Ski Mountaineering Course

This badge represents the successful completion of the Ski Mountaineering Course. This course is offered through the Denver Group, and is designed to acquaint CMC members with the skills, attitudes, and awareness needed for ski mountaineering tours, such as descents in Colorado ranges, or ski traverses like the Haute Route in the Alps or the Wapta Traverse in Canada. Participants should be proficient on backcountry equipment (randonee skis, telemark skies, or split snowboards) and should be able to confidently handle black slopes at ski resorts. The goal of the course is to prepare CMC members to make the transition from skiing groomed slopes at resorts to touring the off-piste environment in the mountains. Although terrain requiring technical gear such as crampons, ice axes, ropes, etc., may be encountered during the field trips, the school will not cover glacier travel and crevasse rescue. Students interested in acquiring those skills are encouraged to enroll in the CMC High Altitude Mountaineering School (HAMS) or the Advanced Mountaineering School (AMS).