Backcountry skiing and snowboarding require a number of new skills, like using touring bindings, skinning uphill, transceiver practice, learning uphill kick turns, terrain management techniques, skiing and riding tactics, and planning your first backcountry tour. This course is designed to be a practical hands-on experience where you will learn the right way to perform these new skills from Homewood Mountain Resort's trained and experienced backcountry professionals.

Fitness – you don’t need to be a top-level athlete to go backcountry skiing or snowboarding, but climbing uphill in deep snow and skiing back down can be strenuous, so it’s worth it to evaluate your skiing ability and fitness level before you head out and sign up for this course.

Skiing and Riding Ability – it’s generally recommended that you can confidently ski or ride the blue square (intermediate) runs at a resort before taking on backcountry skiing or snowboarding. If you need to work on your skills, consider lessons at Homewood Mountain Resort. You can also check out ski improvement clinics at The North American Ski Training Center www.skinastc.com.

– Two-Day course includes lift tickets

– Lunch not included

– Must be an advanced skier

Required Gear includes: 

Skis with touring bindings, compatible boots, and skins

Shovel, Beacon, and Probe (may be rented from NASTC for $25 a day)

Pack (may be rented from NASTC for $15 a day)