag won’t protect you from blunt force trauma if you hit a tree or rock in the slide, it’s just a flotation device, and it won’t work as well in a narrow area such as a gully, which is often where deadly slides occur. There’s also a fairly common phenomenon called a secondary avalanche, which could bury you even if you’ve stayed atop the first slide. 

So, it’s not a foolproof plan, and it doesn't work the way a life vest does if you go overboard on a sailing expedition, but if you wear it properly and stay out of narrow gullies, it will increase your odds of survival. The best way to survive an avalanche of course is to stay off slopes that are steeper than 30 degrees in the backcountry.

Electric vs canister airbags

When you’re shopping for an avalanche airbag, you’ll notice that there are a couple of different broad types out there, namely canister and electric. For a long time, your only option was a canister airbag, which uses a compressed gas canister to fill the bag. These are lightweight, but it’s difficult to travel on a plane with them, which means that you can’t very easily fly with them (though some are designed to be emptied and refilled, but that’s also a hassle). Check Backcountry Access for details on traveling with a canister airbag. You’ll also need to refill or replace the gas canister after each deployment, though ideally you never actually have to deploy yours.

Newer to the market are electric airbags, which operate on a battery-powered fan to fill the bag with air and have the advantage of being reusable, and permitted on planes. You can also get multiple inflations from one battery charge. That said, they’re heavier than their gas counterparts, but you can be certain that manufacturers are currently doing everything in their power to make them lighter. No matter which you choose, the bottom line is that you need to read the instructions carefully and use yours properly for it to protect you in a slide. Make sure to read the maintenance manual properly, and check yours before you hit the backcountry.

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Helly Hansen ULLR RS30 Backpack: first impressions

The ULLR RS 30 is a sturdy and spacious ski backpack that can accompany you on adventures on the pistes, side country and into the backcountry. With a spacious main compartment that you can easily access from the top and rear, you can load up your extra down jacket or even carry your ski boots as hand luggage for a ski trip. Easy-to-use attachments mean you can carry your skis or snowboard and your helmet while you’re hiking in, and an aluminum bar in the padded back panel plus hip and sternum straps mean this is surprisingly comfortable to wear while you’re skiing downhill in deep powder too. 

If you are venturing into the backcountry, you’ll be equipped with pockets for your avalanche gear plus an emergency whistle on the sternum strap. There’s also a smaller internal zipped pocket for stashing keys and phones, a soft lined pocket where you can pack your goggles without them getting scratched, and two roomy side pockets where you can pack your skins and a water bottle. Speaking of hydration, a narrow pouch in the back could be used to squeeze in a hydration pack, but this pack isn’t really ideal for use with a hydration pack. 

There aren’t any pockets on the hip belt for gear you might like to have close to hand, so make sure your ski pants have all the pockets you need for that. Though it only comes in one size, we tested it out on lots of different sized bodies and found it to be fairly universally compatible and adaptable. Compared to similar sized ski backpacks it’s only ever so slightly heavier and much easier on your budget, plus you’ll never run out of room for your gear. 

Helly Hansen ULLR RS30 Backpack: in the field 

When I received this backpack, I thought it was far too heavy and boxy to be practical for skiing in, but it turns out I was completely wrong about that. I used it as my carry-on to fly to Geneva recently, where I subsequently skied on and off piste at Verbier while carrying my gear and I found that I didn’t even notice it on my back.

Here’s how performed:

Fit and comfort

Because this weighs 3lbs empty and has more a rectangular shape, I assumed it would be a bit awkward to wear, at least for skiing, but I was really surprised to find that I didn’t notice it on my back at all, even though I ended up skiing around with it loaded up for six hours one day. 

In the past, I’ve always used a hiking daypack for ski touring, and while those are super lightweight, the way they contour to the body doesn’t actually make them very suitable for wearing over bulky ski clothes. This pack fit easily over my ski layers, and the back panel is nicely padded with an aluminum bar in the panel which means you can adapt it to the shape of your body. Of course the hip and sternum straps mean you can adjust it and transfer the weight of your shoulders while you’re pole planting.

I’m 5’ 4” but I was skiing with a group consisting of all different sizes and shapes of bodies and we were all able to wear this pack even though it comes in one size. For skiing, I’d say it’s really comfortable.

