Description

A focused, single-day ski mountaineering course designed for intermediate to advanced backcountry skiers who want hands-on experience with steep, technical couloir ascents and descents in Rocky Mountain National Park. The day emphasizes practical skills: efficient uphill movement on steep terrain, safe and controlled steep-snow skiing, rope management, route selection through couloirs, and risk mitigation strategies including avalanche awareness.

Learning objectives

• Demonstrate proper gear selection and fit for ski mountaineering, including touring skis, bindings, boots, skins, avalanche safety equipment (beacon, probe, shovel), helmet, layers, and pack organization for a day trip.

• Execute efficient transitions between downhill and uphill modes (skin-on, skin-off, crampon/binding changes, and bootpacking) with safe, quick techniques appropriate for varied terrain.

• Use skis and skins to travel uphill with effective kick-turns, herringbone, and side-stepping techniques on slopes of varying steepness while conserving energy and maintaining balance.

• Apply safe downhill skiing techniques in backcountry snow conditions (variable snow, wind slab, crust, and soft snow), including turn shape selection, speed control, terrain selection, and slope management.

• Perform basic route-finding and terrain selection for ski mountaineering: reading topography and slope angle, identifying safe ascent and descent lines, choosing conservative routes relative to objective hazards (cliffs, cornices, creeks).

• Understand avalanche fundamentals: snowpack structure, primary avalanche types, common triggers, and seasonal/weather factors that influence avalanche hazard in the Park.

• Conduct a professional avalanche risk assessment using available information: interpreting avalanche forecasts, recent weather history, wind-loading indicators, snowpack signs (recent avalanches, whoomphing, cracking), and estimating slope aspect and angle.

• Demonstrate decision-making frameworks for backcountry travel (e.g., conservative heuristics and human-factor awareness), including group management, communication, turn-taking, and go/no-go criteria.

• Apply Leave No Trace principles in alpine and subalpine environments: minimizing human impact on vegetation, wildlife, and fragile soils; proper waste management; and route selection to limit erosion and disturbance.

• Demonstrate situational awareness and risk mitigation specific to Rocky Mountain National Park: recognizing park-specific hazards (rapid weather change, altitude-related effects, cliff exposure, wildlife encounters), pacing and acclimatization strategies for altitude, and respecting park regulations and closure areas.

• Evaluate personal fitness and technical readiness for ski mountaineering objectives: identifying appropriate personal goals for the day, recognizing limits, and planning a safe itinerary consistent with group ability and conditions.

• Practice effective buddy and group protocols: pre-trip briefing, assignment of roles (lead, sweep), spacing and travel order, communication signals, and post-trip debrief to capture lessons learned.

• Reflect on skills learned and create a personal action plan: identify three technical or decision-making skills to continue practicing, resources for further learning (courses, reading, local avalanche center), and suggested next steps for progressing in ski mountaineering.