94 mountain - Spawn and Survive

94 mountain
Hiring a resort-based guide for lift-accessed
skiing beyond the ropes may be the smartest
move you make all winter.
by Rachel
Walker
Blame today’s backcountry ski craze
on peasants in the Alps centuries
back—those lucky few who lived among glaciers and big mountains and spent their winters
climbing and skiing. Until about 150 years ago, nobody cared about Alps mountain culture, but
when early British adventurers marched into the Alps with alpine ambitions, they hired the
peasants to lead. Word spread, and in due course the high country shepherds, farmers, and hunters
had a new line of work. They banded together to share skills, establish bonded guide associations,
and formalize training. Their efforts culminated in the 1965 establishment of the International
Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (better known by its French acronym UIAGM).
The guides who achieve UIAGM certification devote years to prepping for rigorous tests in four
disciplines: rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, and ski mountaineering.
UIAGM guides do a healthy business in Europe, where cable cars run from village centers
to some of the world’s most aggressive, glaciated, avalanche-prone terrain. And because resorts
refuse to coddle clients with services like boundary marking—a wrong turn could find you 30
feet down a crevasse, over a cliff, or in an impossibly narrow and steep chute—even the expert
skiers understand the value of a guide. “Guiding is bigger in the Alps because the mountains
Photograph Jay beyer skier Dylan Freed Wasatch Backcountry, Utah
mountainonline.com
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are bigger,” says Liz Smart, an American UIAGM guide based in
Chamonix, France. “In La Grave or Chamonix, or any number
of places, it’s really easy to ski yourself into somewhere you need
a rope to get out. The hazards here are severe.”
As the UIAGM was developing statutes, many North American
ski resorts were just installing their first T-bars. Unlike their
European counterparts, they established clear boundaries,
incorporated aggressive avalanche control, and marked hazards
on the slopes. This was in part to comply with strict contracts
between resorts and the agencies managing the public lands on
which they operate. It was also an attempt to shield ski areas
from expensive and capricious lawsuits. What resulted was the
segregation of safety and instruction into camps: ski patrol and
ski school. In the U.S., the European model of a comprehensive
resort-based guide who could climb, ski, route-find, and teach was
lost. Prestige associated with the guiding profession also vanished.
“Over here, guides are really respected,” Smart says. “In the States,
people want to know what you plan to do with your life.”
But North American ski guides may soon get more respect,
thanks to the growing trend of lift-accessed guided sidecountry
skiing. After opening boundary gates to backcountry skiers about
a decade ago, many resorts are now offering paid guide services
that specifically explore the zone now known as the sidecountry.
The change comes as resorts upgrade lift capacity, which pours
more skiers onto the hill than ever before. And with everyone
lusting after powder, it’s natural to look beyond the boundaries
to find it. “The public wants more access,” says Dean Cardinale,
a ski patroller at Snowbird, Utah and owner of World Wide
Trekking, an international guiding company. “And it’s the
resort’s job to create opportunities in the mountains.”
Lighter and burlier gear that works inbounds and out also
spurred the backcountry boom, enabling skiers of all abilities to
ride terrain previously relegated to the experts. Sales of alpine
touring (AT) equipment nearly doubled from 2009 to 2010. That’s
44,000 units sold and a business worth $20 million. Touring
boot sales alone skyrocketed 125 percent in a single season, with
22,776 pairs sold in 2010. Add in the benefit of an altitude assist
from a lift or tram, and suddenly skills and fitness are no longer
determining criteria for venturing out-of-bounds.
Enter the guides. Sure, there aren’t glaciers outside North
American ski resorts (OK, Whistler, you’re the exception), but
you could argue that our avalanche risk is greater. It’s still wild
out there. Guides possess intimate knowledge of conditions and
terrain, and typically have years of experience in safety protocols,
rescue, and decision making—critical skills once you leave the
gates. Safety aside, hiring a guide practically guarantees you’re
going to find the best snow. Most local guides ski more than
100 days a year and live and breathe the snowpack and the
weather cycle. A guide will find low-angle snow for beginner
backcountry types, or ramp up the angle for experts. They’re the
men and women you want to learn from, says Dan Caruso, a
Switzerland-based marketer for Black Diamond who also guides
Alaska heli-skiing trips. “Backcountry beginners want to go with
a better skier than themselves, someone who knows the route
and has their back,” says Caruso. “For most people, that’s a
guide. If you can afford it, it’s a no-brainer.”
