Rope Skills for Skiers & Riders in Washington
Looking to step up your game to access iconic lines that only a select few will ever ride, like the Grand Teton or Cosmiques Couloir? Our Washington-based course will teach you fundamental skills for technical ski mountaineering, including how to build a snow anchor, rappel into a line and travel on a glacier.
Overview
Itinerary
Prerequisites
Inclusions
Gear
We'll cover the following topics and skills:
- Gear Choices - choices for ropes, harnesses, slings and cordelettes, micro traxion pulleys; all the tools you need to get into serious terrain.
- Gear Basics - racking gear on your harness, strategies for managing rope, tying knots and understanding the applications for the knots we use most commonly in skiing.
- Rappelling. With skis on our feet and with skis on our backs. We’ll learn the reasons to choose each and how to deal with the transition of getting off rappel.
- Belaying. We'll cover when belays are practical and how to do it effectively.
- Glacier Travel. How to rig a rope for rope team travel.
- Snow Anchors. How to build basic snow anchors using the gear we typically carry on ski mountaineering routes.
- Lowering. How to use a rope to get a non-ambulatory, injured person down a slope.
This program requires at least 3 participants to run.
Here's the schedule for your course:
- 8:00 am - Meet your guide at the trailhead
- 9:30 am - We'll spend the day demonstrating and coaching while you practice rope skills
- 12:00pm - Lunch on the go
- 3:00pm - Course ends
Here are the skills and fitness you'll need for your course:
- Basic Ski Mountaineering Skills - Experience with ice axe and crampons
- Advanced Resort Riding skills - Including off-piste terrain in challenging snow conditions
- Basic Fitness - Able to spend an active day outside, moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of roughly 1 hour between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 3-5 miles and climb 1,000-1,500 vertical feet throughout the course of the day.
- Ski/Split Touring, Avalanche, & Ski Mountaineering Gear - Come prepared with your own gear or rent from us
Here's what's included with your course:
- Experienced AMGA Trained Guide
- Ropes and Gear for training
- Group Safety Gear - your guide will be equipped with snow science tools and a first aid kit
- Wag Bags - for human waste disposal in with compliance 'Leave No Trace' principles
- Ice Axe, Crampons, Climbing Harness
- Guide Gratuities
Ski/Split Touring Gear
- Alpine Touring Ski or Splitboard Setup - No snowshoes
- Alpine Touring or Splitboard Boots
- Climbing Skins
- Touring Backpack - with pockets for avalanche gear
- Adjustable Touring Poles
- Avalanche Beacon
- Avalanche Shovel
- Avalanche Probe
- Ice Axe
- Crampons
- Climbing Harness
Know Before you go
Price/Person
$275.00
Private Programs
Duration: 1 Day
View Full Itinerary
PRIVATE PROGRAMS
- Custom Scheduling: Choose your dates and plan around your availability.
- Tailored Experiences: Itineraries and objectives are adjusted to suit your goals, experience, and fitness.
- Cost-Effective for Most Large Groups: Private programs are typically more cost-effective for groups of 3 or more.
- Flexibility Comes at a Price: For groups of 1-2, private programs are generally more expensive.
- AIARE Courses: AIARE course pricing is based on a group of 6. Running these as a private program with fewer than 6 participants will increase the per-person cost.
SCHEDULED PROGRAMS
- Fixed Dates & Costs: Scheduled programs have set dates, itineraries, objectives, and pricing.
- Great for Solo or Small Groups: Ideal for individuals or small groups looking to share costs with others.
- Affordable for 1-2 People: Scheduled programs are typically less expensive for groups of 1-2.
- Less Flexibility: Dates fill quickly, and group programs require adapting to the skill level and pace of all participants
- Group Atmosphere: Meet others with similar interests and make some new backcountry buddies!
Note: Any scheduled program can also be run as a private program with customized dates and rates.
Both options offer exceptional guiding and experiences. Choose what works best for you!
Full Itinerary
8:00 am Meet your guide at the trailhead. Your guide will conduct a Trailhead Departure Check/Beacon Check then we’ll tour to an appropriate venue with terrain that provides excellent learning opportunities.
9:30 am We’ll begin the skills portion of the program here, covering the materials we use and discussing their applications. We’ll tie knots, build anchors, practice rappelling and set up ropes for glacier travel.
3:30 pm We will close the program with a margin of daylight remaining when we hit the trailhead. At the trailhead, we’ll review the skills we learned and discuss any questions the group may still have regarding all things ski mountaineering.
We'll cover the following topics and skills:
- Gear Choices - choices for ropes, harnesses, slings and cordelettes, micro traxion pulleys; all the tools you need to get into serious terrain.
- Gear Basics - racking gear on your harness, strategies for managing rope, tying knots and understanding the applications for the knots we use most commonly in skiing.
- Rappelling. With skis on our feet and with skis on our backs. We’ll learn the reasons to choose each and how to deal with the transition of getting off rappel.
- Belaying. We'll cover when belays are practical and how to do it effectively.
- Glacier Travel. How to rig a rope for rope team travel.
- Snow Anchors. How to build basic snow anchors using the gear we typically carry on ski mountaineering routes.
- Lowering. How to use a rope to get a non-ambulatory, injured person down a slope.
This program requires at least 3 participants to run.
Here's the schedule for your course:
- 8:00 am - Meet your guide at the trailhead
- 9:30 am - We'll spend the day demonstrating and coaching while you practice rope skills
- 12:00pm - Lunch on the go
- 3:00pm - Course ends
Here are the skills and fitness you'll need for your course:
- Basic Ski Mountaineering Skills - Experience with ice axe and crampons
- Advanced Resort Riding skills - Including off-piste terrain in challenging snow conditions
- Basic Fitness - Able to spend an active day outside, moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of roughly 1 hour between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 3-5 miles and climb 1,000-1,500 vertical feet throughout the course of the day.
- Ski/Split Touring, Avalanche, & Ski Mountaineering Gear - Come prepared with your own gear or rent from us
Here's what's included with your course:
- Experienced AMGA Trained Guide
- Ropes and Gear for training
- Group Safety Gear - your guide will be equipped with snow science tools and a first aid kit
- Wag Bags - for human waste disposal in with compliance 'Leave No Trace' principles
- Ice Axe, Crampons, Climbing Harness
- Guide Gratuities
Ski/Split Touring Gear
- Alpine Touring Ski or Splitboard Setup - No snowshoes
- Alpine Touring or Splitboard Boots
- Climbing Skins
- Touring Backpack - with pockets for avalanche gear
- Adjustable Touring Poles
- Avalanche Beacon
- Avalanche Shovel
- Avalanche Probe
- Ice Axe
- Crampons
- Climbing Harness
Skier using a rope to climb a steep face during a Blackbird Guides Rope Skills for Skiers and Riders course
Skiers bootpacking up a couloir in Chamonix, France
Skier rappelling down a rocky couloir
Skiers skiing a steep couloir in Chamonix, France
Skier skiing Wild Couloir
Skier touring Ronde Romolo
Skiers bootpacking a steep couloir
Skier skiing on Rom Grandes Jorasses on Mount Blanc
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