Storage and safety

This backpack comes with heaps of storage. A roomy main compartment can be accessed from the top and rear and fit my winter boots which I needed for the end of the day, and several of my colleagues used it to carry their ski boots on the plane. There’s a super handy integrated foldaway compartment to carry my helmet and several different options for carrying skis and snowboards. I used it to carry the rest of my gear, and I love the large side pockets for my water bottle and skins as well as the goggle pocket which is lined with soft fabric which won’t scratch your lenses. My only real complaints are that there are loads of zippers and I often found myself back in the main compartment when I wasn’t expecting to be, or not there when I was, and that I’d like a pocket on the hip belt for my phone.

This isn’t an airbag compatible backpack, which is no problem for me as I stay out of steep backcountry terrain, but for safety gear there’s a whistle and dedicated pouches for avalanche gear which are labeled so you know exactly where to put them. The gray backpack also has bright yellow details for visibility, while no one will miss you if you opt for the bright orange pack.

Weight and packability  

At 3 lbs empty, this bag is on the heavier end of packs of a similar size, but as I’ve said, it’s so well designed that I actually forgot I was skiing with it, so I’d prefer it over a lighter hiking backpack that bunches up over my ski clothes.

Compression straps mean you can cut down on bulk if it’s packed full of empty clothing, and I got away with using this as my carry-on, which meant I didn’t have to cram it into my suitcase, but jobsworth flight attendants might give you a hard time about this.

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When I set out to write an article called Why winter is better than summer, I knew I was wading into dangerous territory. After all, how can getting up for work in the pitch dark and heading out into air that hurts your face compete with sipping fresh fruit smoothies in a balmy summer breeze? Well for one thing, there are no  mosquitos and other biting bugs chomping at your flesh in winter. There’s also the general absence of profuse sweating and its companion, heat rash. Oh and let’s not forget all the tasty winter meals like soups, stews and chillies that we enjoy in the winter months.

But then again, there’s chapped, dry skin that comes with the icy winds, the need to wear thermal underwear for virtually every activity and that alabaster pallor that can only come from months of weak sunlight and days that last six hours. Summer, on the other hand, means a healthy glow that quite frankly belies all the post-work drinks you enjoy, all your favorite fruits on display at the market and the freedom from wearing any claustrophobic clothing whatsoever.

Let’s just get real here, there are pros and cons to both summer and winter and your preference is probably just that: a preference. But there is one area where a lot of us seem to agree that winter has a definite edge over summer, and that’s when it comes to fitness and getting outdoors. In fact, according to Garmin's newly published 2022 fitness insights, interest in winter sports – specifically skiing and snowboarding – grew this year more than any other activity.

Now it shouldn’t come as any great surprise that when it comes to fitness and wellness, there were some big behavioral changes this year. After all, 2022 was the first year in a couple that we weren’t living under the threat of another lockdown, so it’s entirely natural that a lot of us ditched the home workouts. While the results show that loads of people got back to the convenience of the gym, with a 17% rise in indoor running and 34% increase in lap swimming, lots more people hit the outdoors too. Rock climbing increased by 17% as people felt comfortable meeting up with friends and getting on belay again, sailing saw an increase of 39% (presumably all those boats people bought in lockdown?) and gravel cycling exploded by 40%. But none of those numbers can touch winter sports, with a whopping 143% rise in Garmin users hitting the ski resorts in 2022.

Of course, the reopening of resorts after two rocky seasons no doubt played into this spike, but the numbers also show a revival for skate skiing, with 17% more people trying this style of cross country skiing known for being exceptionally good aerobic activity. Then there was a 7% rise in people heading out into the backcountry to enjoy their skiing and snowboarding in peace and quiet. In 2022, it seems like skiing and snowboarding reigned supreme.

What’s so great about skiing and snowboarding anyway?

So is the boost in skiing and snowboarding purely down to a resurgence in opportunity, or is there more to the surge in numbers? Well, as skiers and snowboarders ourselves, we think there are a lot of great reasons to give these winter sports a go this winter. Why? Because they’re fun! Skiing and snowboarding are absolutely exhilarating. You’re moving fast, carving your way down the slopes with the wind in your face. Besides downhill mountain biking, there are few summer sports that can compete when it comes to adrenaline.

Then you’ve got the incredible views from the top of the mountain. Sure, you can get similar (albeit less white) views in the summer, but winter makes it quite a bit harder to reach mountain summits, with the snow making winter hiking considerably slower. Not when you’ve got a high-speed gondola to zip you up to the top, however. The views from most resorts alone are worth the price of the lift ticket, and even if you stay at lower elevations in the backcountry, you’ll enjoy gorgeous snowscapes and the fresh, crisp air

Next up, if you’re a fitness enthusiast, skiing and snowboarding are great for strengthening your leg muscces in a wary no other activity can, never mind the benefits for your balance and proprioception. You’ve also got the fact that the cold weather means you burn more calories when you’re exercising. As we explained in our article on the benefits of cross country skiing, any time you exercise in cold temperatures, your body has to work harder to maintain homeostasis (constant temperature), which requires more energy, so skate skiing and backcountry skiing can be an incredible substitute for those months when the snow is too deep to wear your trail running shoes.

