Backcountry
Featured Article
One weekend can inspire you to take your backcountry skills from lukewarm to shedding-down-to-your-base-layer hot with Arc’teryx Backcountry Academy. The Arc’teryx Backcountry Academy will be holding clinics in Whistler, British Columbia from February 23 – 25, 2024.
When it comes to locations for backcountry exploration, it’s hard to beat Whistler. The B.C. mountains radiate good vibrations that feel palpable as you fill your lungs with that first breath of cold air in the morning. And the snow…Lots of it. So much snow that last year’s Arc’teryx Backcountry Academy winter camping clinic may have started off with a van stuck in the parking lot.
The winter camping clinic creator and professional snowboarder, Robin Van Gyn, quickly got her group back on the move without a single smile fading. The group’s unwavering excitement to start their trek is a testament to the Academy’s goal of creating a positive first experience for attendees because as much as you need the technical skills to venture into the backcountry, a positive and team-oriented mindset is just as important to the successful outcome of a trip.
When it comes to backcountry education there is a wealth of materials on what weather conditions to watch for, what to pack, what to wear, how to responsibly relieve yourself. The advice is endless. In their second year of backcountry clinics, Arc’teryx Academy aims to cut through the information overload and bring attendees the education they need to tour efficiently and safely in the backcountry.
Certified guides and professional athletes will share tried and true techniques that benefit the novice and the veteran backcountry enthusiast. The Academy’s top goal is ski and snow education, but they don’t forget to include the through line of what makes the backcountry such a unique place: the awe-inspiring landscape and the people you take along for the ride.
Browse the line up for Arc’teryx Backcountry Academy on October 26, and make sure you are standing by at 12:00 PM PST on November 7 to select your favorite clinic. Eager Academy-goers have been known to sell out clinics quickly! Arc’teryx Academy will continue to release event details for this year’s clinics via social media so be sure to tune into their feed while you wait for your skis to be tuned.
