What you get in this adventure: An experienced Jackson Hole ski guide with extensive knowledge of the area A full day of backcountry ski touring What’s not included: Technical backcountry ski touring equipment Trip insurance

What equipment do I need to bring?

For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring: Alpine touring skis, telemark skis or splitboard with skins (can be rented) Touring boots and poles (can be rented) Avalanche safety equipment (can be rented): Digital, 3-antenna avalanche transceiver or beacon Lightweight snow shovel Avalanche probe For personal items, we recommend bringing: Wind and waterproof shell jacket with hood (Gore-tex recommended) Ski pants (Gore-tex recommended) Helmet Synthetic or wool base layers, underwear and socks Down jacket or vest Gloves and hat One triple-action locking carabiner or two conventional locking carabiners Repair kit and Leatherman for your equipment (can be shared between several people) Water bottle and 1L of water Food you can eat on-the-go Sunglasses or ski goggles First-aid kit Sunscreen Daypack large enough to carry all items listed (around a 30-40L bag) Camera — optional

Can I rent equipment?

All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent: Avalanche safety pack, including backpack, beacon, shovel and probe locally from your guide or rental shops in Jackson Hole Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots and poles can be rented locally from your guide or rental shops in Jackson Hole Splitboards can be rented locally from your guide or rental shops in Jackson Hole Ski rental locations are in Jackson Hole and should be picked up the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.

Backcountry Ski With A Guide in Jackson Hole, WY

Top three reasons to backcountry ski in Jackson Hole

Endless options for newcomers and seasoned skiers to find untracked powder
Be introduced to some of the most epic out-of-bounds territory in the country
The vastness of the area and the quality of terrain around Jackson Hole make it a Disneyland for skiers

The area around Jackson Hole has everything from laps off Teton Pass to adrenaline-pumping chutes in Grand Teton National Park to low-angle slopes in Targhee. Thanks to a sprawling landscape, it’s not hard to find fresh turns in the Jackson Hole backcountry, including sweeping bowls, timbered terrain and steep chutes. There’s a reason why the best backcountry skiers head to Jackson. With options for backcountry newcomers and seasoned skiers, joining ski guides with intimate knowledge of the Jackson Hole backcountry area will allow you to make the most of your time adventuring here.

Season Late November through early April	Nearest city Jackson Hole Airport is 15 minutes away
Duration Book as many days as you want	Skill level Beginner to advanced

Choose how you spend your day

Jackson Hole offers many options for rookies looking to improve their skills and technique. Let your guide introduce you to all the necessary basics such as avalanche rescue, navigation, pacing and packing, so you could take on some bigger challenges in the future. Although the transition from resort to off-piste can be intimidating, your expert guide will make sure that everything goes swimmingly on the slopes!

Spent enough time on groomers and ready to take it out of bounds? Set yourself up for future backcountry endeavours by learning about skiing in variable conditions before heading out for a scenic tour and transitioning into a true backcountry skier. Guides will help the intimidating transition feel more approachable by sharing the fundamental skiing skills both in theory and the field.

Not sure if you should hire a guide? Listen to our ambassador Greg Hill debate the ultimate question: To be guided or not to be guided?

Looking to push yourself with incredible lines in one of the most majestic skiing locations in the US? This 2-day camp with one of the area’s experienced ski guides brings skiers of all levels into Jackson Hole for lung-busting ascents and long, sweeping descents. One thing is certain, your guide will choose the best location for the conditions, ensuring that you’ll have an epic day of skiing in the stunning backcountry.

This Teton adventure is ideal for expert backcountry skiers. Your guide will meet you at the trailhead as early as 5:00 AM, so strap on your headlamp and brave the brisk mountain air as you ascend. This private tour is tailored to your interests, abilities, and avalanche conditions. Be prepared for a long day of conquering steep, technical, and sustained objectives under the watchful eye of an experienced guide!

Meet your guide

Jackson Hole Mountain Guides

Jackson Hole Mountain Guides have been taking skiers into the Teton backcountry since 1968 and set the industry standard within the professional guiding industry. Accredited by the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA), they run everything from ski mountaineering courses to introductory touring days.

Reviews (7)

Incredible experience

John F. about Jessica Baker

Her knowledge, experience, fitness level, risk analysis, and interpersonal skills all helped to make our trip a safe and unforgettable trip. She did a fantastic job of not dictating an agenda, but steering the conversation and arming everyone in the group with the risk analysis skills to make the right decisions for us given the circumstances at any given time. Plus, she absolutely shreds!

Our guide Jeff knew how to keep us safe

Asi O. about Jackson Hole Mountain Guides

Our guide Jeff knew how to keep us safe and over the course of the day was a wealth of knowledge, sharing snow safety facts, terrain observations and even local knowledge of the history of that area and the trails we were traveling. Super cool guy and took us into terrain we would have never been able to access with endless amounts of powder!

