This Ultimate Backcountry Rescue Kit Weighs Only 2 Pounds and Packs Some Ingenious Custom Tools Most backcountry skiers carry some version of a repair kit and a first aid kit, but very few are as thoughtfully built as this kit from Mountain Sense. Designed as a lightweight, all-in-one solution for ski touring, this 2-pound rescue and repair kit helps skiers stay self-sufficient when things go wrong far from the trailhead. Related: Backcountry Layering: Be Aware, […] Industry News Brent Glogau | March 29, 2026 0 Comments
Go Deeper with Confidence: How to Plan Better Ski Tours In ski touring and life, knowledge is power. Cliché? Sure. But rooted in truth? Absolutely. As backcountry travelers, we constantly make informed decisions, one after another. Skin up the face, or boot the ridge? Stick to the trees, or head into the alpine? Making these choices not only affects whether we ride pow or crust, but can be the difference […] Gear Spencer Cox | March 27, 2026 0 Comments
Solo Skier Killed in 2,300-Foot Fall After Cornice Collapsed Beneath Her on Italian Peak A 57-year-old Austrian woman died on Friday on the Schneebiger Nock, an 11,000-foot (3,358-meter) peak in the Rieserferner Group above Rein in Taufers, Italy, after a cornice collapsed and sent her plummeting down near-vertical, rocky terrain, local officials and media reported. Related: 25 Skiers Caught in Avalanche at Val Ridanna, Italy, Killing 2 With 3 Seriously Injured The woman set […] Backcountry Steven Agar | March 23, 2026 0 Comments
Missing 21-Year-Old Hiker Dies in Hospital After Being Found Unconscious in Mountains Above Chamonix, France A 21-year-old hiker who had been missing for two days in the mountains above Chamonix, France, was found Sunday, March 15, by rescue teams but later died after being transported to the hospital. According to the mountain rescue unit PGHM Chamonix (Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne), the young man was discovered around noon on the western side of the […] Backcountry Julia Schneemann | March 15, 2026 0 Comments
Gros Ventre Range, WY: Exploring the Big Belly Mountains Conditions Report from February 21-23, 2026 After being out of commission for four weeks with an MCL tear, I was itching for an adventure. My good buddy Truman was coming up to visit, and we wanted to make the most of our time. Originally, we planned to ski something big, like the Ford-Stettner Couloir in the Tetons. However, the […] Conditions Report Russell Parker | March 2, 2026 0 Comments
Jim Morrison Reflects On Perseverance, Partnership, And Purpose In New Film “Trango” Long before skis ever touched the upper slopes of Pakistan’s Great Trango Tower, the mountain lived in Jim Morrison’s imagination as something almost untouchable—a towering symbol of mountaineering history, not skiing possibility. For decades, the near-20,000-foot granite spire had been a proving ground for elite rock climbers. To Morrison, it represented something deeper: an unfinished idea waiting for someone to […] Climbing Martin Kuprianowicz | February 24, 2026 0 Comments
SnowBrains Podcast Ep. 103 | Dave Searle – Chamonix IFMGA Mountain Guide Our guest today is Dave Searle – mountain guide, deep mountain thinker, and someone who has built his life around moving through wild places with purpose. Dave has spent years guiding in serious terrain, helping people travel safely and confidently in the mountains while also developing a thoughtful approach to risk, decision making, and what it really means to operate […] Featured Video Podcast | February 19, 2026 0 Comments
Trip Report: Téléphérique La Grave, France – 5,587′ Vertical Foot Pulse Gondola to Heaven & Fear Report from February 7 & 8, 2026 The Téléphérique de La Grave in France is mythical. It owns my fear. I’ve been wanting to come here since I was 22, but knew I wasn’t ready. At 47.6 years old, I suppose I finally felt prepared to delve into La Grave. Téléphérique La Grave France Name: Téléphérique des Glaciers de la […] Trip Report Miles Clark | February 10, 2026 0 Comments
Christina Lustenberger and Team Complete First-Ever Ski Descent of Mount Deltaform’s North Glacier, BC View this post on Instagram A new line has been written into Canadian ski mountaineering history. On January 18, 2026, pro skier Christina Lustenberger—widely known as “Lusti”— along with partners Brette Harrington and Gee Pierrel completed the first-ever descent of the North Glacier on Mount Deltaform in British Columbia. The expedition unfolded deep in the Canadian Rockies and demanded a […] Climbing Martin Kuprianowicz | February 4, 2026 0 Comments
Stowe Mountain Rescue, VT, Assists Skier After Misreading Backcountry Map and Taking Wrong Line Stowe Mountain Rescue responded this week to a backcountry incident involving a skier who followed a widely shared ski-line map of the Stowe area and ended up in dangerous terrain after taking the wrong chute, the rescue group said in a public statement. The incident, which did not result in serious injury, reiterated long-standing concerns from local rescuers about how […] Backcountry Martin Kuprianowicz | February 4, 2026 0 Comments
