Sep 1, 2025 | Backcountry Skiing, Guided, Rock Climb, Ski Mountineering
I get a lot of people asking about how to get into ski mountaineering. But first, what is ski mountaineering, truly? Well… its mountaineering with skis… obviously. Let’s break that down though. One way we could look at it is: skiing in terrain where...
Aug 1, 2025 | Alpine Climb, Backcountry Skiing
In a recent article in the A3 journal, psychologist Maria Konnikova’s work around decision making was used an example to highlight the way our brains are hardwired to seek concrete answers. We want a clear cut answer, a concrete story about what is happening...
Mar 10, 2025 | Backcountry Skiing, Education, Educational Program, Ski Mountineering
I’ve gotten some questions about this from a number of people. I might go so far as to say it’s a troubling trend. You should really not think about it as ski “cutting” while on belay. You can sidestep, jump, stomp and observe on belay. But you...
Oct 9, 2024 | AIARE Avalanche Education, Backcountry Skiing, Colorado
When it comes to avalanche education, I only use the curriculum developed by the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE). The main reason for this is the curriculum support and instructor standards created by the non profit structure. Non...
Sep 22, 2024 | Uncategorized
The mountains can be a dangerous place but also a very rewarding one. The Planning Triangle is a useful framework for anyone leading trips in the mountains. In essence, it a way to think about the most important variables in planning a mission: The team’s...
