On July 14, 2024, Sylvian Saudan died after suffering from a heart attack while in Les Houches, France. Saudan, 87, was known as “Le skieur de l’impossible,” a nickname he earned for his laundry list of impressive descents. He has 23 first descents around the world, including the Eiger’s Northwest Face, Mount Hood’s Newton-Clark Headwall and the Himalayas’ Gasherbrum I. Saudan’s legacy inspired a generation of steep skiers like Bill Briggs and Chris Landry. Below is an excerpt detailing Saudan’s first descent on the Newton-Clark Headwall from Tom Hallberg’s recounting of the history of skiing ..read more

Some people let go of winter without looking back, but splitboarder Claire Hewitt-Demeyer dreams of snow year-round. As sweltering summer temperatures swept into her home Sierra Nevada Range, she set off to escape the heat and celebrate the last vestiges of winter. Slippery when wet! Claire Hewitt-Demeyer steers clear of frigid water. At least until she’s strapped in. Anthony Cupaiuolo It takes a special kind of madness to haul a snowboard, camera gear and costumes through miles of scorching summer heat. But the lure of a hidden pond skim in the Sierra Mountains was irresistible. We set out wi ..read more

In 2003, Brian Irwin wrote an article for Couloir about Phillips Brook Backcountry Recreation Area. This spring, the founder of the New Hampshire backcountry yurt system passed away. Twenty-one years since writing the initial article, Irwin reflects on Altenburg’s impact on backcountry skiing on the East Coast. by Brian Irwin “So you’re a flatlander?” asked Bill Altenburg, upon hearing my plans to visit the Phillips Brook Backcountry Recreation Area, where Altenburg had erected a system of yurts among already-thinned, leased International Paper Company land in the sparsely populated region of ..read more

While ski and snowboard boots are our bread and butter, we all have to get to the trailhead, ski hill or bar somehow. So this winter, our editors put non-buckled nor Boa-sporting boots and shoes to the test. Blundstone x L.L. Bean Chelsea Boot Working as an editor of a ski magazine has taken me around the world, where I’ve squelched through muddy parking lots, post holed from the car to the lodge and braved icy sidewalks all in the name of getting the story. Finding the right footwear for all these activities and looking presentable for a 5 p.m. meeting is a challenge to say the least. Enter ..read more

Adam Kruszyna fell in love with adventure and developed his ski, mountaineering and photography skills in Vermont’s Green Mountains. Experiencing a solar eclipse there, with a skier in front of his lens was a dream come true. While brief, capturing that moment required extensive preparation. Kruszyna walks us through what it took to pull it off. words and photos by Adam Kruszyna When I heard that a total solar eclipse would pass over the Green Mountains, I knew that there was the potential for a once in a lifetime photograph. An opportunity not only to capture the eclipse in a location close t ..read more

“Tele Mike” Russell has helped Black skiers climb mountains all over the world. Through storytelling, advocacy and a yearly party at the National Brotherhood of Skiers’ annual Summit, he’s showing his community that skiing isn’t just a white sport. On his way to skiing on all seven continents, Mike Russell spreads some joy in Alaska’s Chugach Range. Ahmaad Brunson Mike Russell wasn’t always “Tele Mike.” After growing up the son of farmers in Delaware, Russell became a corporate worker climbing the ladder. Then he moved to Colorado and followed a lifelong goal to ski. Since then, he has t ..read more

Transporting skis and boards to the trailhead or resort and home again is a necessary, but not always straightforward part of the sport. Not every car comes with the space for skis, so the roof is a great sot to store them. After a full winter with Kuat’s Grip 6 on the roof of her subaru, editor Greta Close breaks down the rack. Load ’em in, lock ’em up, get on the road. The pre/post-ski load and unload doesn’t get much easier than this. Sleek and straightforward, Kuat’s Grip 6 rooftop ski rack installs easily, (which is saying something for this not-so-handy skier). Attached via thick, durab ..read more

Anker Prime 12,000mAh Power Bank “I rely on my phone for navigation, emergency planning and even just snapping pics. Keeping the battery charged in the cold is a necessity,” a ski guide and tester explained. After years of using an Anker model without seeing any decline in performance, she decided it was time to check out the company’s new Prime Power Bank. She tested the 130-watt option, which was strong enough to keep her laptop running for two hours. When the battery was dead, it recharged in just 15 minutes. The upped voltage comes with some costs: It’s heavier than her old battery and of ..read more

Tech Talk: The Litric System Though less-expensive canister models still exist for entry-level airbag packs, lithium-ion rechargeable versions set the standard these days. Ortovox and Arc’teryx collaborated on the Litric system (pronounced Lie-Trick), a 1,080-gram, supercapacitor-powered airbag inflation device. With two deployments per full charge, the Litric bags can be easily used for practice or can offer insurance on a multiday trip. Per the companies, it has 60 hours of active time per charge and takes just 25 minutes to fully recharge. Our testing found that charging time is not always ..read more

Julbo Density In an age where­ oversize shades reign, the Julbo Density operates in contrast. “Super lightweight and remarkably minimal,” our tester said of these 20-gram sunglasses. The seamless user experience isn’t just due to weight savings. In addition to resting lightly on your face, the lens reliably adjusts to changing light thanks to Julbo’s Reactiv technology. “Day or night, snow or shine, these shades kept my eyes comfortable,” our tester applauded after testing the Density on backcountry epics. “Just beware of the side- and undereye exposure,” she added, noting the smaller surface ..read more