With prices ranging between $295 to $500 for a day of skiing,
and the pledge of a safe return, you can’t afford not to. Plus,
consider it an eco-friendly choice—the carbon footprint of a lift
ride and day tour is a fraction of a heli-skiing trip. Here are
some top picks:
96 mountain
Aspen/Snowmass,
CO
The Mountain: With terrain ranging from
40-degree, 4,000-vertical foot drops off
Aspen Highlands to beginner glades off
Buttermilk, the backcountry surrounding
the four resorts in the Aspen/Snowmass
area has something for everyone.
The Guide: Founded in the 1970s, Aspen
Expeditions partners with the Aspen Skiing
Company to offer daily lift-accessed guided
sidecountry with an emphasis on finding
superlative snow. The guides focus on safety
and logistics so you can maximize your
turns. “It’s raw out there with rocks and
cliffs, and nothing’s groomed,” says guide
Dirk Bockelmann. “Ours is true, old-fashioned
guiding. Minimal time on instruction and the
majority of time on fun.”
Cost: $525 (one person); $295 (per person for
two); $250 (per person for three or more)
Contact: aspenexpeditions.com
Photograph Scott Markewitz
skiers Chris Davenport and Matt Ross
mountainonline.com
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Alpine Meadows, CA
The Mountain: One of the more rugged Tahoe resorts, Alpine Meadows doesn’t groom a big
chunk of its inbounds area to create backcountry-like conditions. But beyond the ropes and off the
ridgeline known as the High Traverse, it’s truly unmanaged. Sidecountry runs like Outer Limits,
Feel the Joy, and Munchkin Ridge deliver deep powder bowls, sublime trees, and open faces.
The Guide: For three years, the Sidecountry Guides program has paired the resort’s top freeskiing
instructors with ski patrol to greenlight the popular lift-accessed guiding. “Fat skis have made the
off-piste terrain so much easier to handle, and we offer a good entry to the sidecountry,” says
guide Kevin Klein. Targeted toward new-to-the-backcountry skiers, guides fuel your stoke but
don’t focus on instruction. They will, however, point you to the right resources if you want to
learn how to go on your own.
Cost: The guiding is booked through ski school as either a private lesson ($489 per person) or a
group ($139). Contact: skialpine.com
Photograph Ryan Salm skier Rylan Cordova
98 mountain
Canyons Resort,
UT
The Mountain: This megalopolis
of a resort spans eight canyons
and 4,000 acres just outside of
Park City, which means plenty
of inbounds exploration and
tons of powder. But it’s outside
the boundary that you’ll find
completely empty slopes and
the type of Utah fluff that’s been
known to derail the best-laid life
plans.
The Guide: “We’re the fastest
way to untouched, steep,
beautiful powder runs,” says Utah
Mountain Adventures (UMA)
guide Winslow Passey. Hit
Canyons sidecountry on a lowvis day, and the low-angle tree
runs offer endless yo-yo options.
Formerly known as Exum Utah
Mountain Adventures, UMA has
specialized in ski and snowboard
backcountry touring since 1993.
Cost: $295 (one person;
$100 each additional
person up to six) Contact:
utahmountainadventures.com
Photograph lee cohen
mountainonline.com
mountain 101
Crystal Mountain, WA
The Mountain: Crystal Mountain sits 12 miles from Mount Rainier, and on a clear day that iconic
volcano seems within reach of a day-tour. Charge out the gates ignorantly here, though, and you
may end up hunkering down overnight and whimpering for a rescue. Weather conditions change
rapidly, and the steep, thick forests confuse the most accomplished route finder.
The Guide: International Mountain Guides has offered guided sidecountry tours for the past
three years and enjoys a close relationship with the ski area—company director Paul Baugher is
also the Crystal Mountain Director of Ski Patrol. “A day with us wakes something up within
you,” says Baugher. “It lets you leave the stress behind.”
Cost: $500 (one to three people; $125 each additional person) Contact: mountainguides.com
Photograph adam clark skier eric pollard
Revelstoke,
BC
The Mountain: Located in Interior
BC, Revelstoke gets slammed with
the same maritime storms that
rage at Whistler—but here they
deposit lighter snow. With terrain
so diverse locals refer to it as
“split personality,” the Revelstoke
sidecountry offers enormous alpine
bowls, shadowed, north-facing
trees, and gentle beginner slopes.
The Guide: “I knew you had
the snow, but I never knew
you had the gnar.” So said a
professional snowboarder after a
day in the Revelstoke sidecountry
with guides from the Revelstoke
Outdoors Centre (which also
books heli- or cat-skiing trips).
