‘Pass to the Backcountry’
If you are in Telluride for an extended stay during the winter or live in the area, we are pleased to offer the ultimate in guided backcountry skiing packages: your Pass to the Backcountry. These packages are highly customizable, and can be catered towards either an instructional progression, purely focused on finding the best snow available, or a combination of both. You can use these passes on all consecutive days, or spread out over the course of the season to create flexibility in your backcountry experience. This program is designed for aspiring backcountry users or those looking to improve their skills, and looking to dive deep into the world of backcountry skiing.
Guided Backcountry Skiing Immersion
The San Juan Mountains surrounding Telluride have some of the most inspiring, and often intimidating, ski terrain in the lower-48. Steep valleys and craggy peaks create strikingly aesthetic couloirs, intricate faces and perfectly-pitched glades. The possibilities are truly endless, and every level of skier can find their epic winter playground here. However, these tempting fruits come with their thorns, as we have one of the more complex and unpredictable snowpacks, meaning throughout much of the winter the danger of avalanches is always looming and must be carefully monitored and mitigated at all times. Avalanche awareness, mitigation and rescue will be a part of all of our programs, and
This package should provide you with the framework to comfortably head into the backcountry on personal trips, or progress to more committing guided backcountry missions in Colorado and beyond. In backcountry skiing, there’s simply no substitute for spending time on the snow with a good mentor. Backcountry skiing is an endeavor that requires a lot of time be put in to
We take great pride in creating a family atmosphere for our guides and invest a lot in our in-house training and opportunities to pursue AMGA courses. Your ski guide will
We have created a couple of options for our Pass to the Backcountry program. These packages are for both those completely new to the backcountry but with a passion for resort skiing, or for those with some experience with uphill touring looking to expand their skillset to tackle bigger objectives. Please inquire about additional inclusions that might not be listed here, or if you have any ideas to further customize the package. Avalanche risk and weather conditions will largely dictate our terrain selection. Splitboarders also welcome; let us know in advance and we can provide a splitboard-specific guide. Let us know your tool of choice for the backcountry so that we can provide you with a guide of the same snow-sliding orientation to maximize your specific learning potential.
You have all winter to use your days for both options, but we recommend trying to be consistent to put in the time to gain the fitness and aptitude to
You can choose your dates in advance or wait
4 DAY
- Guiding and instruction from an AMGA-track or AMGA-certified Ski Guide.
- Backcountry route-finding and route planning.
- Slope management and risk mitigation building upon Avy-1 techniques.
- Instruction on how to use the CAIC forecast to its maximum potential.
- Daily conversations with your guide about the risk, teaching the appropriate language for discussing risk in the backcountry with your partners.
- Use of top of the line beacon, shovel and probe.
- Rental of a Black Diamond avalanche airbag pack.
- 15 percent off backcountry ski package at Jagged Edge
10 DAY
Includes everything listed in the four day course PLUS…
- Two nights and three days of skiing at the OPUS Hut, a full-service backcountry ski hut with miles of amazing and varied terrain, to be used at the culmination of your pass.
- Priority booking with your preferred guide throughout the winter.
We have included a full equipment list for you below. We have a great fleet of rental backcountry gear to get you started, but both of these passes also include 15 percent off at Jagged Edge and guidance from your guide to help you find the ideal uphill capable set up to help match your style and goals.
Mountain Trip is the only guide service in southwest Colorado to be accredited by the AMGA and we bring our skills and experience guiding the world’s tallest peaks home to the Telluride area.