You can also take advantage of the fact that a lot of people stay indoors in winter, which can mean you get more of the outdoors to yourself. Though resort skiing and snowboarding can definitely mean contending with big crowds, it’s easier to escape the throngs in winter if you opt for skate skiing or backcountry touring – we just recommend that you gear up with a two-way satellite communicator like the Garmin InReach if you're heading off-piste, and make sure you take a course in avalanche safety before you go.

Ultimately, whether you think winter is better than summer or not is entirely up to you, but we're sure that all winter sports are a great way to keep your adventure season going year-round and emerge in spring in better shape than ever. If you’ve historically spent the winter months waiting for the weather to be nice enough to lace up your hiking boots once again, why not keep the fresh air party going 12 months a year? You can get yourself a ski pass, or even pick up some winter hiking boots and choose a pair of snowshoes if you’d rather explore at a slower pace. Of course, winter sports can mean a bit of an investment in new gear, but check out our guide to skiing on a budget for some cost-saving tips, and get out there this winter.

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If you’re into winter sports, you may be aware that backcountry skiing saw a big boost in numbers over the past couple of years. When the ski resorts closed during the pandemic, those who relied on the chairlifts to get up the mountain had to either hang up their skis altogether, or get savvy and head for the wild. Now, many skiers are never going back to the resort, having discovered the amazing benefits of backcountry skiing, and if you’re keen on adventure, you might want to give it a go this winter. But what is backcountry skiing exactly? In this article, we explain the different types of backcountry skiing, plus what you’ll need to get started.

What is backcountry skiing? 

Backcountry skiing (and snowboarding) is a broad term to describe any skiing that takes place on terrain outside of a ski resort. In Europe, it is more commonly referred to as off-piste skiing. Backcountry skiing can mean hiking  or skiing up a hill or mountain in order to ski – known as alpine touring – as well as riding a ski lift on a resort in order to access terrain beyond the ski area’s boundary.

What are the benefits of backcountry skiing? 

Honestly? The main allure of backcountry skiing is the opportunity to access untouched snow, which is an absolute dream for those who love skiing, but there are other benefits, too. If you’re skiing uphill in order to gain access, backcountry skiing can mean you save a lot of money on a lift pass and you’ll get an incredible workout accessing remote terrain. Regardless of how you get out there, you’ll escape the crowds of the resort and access some stunning winter terrain that’s otherwise hidden to everyone else.

What is the difference between touring and backcountry skiing?

Ski touring, also known as "skinning" is a type of backcountry skiing. As we explain in our article on uphill skiing, touring involves hiking uphill while wearing your skis so that you can ski in remote areas. This is usually done nowadays by placing felt-like skins on the bottom of either AT skis or telemark skis, but you can also do it while wearing backcountry skis with fish scales on the bottom to give you grip for cruising around with less hassle. In some resorts, you can go skinning then ski down on in-bounds, in which case you're touring, but not backcountry skiing. If you’re riding the chairlift to access backcountry or sidecountry terrain, then you’re not touring, but you are backcountry skiing one you get there. 

What is the difference between alpine and backcountry skiing?

While backcountry skiing can involve the use of a ski lift, it never involves skiing on groomed, patrolled runs maintained by a resort, and this is the main difference between backcountry and alpine skiing. Alpine skiing means skiing in bounds on ski runs that are managed by a resort and you’ll need to purchase a lift ticket to do so. Of course, how the runs are maintained depends on the run and the resort – most runs will be groomed to allow for easier, smoother and faster skiing and reducing your risk of injuries. Some, however, will be left ungroomed which may allow for bumpy moguls to form, or for deep powder on a snow day. Of course, there are no snow cats in the backcountry, so the snow there will never be groomed and will be left to the influence of nature which can mean deep, fluffy snow, wind-blown snow drifts, and icy, packed down surfaces if the terrain is well used by hikers and skiers.