“With us you get that true taste
of Canadian mountain wilderness,
that feeling when you cross the
rope line and know you’re going
somewhere completely different,”
says guide Dan Sculnick.
Cost: $228 (per person); minimum
of two guests required Contact:
revelstokemountainresort.com
Photograph Grant Gunderson
102 mountain
Northstar,
CA
The Mountain: It’s no secret
that California used to be one
of the biggest timber-producing
states, and Northstar doesn’t
mind taking advantage of the
lumberjack legacy. This year
Northstar added 170 acres of
rugged, ungroomed inbounds
terrain and simultaneously
launched guided sidecountry
access through the boundary
gates. Expect steep, fast runs
through perfectly spaced trees on
the backside of Sawtooth Ridge.
The Guide: “The time to
experience this never-beforeaccessible terrain is now,” says
Andy Buckley, director of skier
services. The resort’s master plan
calls for adding lifts and expanding
the boundaries into the area that’s
now guided (similar to what Vail
did with Blue Sky Basin). Be
an early adopter and you’ll reap
the reward of floating through
deep powder stacked between
enormous, well-spaced pine trees.
Cost: Call Northstar ski school.
Contact: northstarattahoe.com
Photograph Jed Conklin
skier Justin Winter
mountainonline.com
Still More Sidecountry
Check out these mountains for details on their guided programs:
Alta, Utah alta.com / Bear Valley, California bearvalley.com /
Grand Targhee, Wyoming grandtarghee.com / Jackson Hole, Wyoming jacksonhole.com
/ Powder Mountain, Utah powdermountain.com /
Snowbird, Utah snowbird.com / Sunshine Village, Alberta, Canada skibanff.com
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Kirkwood,
CA
The Mountain: The Sierra sidecountry beyond Kirkwood’s boundaries is a maze of good riding carved into lava
rock. What the terrain lacks in jaw-dropping scenery, it makes up for in exciting exploration. With three main
zones, guides can choose from friendly low-angle shots to couloirs and cornices.
The Guide: Expedition: Kirkwood has been in business for more than a decade, which means guides know
exactly how to make you feel like you’re the only person in the world to discover a certain chute, bowl, or
1,800-foot tree run. “If you ski top to bottom in a straight line you’ve missed out,” says Jon Copeland, guide and
director of Expedition: Kirkwood. “What’s special here are the nooks and crannies.”
Cost: $300 for half day; $450 for full day Contact: kirkwood.com
Photograph Jason Abraham skier Greg Lindsey
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Sugarbush,
VT
The Mountain: “This is the
best training ground for skiing
anywhere in the world,” says lead
guide John Egan, a Warren Miller
film star and international ski
and mountain guide. Sugarbush’s
tough conditions—narrow trails,
exposed rocks, variable snow, and
ice—render it one of the most
challenging mountains in the
U.S., says Egan. The 2,000 acres
of sidecountry is sandwiched
between Sugarbush’s two liftserviced mountains and offers
a well-protected hardwood and
conifer forest of intermediate pitch
with the occasional expert steep.
The Guide: Egan’s star power has
attracted some of the best guides
in the world to the Vermont
resort for the past 30 years. Your
guide may have just returned
from leading clients in Zermatt or
summiting and skiing an 8,000meter peak in Nepal. And they
love to share their experiences.
“Who you’re skiing with is the
biggest factor in how your day
goes,” says Egan. “Our job is to
make your day go great.”
Cost: $219 for two hours; $319 for
three hours; $599 for six hours
Contact: sugarbush.com
Photographs Brian Mohr
skier Forrest Twombly
mountainonline.com
The Mountain: Surrounded by thousands
of acres of the Coast Range, Whistler
Blackcomb is a massive resort lost in a
gargantuan wilderness. Bomb out of the gates
unaware here, though, and you may find
yourself eating the leather from your wallet.
The Guide: Founded in 1991, the Whistler
Alpine Guides Bureau is the only fullservice mountain guiding company in the
Whistler and Squamish areas. All guides are
certified through the Association of Canadian
Mountain Guides. The emphasis is on
helping skiers confidently push their limits
in a safe environment, like the ominously
named DOA chute that splinters through the
rocks beyond Blackcomb’s boundaries. “We’ll
give you the extreme feeling of pushing
the limits in a controlled, low-consequence
environment,” says IFMGA-certified guide
John Furneaux.
Cost: $225 (per person)
Contact: whistlerguides.com
Photograph jordan Manley
108 mountain
Whistler, BC
mountainonline.com
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