Included:

• • An experienced, certified local ski guide with extensive knowledge of the area
  • 1-day backcountry skiing course, tour, or ski mountaineering day in the White Mountains
  • Gear check and instruction throughout the day

Add-ons (leave us a note at checkout):

• • A night at The Bunkhouse (hostel-style shared beds) before your tour

Not included:

• • Ski touring gear (skis or splitboard, skins, boots, and poles)
  • Avalanche safety gear, crampons, ice axe, and harness (available to rent)
  • Transportation to the meeting point
  • Food and snacks
  • Accommodation
  • Anything not mentioned in the “Included” section above
  • Insurance — recommended, available to add at checkout
  • Guide gratuities — optional

In order to join a backcountry ski day in the White Mountains, good to excellent fitness is required, depending on the trip. You’ll be on your feet for 8–10 hours, skinning uphill with a loaded pack and skiing down in variable conditions. For the uphill, you should be able to comfortably finish a moderate hike in the White Mountains or the Adirondacks.

• • Skills course: No backcountry experience needed. You should be a confident resort skier on black-diamond terrain.
  • Ski touring: No backcountry experience needed. You should be comfortable on intermediate (blue) glades at resorts like Attitash or Bretton Woods, and advanced (black-diamond) open slopes at Wildcat or Cannon. To ski Tuckerman, Huntington, or the Gulf of Slides, you need to have skied with your guides before.
  • Ski mountaineering: Extensive backcountry experience is required. If you’re not sure you’re ready, contact us before booking. An AIARE 1 avalanche course is a good idea, too.

No problem. The Backcountry Skiing Skills Course is designed for people who have never skied in the backcountry. You’ll spend the day learning how to use touring gear, skin uphill, make smooth transitions, and stay safe, mostly on easy to moderate terrain where avalanches are unlikely. The Guided Backcountry Ski Tour doesn’t require any backcountry experience either. Your guide plans the route, reads the conditions, and teaches you as you go.

For both trips, you do need to be a confident resort skier on black-diamond runs. New to skiing altogether? Spend a season or two at the resort first, then come back and make the jump to the backcountry.

Ski mountaineering is the one exception: it requires extensive backcountry experience. A skills course or a few guided tours is a great place to start building it.

Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:

Technical gear (available to rent):

• • Alpine touring skis or splitboard
  • Skins cut to fit your skis
  • Touring boots
  • Collapsible poles
  • Avalanche transceiver, probe, and shovel
  • Crampons (10–12 point, adjustable)
  • Ice axe
  • Harness (ski mountaineering only)

Clothing and personal items:

• • Backpack with a waist strap (20–30L, or 30–40L for ski mountaineering)
  • Ski helmet
  • Ski goggles
  • Sunglasses (dark lenses with side shields)
  • Warm hat
  • Buff or neck gaiter
  • Lightweight fleece gloves
  • Medium-weight insulated gloves
  • Heavy insulated mittens
  • Long-sleeve base layer top and bottom (wool or synthetic)
  • Wool or synthetic socks
  • Fleece or softshell layer
  • Hardshell jacket with a hood
  • Insulated parka with an insulated hood
  • Ski or snow pants
  • Headlamp
  • Sun hat or ball cap — optional

Avoid cotton. It soaks up sweat and can freeze, which is dangerous in winter conditions. Stick to wool, synthetic, or fleece layers.

Yes, most of the gear you need can be rented locally. Avalanche safety gear (transceiver, probe, and shovel), crampons, ice axes, harnesses, and clothing are available through your guides’ rental partner, with a 20% discount for guests. Your guides don’t rent alpine touring skis or splitboards, but you can rent them from White Mountain Ski Company in the area.

Leave us a note at checkout with what you need, and we’ll help you sort it out.

Group sizes:

• • Skills course: up to 4 skiers per guide
  • Ski touring and ski mountaineering: up to 2 skiers per guide
  • The cost per person decreases as the group grows, so it’s the perfect opportunity to ski with friends!

Ski touring in the White Mountains can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:

• • Skills course and ski touring: ages 10 and up. Ski mountaineering: ages 16 and up
  • 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.

The starting point of your backcountry ski day is North Conway, in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. To get there, most people fly into Portland International Jetport (PWM) in Maine, about 2 hours away, or Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), about 3 hours away. Renting a car is the easiest option.

You will meet your guide at 7 am for check-in and a gear check:

• • Skills course: at your guides’ shop in North Conway
  • Ski touring and ski mountaineering: at The Bunkhouse, your guides’ basecamp between Jackson and Glen

Your guide will send you the exact address and directions after booking.

We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.

Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations! Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.