Backcountry Skiing in Telluride

What you get in this adventure: 

• An experienced, certified Telluride ski guide with extensive knowledge of the area
• A full day of backcountry ski touring
• Avalanche safety equipment, including a beacon, shovel, and probe

What’s not included:

• Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
• Accommodation
• Food and snacks

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 Telluride, 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.

Backcountry skiing isn’t just for pros looking for the ultimate thrill ride, it’s also beginner-friendly, meaning anyone with challenging blue or black-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. Professional Colorado backcountry ski guide will help you gain new skills during the private lesson. 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 (provided by the guide):
    • Digital, 3-antenna avalanche transceiver or beacon
    • Lightweight snow shovel
    • Avalanche probe

For personal items, we recommend bringing:

• • Helmet
  • Light base layer top (wool or Capilene)
  • Light fleece hoody
  • Softshell wind jacket
  • Ski shell
  • Puffy skiing jacket
  • Base layer bottoms (wool or Capilene)
  • Ski pant
  • Heavyweight gloves
  • Medium weight gloves
  • Lightweight gloves
  • Buff neck gaiter
  • Sun hat
  • Hand warmers
  • Ski goggles
  • Sunglasses
  • Lip balm
  • Water bottles (2 liters)
  • Sunscreen
  • Snacks and lunch food

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

• • Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots, and poles can be rented from your guide

Ski rental location is in Telluride 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.

Group sizes and pricing:

• For this adventure, the max client to guide ratio is 4:1
• Costs per person decrease as the group grows for private lessons, so it’s the perfect opportunity to climb with friends and family. 

Ski tours in Telluride, Colorado 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 your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

To get to Telluride, most people fly into Denver International Airport. From there, you can take a three-hour local flight to Telluride, which is the fastest and cheapest option. You can also fly to Montrose and take a 1,5-hour shuttle ride to Telluride, or rent a car in Denver and take a nearly 7-hour long drive.

Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet, whether that’s at the guide’s office in Telluride or a predetermined location. 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.

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, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Telluride, Colorado, please refer to the Official Colorado COVID-19 Update 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!