I hate terrible skintracks. Following a steep, brutal route only to find an icy corner above a tree well brings me zero joy. My inflexible hips scream when the skinner incessantly kickturns back and forth. Setting good skintracks is ultimately a personal pursuit, but when others are following, it becomes a community issue. So, what’s the best way to travel?  Sometimes a good uptrack becomes a downtrack, as it did for these skiers in Italy’s South Tyrol. Alex Geary Consistency is Key To Alex Geary, internationally certified ski guide and author of The Art of Up-tracking, the idea ..read more

Backcountry Access Link 2.0 “The biggest vote of confidence for these is that all my ski partners carry them,” said our tester, who’s owned his set for years, in part because the Link 2.0 has long been the most durable, reliable option, with a Backcountry Access-claimed usable range of 6 miles. “I don’t snowmobile much so I’m never that far from partners,” he said, “but I’ve never had a problem with reception, no matter the terrain.” Battery life spans many tours, according to this tester, and the Smart Mic with preset channels makes switching in the field smooth. The mic-and-radio combo is b ..read more

photos by Liam Doran   The Antarctic Peninsula is home to the unlikely. From a place where Shackleton and his men simply hoped to survive 100-plus years ago to the frozen home of a geopolitical turf war during and after WWII, to being a ski touring hub off a luxury cruise ship today, the peninsula seems utterly unchanged and miraculously unmarred by human activity. And what made Shackleton an unlikely hero in August 1916 is somehow inherited, at least a little, by anyone willing to risk being here. Because one thing remains true about this place: It can kill you quickly no matter how much ..read more

Have you ever wondered the CO2 impact of a ski trip? Now there’s a way to find out. While the idea of earning your turns may seem noble, many untracked days are aided by a mechanized bump, like these particular tracks which were accessed with help from a snowcat. Greta Close Unless you’re touring daily out of your back door, chances are your average backcountry ski day has a carbon footprint. Add in a plane ride to explore new mountains, a tram lift to access untracked sidecountry or a snowcat for a bump further into the alpine and all of a sudden we’re talking in the tons of CO2 emissions. Af ..read more

words and photos by Brennan Lagasse With the threat of drilling on the jagged horizon of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a skier and conservationist looks to the local Indigenous community for answers. The Brooks Range, which includes the headwaters of the Hulahula River, cuts an arc across the sacred land of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  The bush pilot looked at our gear. We knew we were heavy, given all it takes for an Arctic expedition. Skis and boots should have been hidden away, but the ice axes were intentionally left out. It’s protocol with most aircrafts to pack the ..read more

Keeping your hands warm and dry on any tour is a must. But depending on the weather, the best glove or mitten for the job changes. So, we reviewed the whole gamut—from extra warm mitts to low profile glove liners. Categories Warm Gloves | Spring & Touring Gloves Warm Gloves Black Diamond Equipment Spark Gloves “I’m not a glove man,” said our tester, who suffers from self-diagnosed Reynaud’s Disease. “But these are the five-fingered equivalent of a woodstove.” Goatskin leather and Primaloft insulation make them toasty and comfy in dry conditions, he said, and the stretchy BD.dry waterpr ..read more

It’s hard to know where to start with a complex skill like crevasse rescue. Rope handling? Reading a glacier? Mechanical advantage? Guide Niels Meyer highlights what’s critical.  I pulled into Stanley, Idaho, on a sleepy Wednesday night in April, eagerly anticipating a four-day, hut-based ski mountaineering course with Sawtooth Mountain Guides. While an unstable snowpack denied us any consequential terrain, our team of guides walked us through ski mountaineering skills on safer slopes: crampon (ski and boot) use, self-arrest techniques, tying and retying knots and building anchors. Ultima ..read more

Tech Talk: Roped Up For ski mountaineering, the distinction between static and dynamic ropes is key. Depending on your needs—rappelling, climbing or glacier travel—different lines thrive. Here’s what you need to know before picking the right rope for you. Dynamic Lines: Half & Twin Ropes Narrower, and therefore lighter, than a standard climbing rope, half and twin ropes (7.5-8.5 millimeters) are not meant to support a fall on their own. They are two-rope systems, designed to be used in pairs. These ropes are dynamic, meaning they can stretch, making them suitable for catching a fall. Best ..read more

Petzl Sirocco The Sirocco combines EN 12492 (the international standard climbing helmets certification) with Petzl’s own Top and Side Impact, creating a CE Ski Touring certification. This means the Sirocco protects against both rocks falling from above and side impacts that come with ski crashes. “If you’re a serious ski mountaineer worried about weight, this is the helmet you should buy,” said a tester who has both climbed and skied in the Sirocco. It clocks in at 160 grams and uses a webbing inner harness that fits comfortably over a beanie, which made our tester forget she had a helmet on ..read more

This article was originally published in April, 2014.  Break out the warm-weather wax and buy another propane tank for your portable grill—it’s corn, couloir and road-lap season. East to west, snow-removal crews are hard at work clearing high-mountain routes that have been impassable during the winter months. And soon, they’ll be ready to ski, offering high-elevation, late-season turns, hot laps and roadside grilling well into early summer. Here are five mountain routes to get you there. NORTH CASCADES HIGHWAY, WASHINGTON“The Most Beautiful Mountain Highway in the State of Washington ..read more