The Blackbird Blog
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News
Blackbird Teams Summit Gran Paradiso
The last push to the summit of Gran Paradiso in the Italian Alps. Photo: Zeb Blais Gran Paradiso Summit! July 1, 2025 Gran Paradiso 4,061m Blackbird Mountain Guides reached the true summit of 4,061 meter Gran Paradiso this week. This popular summit is often climbed to the more dramatic...
Summit of Mont Blanc via the Trois Monts Route
The sun rising behind the Swiss and French Alps. In the foreground, climbers ascend the north face of Mont Maudit (4,465m / 14,645') on their way to the summit of Mont Blanc via the Trois Monts Route. Photo: Zeb Blais Mont Blanc Summit! June 25, 2025 Mont Blanc 4,810m Blackbird...
Gran Paradiso Summit! June 22, 2025
Blackbird teams made the summit of Gran Paradiso again this week, summiting with clear skies and firm snow conditions!
What Congress' “Land‑Sale” Bill Means for Outdoor Lovers
What Congress' “Land‑Sale” Bill Means for Outdoor Lovers Public Lands eligible for sale from National Forest Service (Green) and Bureau of Land Management (Orange) Summary / TLDR What the Bill Does: The bill requires the sale of at least 2 million acres of public land over five years, with more...
Blackbird Summits the Highest Peaks in France, Italy
Views from the top of Italy. 4,061m Gran Paradiso, June 15, 2025. Photo: Zeb Blais First Alps Summits of the Season! Mont Blanc 4,810m & Gran Paradiso 4,061m Blackbird teams summited the highest peaks in France and Italy this week as weather changed for the better. Thus far,...
Mt. Baker Backcountry Skiing and Climbing Conditions Update | June 19, 2025
Above the clouds on a Cascade volcano! Inversion layers like this are common this time of year. Note the sky island of Mt Shuksan behind this stoked Blackbird client! Photo taken from near the summit of Mt. Baker on June 12, 2025 by Blackbird Guide Nicholas Westfall Mount Baker Ski...
Eastern Sierra Backcountry Skiing Conditions Update | May 27, 2025
Chris Cloyd dropping into one of the Ellery Bowl Chutes. Skiing to the car on Memorial Day! - May 26, 2025 Photo: Lexie Gritlefeld South Lake, Rock Creek, and Tioga Pass Areas | California | 2025-05-27 The harvest is on down in the Eastern Sierra, and recent road openings...
Lassen Peak Backcountry Ski Conditions | May 25, 2025
Spring corn, smooth lines, and scenic solitude in NorCal’s backcountry gem.
Looking for the latest Lassen Peak conditions? Our team just returned from a backcountry ski tour on Lassen, and the mountain is serving up some of the best conditions of the season.
Backcountry Ski & Splitboard
South America Backcountry Skiing Guide: Top Zones in Chile & Argentina
South America Backcountry Skiing Guide: Top Zones in Chile & Argentina Powder skiing in La Parva. Photo: Mountain Capital Partners/La Parva Where Winter Never Ends When summer ends in the north, winter begins in the south. From the glaciated peaks of Patagonia to the volcanic slopes of Chile, South America...
LQ Outpost Backcountry Ski Lodge in British Columbia
If you know, you know. And those who've been to LQ Outpost in British Columbia know that it is one of the most spectacular lodges in the province. While the name might imply a rough-around-the-edges, rustic and primitive hut, the LQ Outpost is nothing of the sort.
The Best 3D Mapping Apps for Backcountry Skiing
Monte Rosa, the highest peak in Switzerland, rendered with satellite imagery and a Swiss Topo overlay in CalTopo. What's the Best 3D Mapping App for Backcountry Skiing? Backcountry Skiing and Splitboarding require keen navigation skills to find terrain and stay safe. One of the key tools we have to navigate the backcountry...
How to Layer for Backcountry Skiing
Ski touring on a cold day on Mt Shasta. Proper layering is critical in cold, stormy conditions! Photo: Zeb Blais. What is Layering? Layering is a critical skill that helps us stay comfortable and safe in the backcountry. The backcountry is a dynamic environment that can change from ideal to inclement...
