Backcountry Skiing along the Truckee Skyline Traverse

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 Truckee, California, please refer to the Government of California 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, certified ski guide with extensive knowledge of the area
• A full day of backcountry ski touring (7-10 hours)
• Transportation to and from the  Sugar Bowl Ski Resort

What’s not included:

• Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
• Transportation to Olympic Valley
• Accommodation
• Food and snacks

In order to enjoy this backcountry adventure, you need to have excellent physical fitness. You must be able to hike for 12 miles. It can be expected that much of the day will be spent climbing. You’ll be on your feet for a full day, up to 10 hours. While there is terrain for all skill levels in the Lake Tahoe area, this backcountry adventure is most suitable for intermediate to advanced riders.

All participants should feel comfortable on challenging black diamond-caliber descents and be able to carry a loaded daypack while skinning up variable degrees of terrain. Once the tour has started, cancelling and aborting mid-tour is very difficult.

This adventure is most suitable for experienced skiers comfortable on challenging blue or black level runs. If you’ve never backcountry skied before, this adventure is not for you. Still, the Lake Tahoe area has plenty of terrain suitable for beginners. Your guides will 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:

• Helmet
• Sunglasses or ski goggles
• Gloves and hat
• Wind and waterproof shell jacket with hood (Gore-Tex recommended)
• Ski pants (Gore-Tex recommended)
• Down jacket or vest
• Synthetic or wool base layers, underwear and socks
• 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
• Thermos with a warm beverage — optional
• Food you can eat on-the-go
• First-aid kit
• Sunscreen
• Daypack large enough to carry all items listed (around a 30-40L backpack)
• 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
• Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots, skins, and poles 
• Splitboards 

You can rent all the gear from your guide’s shop in the Olympic Valley. Gear 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.

Group size:

• For this adventure, the max client to guide ratio is 5:1. 
• Costs per person decrease as the group grows for private lessons, so it’s the perfect opportunity to climb with friends and family. 

Ski touring can be arranged for larger 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 you plan to ski with anyone under the age of 18, please contact us prior to booking to make arrangements. 

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

To get to Truckee Skyline Traverse, most people fly into Reno-Tahoe International Airport. From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle service. Reno, NV, is just under an hour away from the Olympic Valley, CA.

Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet, usually at the guide shop in the Olympic Valley. From there, you’ll head to your tour. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ski ability of the group.