Ski Mountaineering School

The program is a combination of lectures and progressive field days. 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. Read on!

Prerequisites:

• Steep ski skills (black diamond) in varied terrain and snow conditions, including ascending and descending in controlled manner. No need to be a “ripper”, but skiing in full control in all snow conditions (breakable crust, mank, wet grabby powder, perfect corn and white smoke) is important.

• Fitness and stamina to climb/travel at 1000’/ hr and 3 mph on skis for 3000+ foot, 3-5 mile ascents.

• Experience with traveling on skins (ski or splitboard) in mountain terrain for at least 2 full seasons including at least 1 CMC ski outing or the CMC "Introduction to Backcountry Skiing & Splitboarding", with instructor/leader reference.

• AIARE avy 1 in last 5 years; CMC "Alpine Climbing School" snow travel class, or similar experience (crampon, axe and snow climbing skills/experience).

• Current First aid or WFA cert.

Registration is by application only.  Skiers need to have all the basics for backcountry ski travel and touring solidly down prior to this class, it is an advanced mountaineering skiing course.