We live in a world of constant innovation—the latest iPhone is out before there’s even time to break the last one, cars can drive themselves, and there are more USB port styles than can be counted on one hand.
Dynafit bindings: From basement-made Low Tech to TÜV certified
In 1982, 12 years before the birth of Backcountry Magazine, Austrian mechanical engineering student Fritz Barthel and his partner decided to tack the summit of Mont Blanc onto the end of an April climbing trip. Burdened by heavy gear and 200 cm slalom skis, they were exhausted by the time they reached the summit. That climb instilled Barthel’s drive to design lighter gear.
After 20 years, Patagonia’s R1 celebrates its tenure as the ultimate layer
Patagonia R1 Fleece Pullover Hoody and Tech Hoody$159 and $169 | patagonia.com It’s the mid ’90s, and PolarFleece is everywhere. The soft, high-pile knit made from recycled polyester and invented in 1981 by Polartec has become as ubiquitous in outdoor clothing as zippers. My father would buy it by the bolt from Malden Mills, Polartec’s […]
Steep-skiing boundary breaker Hilaree Nelson dishes on her formative years and staying rooted at 8,000 feet
On September 30, 2018, Hilaree Nelson, 46, along with partner Jim Morrison, made the first ski descent of Nepal’s 27,940-foot Lhoste. But this achievement was far from Nelson’s first when it comes to pushing limits of ski mountaineering.
Six supplements to aid in muscle recovery and boost energy
When it comes to determining their liquid diet for a day in the skintrack, tourers have historically broken nutritional choices into two categories: pre-ski coffee and post-ski beer. And while the a.m. caffeine kick and après libations will always have a place in skiing and riding culture, there are other offerings that can help you […]
25th Anniversary Editor’s Note: Ain’t nothing to do but do it
Climbers and backcountry skiers have short memories. We possess an uncanny ability to jettison the grimmest mental details of unexpectedly demanding alpine epics—the crushing loads, the numbing cold and needling winter winds—in favor of the glowing pleasantries.
25th Anniversary Editor’s Note: Long Train Running
We started out as competitors, Backcountry and me. My crazy newsletter, le Chronicle du Couloir, became a magazine in 1993. During the transformation to national distribution I considered renaming it Backcountry, but Bela Vadasz convinced me to stick with Couloir.
25th Anniversary Editor’s Note: Tripping Forward
Twenty-five years? Backcountry? You’re kidding. No? That’s 175 dog years—a long stretch, regardless of your species. And yeah, it’s cliché, but what a long, strange trip it’s been.
25th Anniversary Editor’s Note: Townie Talk
“We don’t live in a ski town,” my friend said one night a couple of weeks ago as we sat on the deck of the Brewster River Pub and Brewery, dubbed the Brewski by locals. We were only a quarter of a mile from Smugglers’ Notch Resort, but it was off-season and still warm enough to sit outside. My response echoed off the unoccupied metal chairs: “What are you talking about?”
Jeff Engerbretson passes down his exploration ethos
For Amie and Jeff Engerbretson, the search for powder is a family affair. Amie, 31, who was raised in Lake Tahoe, Calif. by her professional-skiing father, Jeff, 54, grew up thinking that it was normal to make a career out of winter sports. In the winter of 1986/87, Jeff began his pro-skiing career and in 1986 starred in a travel TV show Inside Skiing that took him around the world.