A key difference between these two types of skiing doesn’t just come down to snow, however. When you're skiing in bounds (or on-piste), the terrain you’re on will be managed by ski patrollers. This means that runs that are at risk for avalanche slides may be closed, and if you have an accident you can call ski patrol for assistance. When you leave the ski area, you are no longer within ski patrol’s jurisdiction and if you get into trouble, you might need to rely on your own wits and survival skills, or on mountain rescue, who will take longer to reach you.

What do you need for backcountry skiing?

You might be thinking that, since there’s no lift ticket required for backcountry skiing, it’s the more obvious choice, but before you take off, there are a few caveats you need to understand. Prior to taking up backcountry skiing, there are three things you absolutely need:

1. Avalanche awareness 

Before setting off in the backcountry, you need to have some training in backcountry safety. This means possessing navigation skills such as carrying a  compass and knowing how to use a map, and carrying a backcountry first aid kit. However, the most important aspect of safety in the backcountry is avalanche awareness, since if you’re skiing on a slope that’s 30 degrees or steeper, you’re at risk for sliding snow. Start with our article on avalanche safety then attend a class to learn the essentials, such as knowing the warning signs of an avalanche and how to use equipment such as an emergency beacon, shovel, probe and RECCO reflector.

2. Superior fitness

Whether you’re planning on skiing uphill or riding a lift to access terrain, backcountry skiing always requires a greater degree of fitness when compared to alpine skiing. Skiing uphill is obviously really hard cardiovascular work and absolutely shreds your quads and hip flexors, but skiing downhill through deep and variable snowpack is also much harder work than zooming groomers. Of course, a winter of backcountry skiing will get you in great shape, but it’s a good idea to precede it with at least a few months of uphilling in your hiking boots and even seeking out ski conditioning classes to get ready.

3. Backcountry gear

You might have an old pair of alpine skis and boots lying around in your garage,but sadly these won’t do you much good. You could hike up in your winter hiking boots while carrying them, but they’ll be heavy and the skis probably won’t be the best for making turns in deeper snow. Shorter, lighter and wider skis are generally better for backcountry skiing, so if you’re serious about it, you’ll need to get kitted out with an AT setup, or a telemark set up with skins and a ski backpack for your gear. In terms of clothing, you’ll want lighter clothing than you’d wear for alpine skiing, but still stick to the rules of breathable, moisture-wicking layers. In general, you’ll want the following:

• Thin ski socks
• Lightweight, stretchy ski pants with venting zips
• Two merino wool base layers (one to change into for the downhill)
• A shell ski jacket
• Thin ski gloves that offer good dexterity for fiddling with gear
• A headband or beanie
• Sunglasses for the uphill (save your ski goggles for the downhill)

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Backcountry skiing is like having an all access pass to winter. There’s no expensive lift tickets to be bought or long lift lines to stand in between runs, just miles of untouched powder waiting to be yours if you’re willing to put in the effort it takes to hike in and get it. If you’re thinking about trying backcountry skiing this winter, you’ll need some specific gear in addition to gumption though, so we came up with a quick backcountry ski gear checklist to help you get kitted out for your winter expeditions. 

What kind of gear do you need for backcountry skiing? 

The following is a list of the essentials you’ll need to get started with backcountry skiing, whether you’re planning on Alpine Touring or Telemark skiing. Though it might look like a lot, try not to be discouraged as some of this stuff you’ll likely already own. That said, the initial investment can be a bit hefty, so if you’re not sure you’ll even like backcountry skiing, definitely rent a set up before you commit. 

Skis 

One of the biggest questions around backcountry ski gear is, can you use regular skis for backcountry skiing? The answer is yes. You can pretty much attach AT or telemark bindings to most alpine skis so this is definitely an area where you can avoid making a big purchase.

That said, if you’re looking to buy new skis specifically for backcountry skiing, there are a couple of things to consider. If you plan to do lots of steeper uphilling, look for skis that are light, short and wide. This way, you’re not trying to pull too much weight up the hill, and you’ll be able to float over deep powder on the way down. Of course, if you’re in an area where the snow isn’t powdery, there’s no real benefit to wide skis.

If you’re planning to do more cruising over rolling hills, you might consider backcountry skis with fish scales on the bottom (also called waxless skis) so that you can switch between uphill and downhill without taking the skins on and off your skis constantly.

Bindings 

Where you can easily use most alpine skis for backcountry skiing, you’ll want specific bindings that allow your heel to come free so you can climb uphill while wearing your skis. This is not possible using alpine bindings where your heel is locked in because you won’t have the ankle mobility required.

