Estes Park Backcountry Skiing Course for Beginners

Things to know

• What’s included?

  What you get on this adventure:

  • • An experienced, certified ski guide with extensive knowledge of the area
    • 3-Day backcountry skiing course
    • Avalanche safety equipment

  What’s not included:

  • • Transportation to Estes Park
    • Accommodation and meals
    • Clothing, backpack and non-technical personal items
    • Ski touring or splitboard Equipment
    • Park entrance fees (where applicable)
    • Eldora Mountain Resort Uphill Ticket ($25 daily or $149 annually)
    • Rescue and travel insurance
    • Guide gratuities — optional
• How fit do I need to be?

  To enjoy this Estes backcountry skiing course, you need to be in very good physical shape. Engaging in aerobic activities in the weeks leading up to the course is highly recommended to build stamina and endurance. Generally, a sports-oriented lifestyle is beneficial. This adventure demands the ability to confidently navigate controlled descents in standard resort skiing conditions and feel at ease tackling challenging blue-level resort runs. It’s important to note that this course is thoughtfully designed with beginners in mind, meaning you don’t need any prior ski touring experience. Your instructor will provide the guidance and support necessary to ensure you build the skills and confidence required for a successful backcountry skiing journey, starting from scratch.

• What do I need to bring?

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

  • • Alpine touring skis, telemark skis or splitboards with skins (can be rented)
    • Touring boots and ski or trekking poles (can be rented)
    • Avalanche safety equipment (can be rented for no additional fee):
      • Digital, 3-antenna avalanche transceiver or beacon
      • Lightweight snow shovel
      • Avalanche probe

  For personal items, we recommend bringing:

  • • Helmet
    • Synthetic or wool base layers, underwear and socks
    • Softshell jacket and fleece jacket
    • Wind and waterproof shell jacket with hood (Gore-Tex recommended)
    • Hardshell ski pants (Gore-Tex recommended)
    • Sunglasses and ski goggles
    • Lightweight gloves, midweight softshell gloves, and heavyweight waterproof gloves
    • Sun hat and neck gaiter
    • 2 Water bottles (1L capacity)
    • Thermos with a warm beverage — optional
    • Food you can eat on-the-go
    • Sunscreen
    • Backpack (20-40L capacity)
    • 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 from your guiding service (for no additional cost, just leave a note during booking)
    • Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots and poles can be rented from Estes Park Mountain Shop
    • Splitboards can be rented from Estes Park Mountain Shop.

  Ski rental locations are in Estes Park, Colorado 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.

• What about accommodation?

  For accommodation, we recommend the Estes Park Adventure Hostel, which is owned by your guiding service. The affordable hostel offers a comfortable and communal experience with 16 beds in 3 rooms, along with amenities like bathrooms, showers, a fully equipped kitchen, Wi-Fi, a ping-pong table, and a lounge area. Contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

• Group sizes and age requirements

  Group sizes and prices:

  • • For this group adventure, the maximum client-to-guide ratio is 6:1.
    • The cost is per person and doesn’t decrease as the group grows.

  Backcountry skiing courses in Estes Park can be arranged for larger and for private groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

  Min. age requirements:

  • • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
    • Minors may be permitted to join private tours on a case-by-case basis.

  If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

• Getting there and meeting location

  To get to Estes Park, most people fly into Denver International Airport, which is 1.5 hours away. From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle service.

  You will meet your Estes Park backcountry skiing guide and fellow backcountry skiers at CMS Lodge, 341 Moraine Ave, Estes Park, CO in the morning on Day 1. We suggest that you arrive the day before so that you can get enough rest before the course.

• Safety measures in Estes Park, Colorado

  We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency rescue and travel insurance. With rescue insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more.

  Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans.

  We also expect you to respect local regulations and take measures to protect yourselves, your guides, and the communities you’re traveling to.

  If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!

• Deposits and cancellation policy

  For set dates, full payment to secure your place is due upon booking. Once the trip is confirmed by the guide, the cancellation policy stated below applies.

  • • If Client cancels the Booking anytime prior to thirty (30) calendar days in advance of the trip contemplated by the booking, Client is eligible to reschedule to another available date, receive a full credit for a future course or a full refund minus a 10% administrative fee.
    • For cancellations seven (7) to twenty-nine (29) calendar days in advance, Client may request the course to be rescheduled to another available date or receive a credit for future use both subject to a 10% processing fee.
    • After that deadline, Client is not entitled to any refund.
    • For cancellations ninety (90) or more calendar days from the date of Booking, all purchases are ineligible for a refund to a credit card – only options for rescheduling or refunding to gift cards are available (within the policy outlined above).