“I absolutely love speed,” Benjamin Alexander says. “I love any sport that allows you to go fast, especially when your method of propulsion is simply gravity.” The love affair came later in life for Alexander, who started skiing at 32 and is now training to downhill race in the 2022 Winter Olympics. And when lifts […]
Worried About Climate Change? For These Guides, It’s a Numbers Game
On any normal winter day, Informalex, the email list that ski guides across western Canada rely on for beta, is active with discussion about avalanche conditions and route information. In the off-season, the list, only accessible to members of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, serves as a forum for bored members to debate guiding-related […]
Legends of the Fall
It was the time of year when it’s warm in the city and cool in the mountains, when the clear skies and crisp air beckon you to higher altitudes. Outside the city, leaves were painted in sleepy colors in preparation for the slow, fluttering journey to their final resting place. The hills gleamed gold as we […]
Editors and publishers form Outdoor Media For Inclusion: A group aiming to diversify voices in outdoor media
A group of publishers and editors who oversee consumer and B2B outdoor media titles have formed the working group Outdoor Media 4 Inclusion (OM4I) to provide more opportunities for journalists and contributors who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, and members of other marginalized communities. Teresa Baker, founder of the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge, encouraged the […]
2020 Snow and Avalanche Workshops
For those new to the backcountry, figuring out where to begin can be intimidating. Avalanche courses are pricey, and it’s difficult to get your money’s worth if you’ve never stepped onto the skintrack. But how do you safely get that needed experience before signing up for your first course? While this may seem like a […]
Powder Magazine shuts down after 49 years in print
I’ve written and edited many obituaries in my tenure as an editor at Backcountry and now as editorial director at Height of Land Publications. It’s part of the job, covering outdoor adventure sports. But the last year or so has marked an odd shift in the pieces we write in memoriam. Last August, two competing […]
THE LONG HAUL
Dear reader, It’s been a year. Between early resort closures last spring, increased numbers flocking out of bounds and a mounting strain on search and rescue teams, our backcountry community has felt the pressure and stress of an unpredictable time. But if there’s one thing that us backcountry skiers and riders know well, it’s uncertainty. […]
Fearlessly Female: Jan Reynolds on life up high and advice for aspiring women ski mountaineers
Jan Reynolds, 62, is familiar with being the lone woman on daring and remote expeditions. As the former record-holder for women’s high-altitude skiing, which she achieved on Tibet’s Muztagata (24,757 ft.) in 1980, Reynolds has made her mark on ski history.
How an East Coast slide proves that avalanches don’t care where you live
Avalanches in Vermont are considered as uncommon as getting the measles. But in March 2018, Vermont residents Aaron Rice, 28, who notably climbed and skied 2.5-million vertical feet in 2016, and friend Cyril Brunner, 27, found themselves dealing with one in Smugglers’ Notch, near Stowe Mountain Resort. The accident wasn’t just because of their line choice and a snowpack with buried facets beneath feet of new snow, but also due to common heuristic traps that can befall skiers anywhere.
How to get the most out of gear
There’s no denying it—backcountry gear is expensive. And while touring may offer freedom from purchasing lift tickets or a season’s pass, the cost of a new setup can quickly creep well above $2,000, which isn’t an annual line item in many a skier’s budget.