Winter Calendar 2025
Guided Backcountry Ski & Splitboard Trips | Winter 2025 Blackbird COO Eric Lee O'Brien shredding Powder in Hokkaido Japan. Photo: Taiyo Nakanishi We've got a ton of great adventures happening with your favorite guides this winter! From a week-long powder Safari in Hokkaido Japan to heli-in/heli out ski touring lodge trips in...
Lodge Profile: Snowfall Lodge, BC
In the midst of the glaciers, winding rivers, and thick forests of the Battle Range, there's an unexpected refuge from the wilderness. A luxurious respite from the elements in the middle of this wild landscape, Snowfall Lodge is the perfect spot for backcountry skiers to stage for a long list of secluded backcountry ski...
Avalanche Education
Avalanche Transceiver Upgrade Trade-In Program
Looking to upgrade to a shiny new Barryvox Avalanche Transceiver? Blackbird clients can upgrade their old transceiver to a new Mammut Barryvox for 40% off retail when they trade in their old, fully functional digital transceiver. See details in the blog!
Why Choose Blackbird for your Avalanche Course?
Students observing the snowpack while touring on day 1 of AIARE 1. Photo: Zeb Blais. Why Choose Blackbird for your Avalanche Course? Since its founding, Blackbird Mountain Guides has striven to provide the best avalanche courses in California and Washington. Our strategy has been simple: start with the amazing instructors and rethink...
What's the difference between AIARE 1 and AIARE 1 + Rescue?
Participants dig for a buried avalanche beacon (to simulate a buried partner) during a rescue scenario on a Blackbird Lift-Accessed Avalanche Rescue Course in Tahoe. Opportunities to practice multiple scenarios in realistic terrain make this program a magnitude better than its counterparts. Photo: Zeb Blais What's the difference between AIARE 1 and...
Avalanche Transceivers - Electromagnetic Interference UIAA Recommendations
Electromagnetic interference has long been a known issue with avalanche transceivers. But how much of an issue? And what do we do about it? The UIAA released guidelines earlier this month describing what types of electromagnetic interference affect avalanche transceivers in both transmit and receive modes. Included in their findings are...
Tracking PWLs: Tahoe Snowpack Tests 2023-12-24
We dug in the snowpack to investigate the Persistent Weak Layer and see if the layer has gained some strength after the intense rain/snow storm we received last week.
Video: How to Use Snowpack Tests
Our Video demonstrates an excellent progression of snowpack tests that can help to flesh out the hazards in the backcountry snowpack. It shows how to make snowpack observations and conduct snowpack tests to inform your understanding of the avalanche hazard. Remember, you're not trying to be an avalanche forecaster - always read the...
SKI MOUNTAINEERING
The 4 Best Ski Descents on Mt Shasta
Where are the best places to ski on Mount Shasta? We dive into our favorite ski descents on the largest stratovolcano in the contiguous United States
The Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America
The 50 classic ski descents of North America as listed by Chris Davenport, Penn Newhard and Art Burrows. It has been used as a tick list for ski mountaineers across the US and Canada, including Cody Townsend, creator of The Fifty Project.
Why Ski Mountaineering on Mt. Baker is a Must-Do for Backcountry Skiers
Yeah, it takes some grit and endurance, it's a hell of a lot of fun. More type 1 fun than type 2 fun by orders of magnitude. This post explores the great, glacier covered experience that is Koma Kulshan.
Mount Shasta Seasonal Weather History 2024
This year, the mountain is stuffed and the West Face has weeks and weeks of snowpack coverage left. The bottom line is that if you want to climb or ski Mount Shasta, this is the year to do it!
Five Reasons To Ski Mount Shasta This Spring
If one photo of this incredible mountain isn't convincing enough, here's six more reasons to ski or climb Mt. Shasta as soon as possible!
Mt Shasta West Face with Daron Rahlves
We couldn't have timed conditions better for our West Face summit and ski descent on Mt Shasta with Daron Rahlves. With warm temps at night and high winds forecast, had us on guard about climbing and skiing conditions, but conditions turned out to be incredible!