Basically, there are two types of bindings you want to look at: AT bindings, or telemark bindings. For uphill travel, they’re not all that different. Both free your heel while telemark bindings have a cable that can be shortened or lengthened and AT bindings do not. The big difference is in the downhill. With AT bindings, when it’s time to ski down, you’ll click your heel in and ski down in the alpine style. With telemark bindings, you have to telemark ski down, meaning your heel stays free. So, if you’re already a telemark skier, you actually already have most of the kit for backcountry skiing. If you’re not, you need to decide if you want to learn a new style of skiing in addition to getting off piste. In short, decide what type of skiing you want to do and get the bindings required for that style.

There is one further option which is to simply hike up in your ski boots with your skis attached to your backpack, then ski down. This saves you from having to invest in special bindings and skins, but chances are that once you see other people effortlessly gliding uphill wearing their skis, you’ll wish you had just gone all in.

Boots 

Another common question is, do you need special boots for backcountry skiing? Once again, the answer is yes. Your regular alpine boots will be too heavy and stiff for backcountry skiing. Alpine Touring ski boots often look quite similar to modern ski boots, but they are much lighter and have a lot more flexibility, and usually adjustable buckles that give you even more flex. Also, they’ll work with your AT bindings. 

Telemark boots range from ones that look similar to AT boots to ones that better resemble winter hiking boots and again are light and flexible but offer lots of protection. You’ll simply get the boots that work with the bindings you’ve chosen. 

Skins 

As we already mentioned, you might get fishscale skis for rolling terrain, however regardless of what type of skis you choose, you’ll still want skins for going up anything steep. Skins are made from a textured, felt-like material and have an adhesive side so you can stick them onto the bottoms of your skis when you’re going uphill. You can’t ski downhill wearing them so they’ll need to come off at the top and go in your backpack.

Now, while the adhesive material keeps your skins in place, they also have an attachment on each end that clips onto your ski. Some of these are only compatible with certain types of ski, for example requiring your ski to have a hole in the end, so just check that they will work with your skis before you buy.

The only other thing to consider is the size. If you’re cutting your skins to fit your skis, make sure they’re bigger than your skis to begin with. The easiest option is to pick a pre-fitted pair or have the ski shop or manufacturer cut them for you.

Poles 

There’s no special kind of backcountry ski poles you need to invest in – just use regular ski poles. They’ll help you climb on the way up and of course you’ll want them for your turns on the way down. 

Avalanche gear 

If you’re planning on being on or near slopes that are at a 30-degree angle or steeper, you absolutely must be well versed in avalanche safety. Avalanches occur frequently in the backcountry, they’re often triggered by skiers and they can easily be deadly. This counts for both skiing up a steep slope and skiing along, say, a track or road where the slope to one side is steep. In both of these cases, an avalanche can occur. For backcountry skiing, you’ll need the following: 

• Beacon 
• Probe
• Shovel

You need to take an avalanche safety course to properly learn how to use this equipment. Of course, if you’re touring around mellow terrain, you don’t need this equipment. 

Backpack 

Unlike with resort skiing, you’ll have to carry a ski backpack when you go into the backcountry. In it, you’ll have your avalanche gear, the bag that your skins come in plus the piece of material that they stick to so that you can avoid them losing adhesiveness by picking up dirt or snow. You’ll also want to carry your helmet and goggles for the descent, a spare base layer to change into since you’ll likely get sweaty on the way up and water and snacks of course. You’ll need to make sure your bag isn’t packed to the brim as you’ll need a little room in case you get warm and end up putting clothing like your ski jacket, ski gloves or hat in your pack. So, a regular hiking backpack will do, just make sure it’s big enough for all that. 

Arc’Teryx Academy is launching its first ever winter edition with a weekend of workshops and clinics focused entirely on backcountry skills and safety.

Arc’Teryx Academy Freeride takes place in St Anton am Arlberg in the Austrian Alps February 18-20 and features 23 courses led by professional mountain guides and world-class athletes, aimed at helping you to stay safe and have fun in the backcountry, whether you’re on skis, a splitboard or crampons. 

More people than ever before are venturing out into the backcountry these days, seeking an escape from the crowds at ski resorts and the chance to explore untouched powder. However, with the increased access to adventure comes greater risk of hazards such as dangerous storms and avalanches. The 2020/21 ski season brought almost three times as many fatal accidents and deaths in ski touring compared to the average over the last twenty years according to a report from the National Association for the Study of Snow and Avalanches.