Highly recommend

Stefan B. about Jackson Hole Mountain Guides

We had a great two days of ski touring with our guide, Woody, in Grand Teton National Park and Teton Pass area. I was looking for a group to do some guided backcountry skiing with, since I was unfamiliar with these mountains, and this was a great deal. Our guide did a great job of finding the best snow given the conditions we had, and we skied 3500+ feet of elevation each day, with lots of good turns. I highly recommend this for any visiting backcountry skiers who want an intro to the terrain around Jackson.

A wealth of knowledge

John H. about JHMG on The Mountain Guides

JHMG knows there stuff! My instructors provided a wealth of knowledge for us to learn from and an awesome attitude that kept everyone stoked.

Knowledgeable instructors

Ben W. about JHMG on The Mountain Guides

Knowledgeable instructors and in a setting that inspires. I learned a lot during my course and look forward to putting my new knowledge to use exploring on snow in the Tetons and beyond.

Excellent instructors

Clinton C. about JHMG on The Mountain Guides

Very professional! Excellent instructors with a wealth of knowledge and most importantly, they know how to facilitate growth of one’s mountain sense.

Awesome experience

Oleg N. about JHMG on The Mountain Guides

Awesome experience: great guide, fantastic routes, perfect location and nice weather. What more could you possibly wish for?

Things to know

57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.

We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re travelling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Jackson Hole, please refer to the Wyoming Department of Health website.

Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!

What you get in this adventure:

An experienced Jackson Hole ski guide with extensive knowledge of the area
A full day of backcountry ski touring

What’s not included:

Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
Trip insurance

In order to enjoy this backcountry adventure, you need to have a moderate level of fitness. You will be on your feet for a full day. While there is terrain for all skill levels in Jackson Hole, you will need to manage controlled descents in variable conditions. All participants should feel comfortable on blue level resort runs and be able to carry a loaded daypack while skinning up variable degrees of terrain.

For the enjoyment and safety of everyone involved, participants must be approved to participate in advanced backcountry skiing tours either through a previous trip with the guiding service or through recommendations.

Backcountry skiing isn’t just for pros looking for the ultimate thrill ride, it’s also beginner friendly, meaning anyone with blue level resort experience can have fun in the backcountry. If you’ve never backcountry skied before, heading out with a guide is your best bet. They’ll take care of the planning, introduce you to the basics, like skinning uphill, and teach you how to manage the terrain. They also have the experience and avalanche training to keep you safe.

For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring:

Alpine touring skis, telemark skis or splitboard with skins (can be rented)
Touring boots and poles (can be rented)
Avalanche safety equipment (can be rented):
- Digital, 3-antenna avalanche transceiver or beacon
- Lightweight snow shovel
- Avalanche probe

For personal items, we recommend bringing:

Wind and waterproof shell jacket with hood (Gore-tex recommended)
Ski pants (Gore-tex recommended)
Helmet
Synthetic or wool base layers, underwear and socks
Down jacket or vest
Gloves and hat
One triple-action locking carabiner or two conventional locking carabiners
Repair kit and Leatherman for your equipment (can be shared between several people)
Water bottle and 1L of water
Food you can eat on-the-go
Sunglasses or ski goggles
First-aid kit
Sunscreen
Daypack large enough to carry all items listed (around a 30-40L bag)
Camera — optional

All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:

Avalanche safety pack, including backpack, beacon, shovel and probe locally from your guide or rental shops in Jackson Hole
Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots and poles can be rented locally from your guide or rental shops in Jackson Hole
Splitboards can be rented locally from your guide or rental shops in Jackson Hole

Ski rental locations are in Jackson Hole and should be picked up the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.

Groups and pricing:

For this adventure, the max client to guide ratio is 4:1.
For advanced ski touring, the client to guide ratio is 2:1.
The cost per person decreases as the group grows, so it’s the perfect opportunity to backcountry ski with friends and family.

Guided ski touring in Jackson Hole can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:

Everybody over the age of 18 is welcome to book this backcountry skiing adventure.
Minors may be permitted to join private tours on a case-by-case basis.

If you plan to ski with anyone under the age of 18, please contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

Jackson Hole has its own airport (located only 15 minutes away), but Salt Lake City, Utah (4.5 hour drive) is also an air travel option. It is helpful to arrive a couple of days prior to your trip in order to acclimatize. Otherwise, you should arrive the day before get your rental gear sorted out prior to your day of backcountry skiing.

Once you and your tour guide agree on the details of your itinerary in Jackson Hole, your guide will suggest the best place to meet. The day usually starts early at the guide’s office and from there you will go through a quick gear check as well as a quick avalanche beacon refresher. From there the group will head out to the tour, where we will quickly get into touring mode and start stretching the legs for the uphill ascent.

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