ALPINE CLIMBING
Mont Blanc: The Pope Route
Climbers on the Pope Route on Mont Blanc, aka the Italian Normal Route, taken from the Rifugio Gonella. Photo: Zeb Blais The Pope Route / Italian Normal Route Mont Blanc 4,810m The Pope Route on Mont Blanc, also known as the Italian Normal Route, is a wild and...
Mont Blanc: The Normal Route
The Normal Route on Mont Blanc, aka the Goûter Route, taken from the Col du Dome. Photo: Zeb Blais The Normal Route | Mont Blanc 4,810m Mont Blanc is not an easy mountain to summit. Glaciers, icefall, rockfall, high altitude, challenging climbing and unpredictable mountain weather make it...
Where is the best place to learn mountaineering?
So, you’re wondering: where is the best place to learn mountaineering? We’ve got some great ideas on what makes a mountain a good place to learn mountain climbing. We'll also dive into what it means to climb in good style and the skills mountaineers should look to build as they broaden their...
Mont Blanc: The Trois Monts Route
Mont Blanc: The Trois Monts Traverse offers a detailed overview of climbing 4,810m Mont Blanc via the classic Trois Monts route and down the Normal Route. As the highest peak in Western Europe, Mont Blanc offers a major challenge in altitude, but the challenges don't stop there - read on...
A Brief History of Alpinism
A climber on the Arête du Diable in the Rhône Alps of Chamonix. Photo: Zeb Blais ~ A Brief History of Alpinism Rhône Alps | Chamonix, France Where did alpinism originate? Spoiler alert: it's the Alps. The French Alps to be specific, and the Chamonix Mont Blanc area to be precise. Beginning in the mid...
Understanding Mixed Climbing: A Complete Guide to Mixed Climbing Grades
Pushing grades of mixed climbing in the alpine in New Zealand. Photo: NZ Alpine Team David Vuono/Climbing Magazine ~. What is Mixed Climbing? Mixed climbing is climbing that involves both rock and ice. Mixed climbs are climbed using a variety of tactics and protection. Typically, crampons and ice tools are used...
ROCK CLIMBING
5 Best Rock Climbs in Tahoe for 5.9 Climbers
We've compiled the 5 best rock climbs in Tahoe under 5.9 - From Lover's Leap to Donner Summit, we've build a list of the most fun routes for 5.9 climbers.
Understanding Rock Climbing: A Complete Guide to USA Rock Climbing Grades
A climber enjoying the beautiful granite of Donner Summit in Lake Tahoe California. Photo: Zeb Blais Understanding the Yosemite Decimal System: A Guide to Rock Climbing Grades in North America As a beginner rock climber or foreign climber trying to climb in North America, you'll want to become familiar with the...
New Rock Climbing Programs for 2024!
A rock climbing guide belaying a climber on the final pitch of Corrugation Corner at Lover's Leap in Lake Tahoe. Photo: Chris Cloyd New Rock Climbing Programs Blackbird Mountain Guides has new permits and guided rock climbing in Lover's Leap and Calaveras Dome in California and Mt Erie in Washington! This season,...
Blackbird Acquires NASTC Rock Climbing School & Rock Guide Service
This week, Blackbird Mountain Guides announced that it acquired the long-standing and highly regarded NASTC Rock Climbing School and Rock Guide Service in Lake Tahoe.
Fixed Anchor Policy Changes on National Parks & Forest Service - Take Action!
If you rock climb or alpine climb on National Park and National Forest Lands, this affects YOU! Proposed change of the fixed anchor policies in National Parks and on Forest Service Lands will make it hard to maintain safe anchors and will have a direct effect on your favorite climbing areas. ...
Best Spots for Beginner Rock Climbing in Tahoe
Whether you're new to outdoor rock climbing, sport climbing, trad climbing, or multi pitch climbing, check out our list of the best crags in the Tahoe area for beginner rock climbers! We've got the lowdown on all the best spots to learn rock climbing or build your rock-climbing skills in the Truckee...