Mali Noyes Becomes First Woman to Ski Comstock Couloir, Completing One of The Fifty Classic Ski Descents as it was Originally Intended Pro skier Mali Noyes has completed the Comstock Couloir in British Columbia’s Selkirk Mountains, becoming the first woman to descend the line and only the 7th skier overall to complete one of the most demanding objectives from The Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America. What sets the descent apart is not only its rarity, but its fidelity to the […] Backcountry Martin Kuprianowicz | February 4, 2026 0 Comments
Backcountry Layering: Be Aware, Know What to Wear One of the most important parts of moving safely in the backcountry is being prepared with the right gear. Yes, that means a beacon, shovel, and probe—but it also includes your clothing. When you’re touring in the backcountry, you’ll want a different kit than what you wear inbounds at the resort. Inbounds, your main goal is to stay warm […] Brains Russell Parker | January 30, 2026 0 Comments
Be Bold, Start Cold “Hey, old man! Aren’t you cold, hiking in just THAT? It’s freaking dumping out!” A curious grom asks a white-whiskered, veteran of the slopes who’s wearing nothing but a light sweater and ski pants as he tours up into the gray abyss. “You would think that, but I’m actually the perfect temperature right now. It’s YOU that’s going to be hot […] Backcountry Martin Kuprianowicz | January 30, 2026 4 Comments
Trip Report: “Blue Ice” — Wasatch Mountains, UT Report from January 27, 2026 I’d been staring at Blue Ice for about a week and it was time to give it a try. 5 am wake up. Hiking by 6:42 am. “Blue Ice” Wasatch Mountains, UT Summit (actually a ridgeline): 10,779 feet Car: 6,201 feet Vertical From Car: 5,009 feet (we did a second run that added a few […] Trip Report Miles Clark | January 28, 2026 1 Comment
Trip Report: “Eeny Meeny Miny Moe” — Wasatch Mountains, UT Report from January 26, 2026 Yesterday’s 7 a.m. wake-up was nice. The plan was to sleep in and show up late, as the line I had chosen lives in the shade. When the afternoon light hits the opposite wall, it bounces back and lights up my target zone a bit. The line I’d chosen is just upvalley from “Eeny Meeny […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | January 28, 2026 0 Comments
[VIDEO] New Film “Trango” Documents First-Ever Ski Descent of Great Trango Tower in Pakistan A new ski mountaineering film, Trango, is screening in select theaters and will later be released on video-on-demand following a run of special theatrical screenings and festival appearances across the United States. Directed by Leo Hoorn, the film documents ski mountaineers Christina Lustenberger, known as Lusti, and Jim Morrison as they pursue the first-ever ski descent of Great Trango Tower […] Backcountry Martin Kuprianowicz | January 28, 2026 0 Comments
onX Backcountry Expands Beacon Guidebooks Content With Hundreds of New Ski Routes for 2025-26 Season onX Backcountry has released a major expansion of Beacon Guidebooks content for the 2025-26 ski season, adding hundreds of newly curated backcountry ski routes across Colorado and Washington, the company announced on January 21. The update, now available in the onX Backcountry app, significantly expands access to vetted route information in complex mountain terrain, pairing Beacon Guidebooks’ expert-authored ski descents […] Backcountry Martin Kuprianowicz | January 28, 2026 0 Comments
Tahoe Backcountry Alliance Marks 10 Years With Anniversary Sweepstakes Supporting Human-Powered Access With Chance to Win Until Jan. 31 The Tahoe Backcountry Alliance is celebrating its 10th anniversary this winter with an online sweepstakes aimed at raising funds to support human-powered backcountry access and equity-focused outdoor projects in the Lake Tahoe region. The nonprofit organization, based in Truckee, California, has spent the past decade advocating for improved access to public lands, maintaining and expanding backcountry infrastructure, and working with […] Backcountry Martin Kuprianowicz | January 28, 2026 0 Comments
Trip Report: “Hanging Snowfield” — Wasatch Mountains, UT Report from January 24, 2025 5 am wake up. Hiking by 6:37 am. 11ºF when I started climbing. My goal was a rocky chute at the headwall of the drainage. As I approached the headwall, I noticed the line that I’d skied 3 days before. The snow was terrific in that zone. NE-facing, just subalpine, and wind-protected. “Hanging Snowfield” Wasatch […] Trip Report Miles Clark | January 25, 2026 2 Comments
Trip Report: “Diving Board” — Wasatch Mountains, UT Report from January 21, 2025 3:30 am wake-up yesterday. Long drive through flashing lights and empty streets. Met up with local legend Juan Bakers. “Diving Board” Wasatch Mountains, UT Summit: 10,592 feet Car: 6,197 feet Camp: 2021 feet Vertical From Car: 4,395 feet to top of “Diving Board” (total vertical this day 6,300′) Vertical skied: 4,857 feet Max Pitch: 42?º […] Trip Report Miles Clark | January 22, 2026 0 Comments
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