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When the days get longer and the snowpack stabilizes, many skiers turn their attention to climbing bigger peaks and skiing bigger lines. While weather, snowpack, and daylight often conspire to limit big mountain activities through the winter, spring’s longer and warmer days help give skiers a better chance at getting high in the mountains and ticking off some more impressive lines.
While your standard winter backcountry skiing gear will get you far, a few specialized pieces of mountaineering gear will make your big objective days easier, safer, and more enjoyable. And there’s no need to buy new–you can find used ski mountaineering gear in Durango atDurango Outdoor Exchange. Here’s what you need to go big:
It’s all about the skis, right? Mountaineering skis may be the same as your go-to winter backcountry skis, though many will have a separate pair.
We all know how bad the San Juans can be when it comes to avalanches. While most ski mountaineering takes place when the snowpack has firmed up, you'll still want to be on your toes. All the normal avi gear you bring on winter tours should go with you here, even when weight is a major consideration, including beacon, shovel, and probe.
This list is by no means exhaustive. You will also want weather-appropriate clothing, hat, and gloves, everything you need for navigation, a satellite rescue communicator, food and water, and a solid plan that’s been communicated to friends or family. Going extra hard? Consider a helmet to protect your noggin against rockfall and a harness and for dicey pitches.
Durango Outdoor Exchange has used ski mountaineering gear in stock and enthusiastic skiers who can help you choose what’s right for your outing. With new gear coming in all winter long, you can easily put together a ski mountaineering gear kit that will have you up in the mountains when the snowpack and weather are ready.
Just a couple hours from Durango, Valles Caldera is a great cross-country skiing destination, with surprisingly good snow and very few visitors.
Valles Caldera National Preserve is a popular hiking destination in the summer and a surprisingly great skiing destination in the winter.
When spending one night (or many) in the backcountry, a warm dinner at night and hot beverage in the morning can make the difference. That invariably involves using a stove of some sort–but which one?
Stove technology has been around for decades, but new tech is making them lighter, more efficient, and more dependable than ever before. Here’s a rundown of the different kinds of backpacking stoves:
If you are camping in bear country, or in any place where food storage is a concern, you should strongly consider using a bear canister–a storage system that is built to keep bears out of your food. And in some places, particularly parks in California, Montana, Colorado, and Washington,backcountry campers are required to have and use bear canisters.
While you may get lucky by hanging your food in a sack from a tree, this is not permitted in many areas and virtually impractical in many alpine anddesert backpacking zones. Bear canisters are the preferred method for storing food and other smelly items, but there are many kinds to be aware of. Let’s look at them in more detail.