Included:

• • An experienced, certified ski guide with extensive knowledge of the area
  • A full day of backcountry ski touring

Add-ons:

• • Gear rental — possible to rent mandatory gear from your guides at discounted rates, leave a note at checkout if needed

Not included:

• • Transportation
  • Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
  • Anything not mentioned in the “Included” section above
  • Insurance — recommended, available to add at checkout
  • Guide gratuities — optional, 15-20% customary

To enjoy this backcountry adventure, you need to be in very good physical shape. You will be on your feet for 8 hours for a full day covering several miles of terrain. 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 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.

All mandatory gear can be rented from your guides at discounted participants rates.

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 glacier travel

For personal items, we recommend bringing:

• • Wind and waterproof shell jacket with hood (Gore-tex recommended)
  • Ski pants (Gore-tex recommended)
  • Helmet
  • Synthetic or wool base layers, underwear and socks
  • Down jacket or vest
  • Gloves and hat
  • 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
  • The food you can eat on-the-go
  • Sunglasses or ski goggles
  • First-aid kit
  • Sunscreen
  • Daypack large enough to carry all items listed (around a 30-45L bag)
  • Camera — optional

Groups and pricing:

For this adventure, the max client to guide ratio is 4:1. Advanced ski and mountaineering tours may run at reduced numbers depending on the skill level and objective of your group.

• • The cost per person decreases as the group grows, so it’s the perfect opportunity to backcountry ski with friends and family.
  • Ski touring in Vail can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:

• • Everybody over the age of 18 is welcome to book this backcountry skiing adventure.
  • 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

To get directly to Vail, you can fly directly into Eagle County Regional Airport. From there, rent a car or take a Epic Mountain Express shuttle for around 30 minutes to Vail. Alternatively, you can fly into Denver International Airport. From there, it’s a four-hour drive by rental car or Epic Mountain Express shuttle to Vail.

Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet in Vail.

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.