If Uncle Sam were a skier, he’d want you in his army. That’s why he’s mascot for USA Colab, a new alliance of U.S.-made ski and snowboard brands that’s collectively promoting their American roots.
Stoked on the Gear Guide? Tell Us!
Ever seen such pure, unadulterated excitement? Little Aven here is a five-week-old aspiring backcountry skier, and she’s pretty fired up about the 2014 Gear Guide. What do you think of the issue? Love it? Hate it? Jonesing for winter? We want to hear from you!
New Hut for the Wapta Traverse
Backcountry skiers could soon have a new hut and a renewed link to the past on Canada’s Wapta Traverse. The Canadian Alpine Club, in conjunction with local environmental organizations, user groups and Parks Canada are working together to build a fifth hut on the classic Wapta Traverse.
Say Whaa?: Semi-SFW Gear Test Outtakes
The fact that we even allow these people to test skis for us is ridiculous, bordering on criminal. It’s a realization borne of reading this selection of sick tester comments, pulled from a selection of even sicker tester comments that we’re probably legally barred from sharing with you (sick meaning disgusting, not sick meaning cool, […]
Endless Summer: A Skier “Turns” 30
It’s August, and the heat of summer has already fueled two months of climbing, mountain biking and river running, but for my birthday—the big 3-0—I want to ski. Since Backcountry wouldn’t send me to Chile, the next best thing is a permanent snowfield near my Montana home, deep in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. It’s called […]
Video: 2014 Gear Test Week
Backcountry Magazine’s annual Gear Guide hits newsstands on August 13, but there’s a whole lot of content we couldn’t cram into the issue. That’s because we spend five days in late March testing more than 400 new products at the industry’s largest and most unbiased gear test. Here’s how it all went down.
Lance’s Lab: Research Opportunities
Each month, Backcountry technical editor Lance Riek investigates a conundrum of backcountry gear, snow science or molecular murkiness in his column “Lance’s Lab.” And he wants to help you out. Drop a line, comment below, and let our resident brainiac know your backcountry questions.
The Hard Way Out: Catedral Norte, Patagonia
“Oh God. It’s going to kill him!” I yelled as a lone ski flew down the mountain toward Sean. He was the first to ski the line and waited in a safe zone below as Wes dropped in. On the first turn, Wes’ telemark binding tore completely out of his right ski and zipped down […]
Bikes to Boards to Beers: Summer Skiing Deseret Peak
Lording high above the vast West Desert, Deseret is the tallest mountain in the range and stands with more than 5,000 feet of prominence. But what really makes skiers salivate are Deseret’s North Couloirs—twin chutes on the summit ridge that hold snow well into summer.
The Atwell Project: A Springtime Slushfest
Words and photos by Sterling Pearce Early last month Bret phoned me with an excited tone to his voice and a crazy proposition: an overnight assault on a looming mountain face that had been taunting him all winter. Bret lives in Squamish, B.C., and the face he’d been staring up was the southeast side of […]
