Backcountry Skiing in the White Mountains

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 White Mountains, NH please refer to the White Mountain National Forest and New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services.

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 or ski mountaineering

What’s not included:

• • Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
  • Transportation
  • Food and snacks
  • Accommodations
  • Trip insurance

To enjoy this backcountry adventure, you need to be in very good physical shape. You will be on your feet for 5-10 hours a day, depending on the chosen adventure, covering lots of terrain every day. You will need to manage controlled descents in variable conditions. All participants should feel comfortable on challenging blue or black-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 of the Advanced Tour 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 solid 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 the Customized Day and Ski Mountaineering adventures, you need to be capable of skiing advanced, black diamond, open slope runs.

For the advanced tour, you need to have previous powder skiing experience. You will be skiing, touring, and summiting on glaciated terrain for 8-10 hours. Your guide will take care of the planning, oversee your technique, and teach you how to better manage the terrain. They also have the experience and avalanche training necessary 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
    • Harness (for ski mountaineering)
  • Crampons and an ice axe (can be rented)

For personal items, we recommend bringing:

• • Helmet
  • Sunglasses or ski goggles
  • Lightweight gloves (one pair of fleece gloves)
  • Medium-weight gloves (wind- and water-resistant insulated mountain gloves)
  • Heavy-insulated mitten (wind- and water-resistant insulated mittens for protection against wind, snow and cold)
  • Buff or neck gaiter
  • Wool or synthetic warm hat
  • Hard-shell jacket with hood — wind and waterproof shell jacket with hood (Gore-Tex recommended)
  • Light-insulating layer or soft-shell top (a fleece or other insulation layer)
  • Insulated parka
  • 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
  • Ball hat or sun hat
  • Sunscreen
  • Pack with waist strap large enough to carry all items listed (around a 20-30L backpack)
  • Headlamp
  • 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 from Northeast Mountaineering
  • Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots and poles can be rented from Northeast Mountaineering
  • Splitboards can be rented from Ski the Whites
  • Ice axe and crampons can be rented from Northeast Mountaineering

Ski the Whites is in Jackson, NH, and Northeast Mountaineering between Jackson and Glen, NH. Rentals 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 sizes and pricing:

• • For the Introduction to Backcountry Skiing adventure, the max client-to-guide ratio is 4:1.
  • For the Customized day of Backcountry Skiing, the max client-to-guide ratio is 4:1.
  • For the Advanced tours and Ski Mountaineering, the max client-to-guide ratio is 2:1
  • Costs per person decrease as the group grows for these adventures, so it’s the perfect opportunity to ski with friends and family.
  • If joining alone, you’ll be placed with peers that share a similar level of experience.

Ski touring in the White Mountains 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 as young as 10 years old 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.

To get to the White Mountains, NH, most people fly into Portland International Jetport in Maine. From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle service. The White Mountains are just over 2 hours away.

Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, you will meet your guide at The Bunkhouse at Northeast Mountaineering on the day of your tour, and 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.