If you’re thinking of taking your winter sports off piste, you should know that exploring in the backcountry requires an entirely different skillset to resort skiing, from owning and knowing how to use backcountry gear like AT skis and beacons to important survival skills such as avalanche safety. Arc’Teryx Academy’s courses are aimed at making sure you get the most out of your time in the snow as well as helping you to stay safe in adverse conditions. 

Described by Arc’Teryx Sports Marketing Manager Max Müller as “a weekend with kindred spirits brimming with tips, tricks and inspiration," safety courses include avalanche safety, first aid and bivy and survival training, while skills clinics range from ski and splitboard mountaineering, beginner and expert ski touring, snow sport photography and women’s only workshops.

Prices for the courses range from €80-€140. For more information about the Arc'teryx Academy Freeride in St Anton am Arlberg, Austria, visit: https://freeride-stanton.arcteryxacademy.com 

If you’re curious about skiing, you’ve no doubt heard of telemark skiing. Maybe you’ve seen folks exploring the backcountry using cable binding, or perhaps you’ve admired skiers at the resort lunging gracefully down the mountain. Maybe you’ve just wondered about those “do you even tele bro?” bumper stickers you see everywhere. It is known for its impressive technique and has a reputation for being a more elite style, but what is telemark skiing, exactly? In this article, we take a look at the origins, technique and myths surrounding telemark skiing. 

What is telemark skiing? 

Telemark skiing, also referred to as “tele skiing”, “tele-ing” or “telemarking”, is a style of skiing that combines elements of both alpine skiing and Nordic skiing. Telemark ski bindings leave your heel which allows for both uphill travel and downhill skiing using a turning technique where one ski is forward of the other and both knees are bent, as if doing a lunge.

This style of skiing is named for the Telemark region of southern Norway, which is known as the birthplace of skiing. The technique is credited to Norwegian ski pioneer Sondre Norheim, who demonstrated it in ski races in the late 1860s. A century later, in the early 1970s, telemark skiing became popular in the United States.

Initially, it was embraced as a means of uphill skiing in the backcountry, where skiers could place skins on the bottoms of the skis and ascend steep slopes with their heel free. Since the advent of alpine touring skis designed for uphill and downhill skiing, the popularity of telemark skiing has receded somewhat, though it is still used for both backcountry and resort skiing. 

What is the difference between telemark and alpine skis? 

Skis designed specifically for telemark skiing will have medium camber and a good amount of flex to compensate for the fact that the skier isn’t weighting one ski more than the other to turn. That said, telemark skiing is truly a technique rather than a style of ski, and you can really telemark using any alpine ski today – the difference in gear really comes down to boots and bindings.

Telemark bindings connect the toe end of your boot to the ski and have a cable that attaches your heel and can be loosened for cross country travel and tightened for the descent. 

These days, telemark boots vary a lot, from plastic boots with buckles and a lot of give similar to alpine touring boots, to ones that resemble lace up winter hiking boots – though all need to be compatible with your tele bindings, of course. Generally speaking, the boots are quite a bit more comfortable than alpine boots to allow for uphill access. 

Is telemark skiing hard? 

Telemark skiing has a reputation for being much harder to learn than alpine skiing, but in truth, it’s not much more difficult to learn and with lessons, it won’t take you much longer to pick up. In fact, all of the same turns and stops you do on alpine skis you can do on telemark skis – you just have to get used to your heel being free. 

The main difference is the turning technique known as the telemark turn, where you keep your weight even in both skis, bend both knees and your outside (downhill) ski moves forward while your inside (uphill) ski trails behind as your back heel lifts. This technique is a serious quad burner, which may account for the reputation of difficulty.

Is telemark skiing bad for your knees? 

Many people ask if telemark skiing is bad for your knees, mostly because of the lunge position it employs, and because the bindings usually don’t have quick release. In truth, there is no evidence of increased instances of knee injuries from tele skiing, and in fact, people with knee injuries often switch to telemarking from alpine skiing or snowboarding. Again, there’s no research on this, but because it is so strengthening for your quads, some argue that telemark skiing may even be better for your knees. 

However, telemark skiers are more prone to falling and without quick release bindings, there is always the chance of knee injury, as there is with any type of skiing. 

What is the point of telemark skiing? 

So what exactly is the purpose of telemark skiing? Does it just look rad? And why would you want to make your quads quiver? The technique of telemark skiing definitely helps you to refine and improve your skiing ability as it teaches you how to center your weight over your skis. It also enhances your general agility and balance on skis, so if you feel like you’ve plateaued with alpine skiing, or are just interested in something different and challenging, there are definitely worse ways to spend your winter.