Teton Backcountry Essentials

Season Winter

Difficulty Easy - Intermediate

Duration 2 Day

Overview

This two day camp is ideal for the resort skier or rider who is looking to transition into backcountry skiing or riding. Our guides will help you to make the intimidating transition from from front country to backcountry feel more approachable by sharing the basic fundamental skills in both the classroom and the field.

 

By the end of the camp, participants will have been introduced to the necessary skills to participate in future backcountry tours, either guided or as a well informed recreational partner. This information includes packing, layering, pacing, navigation and emergency planning, as well as any teachable moments along the way.

 

Participants in the camp should be capable of hiking 1,500-2,000 ft uphill in a day and must be strong intermediate skiers who are capable of skiing ungroomed and treed terrain. This camp is ideal preparation for for taking an AIARE 1.

Season Winter

Minimum Age 18

Trip Planner

Itinerary

Day 1: Meet at Office | 0800

8:00 – 10:00am Introductions, tour planning, equipment selection and use, and hazard mitigation

10:00 – Meet at Teton Pass – Trailhead check, gear orientation, skinning techniques, layer management, navigation, skin track setting, down hill transitions, downhill efficiencies and communication, and uphill transitions.

Day Two: Meet in Field | Location TBA

8:00-9:00 Avalanche Rescue

9:00-3:30 Tour

3:30-4:00 Debrief + Course Close

Price: $300 per person

CLICK HERE to check availability and sign up for a course

 

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UPPER LAYERS

BOTTOM LAYERS

HEAD AND HANDS

ACCESSORIES

SKI/SNOWBOARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE BACKCOUNTRY (Packages available for rent at Jackson location ONLY)

  • Boots: Alpine Touring, Telemark, or Snowboarding Boots
  • Skis or Splitboard with compatible binding for boots
  • Climbing Skins (fit to skis)
  • Ski Poles
  • Helmet (optional)

SNOW SAFETY EQUIPMENT (REQUIRED and available for rent at JHMG)

 

 

Grand Teton National Park is located roughly 30 minutes from our Jackson, WY headquarters. Our Jackson office is located in the south part of Jackson at 1325 S. Highway 89, Suite 104 and shares a parking area with Smith’s. Our phone number is (800) 239-7642 or (307) 733-4979. Most trips and classes will meet at this office for gear checks, preparation, and classes. The Jackson Hole airport is the closest, but Idaho Falls (a 2 – 2.5 hour drive) is a cheaper option and Salt Lake City (4 – 5 hour drive) are also air travel options. It is helpful to arrive a couple of days prior to your trip/class in order to acclimatize. Otherwise, you should arrive the day before and stop by our office for an equipment check. Do not plan on traveling the day after a significant climb – you will be tired and there are no guaranteed times when we will return to the trailhead. Plan on having accommodations for the night prior to and the night you return from a significant climb. There are a plethora of hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts in Jackson and the surrounding area. Accommodations near our office make your transitions convenient. It is highly advisable to make reservations as early as possible. Lodging recommendations and many more details can be found in the downloadable document below.

 

VIEW PDF

Testimonials

  • Top notch guide service with enormous experience. I love the educational aspect as well. I always learn a ton.

    — Dirk Friel
  • This is our third trip here to backcountry ski.  We love our guide and always request him.  The experience each year is always different and amazing.  This is the perfect escape for a few executives and we are already planning next year’s trip.

    — Paul Ellingson
  • Words cannot convey the experience of a winter day out with a JHMG guide taking you on a safe tour of the Tetons. Slow and steady up for a few hours rewards you with an exquisite view of the Tetons in all their majesty. Then, instead of an exhausting, bone-jarring hike back down, take the skins off your skis and ride down in powder that is almost impossible to find in a ski resort. Even a week after the last snowfall, you will still find good snow to ride down on. Even if it’s not a clear and sunny day, it’s a wonderful day out and you’ll want to keep going back until you are rewarded with those magnificent views. If the price for a ride on the Virgin Galactic rocket is $200,000, I’d say a day in the Tetons with a JHMG guide is the most undervalued ticket you can buy!

    — Victor Haghani

Community Partners

"Light and high performance." This is the mark of a great backcountry ski setup. Participants of this camp will get to test the newest in the DPS backcountry line for no charge. Boots, poles and DPS' new line of backcountry skis, the Pagoda Tour. All of this, plus the knowledge that you have safely skied some of the freshest snow Tetons have to offer, on the best gear the world has to offer.

Talk To Us

Here you’ll find online tools and information about joining us for a trip of a lifetime! To sign up for a trip, or if you have any questions, please call us. Listed on the left side of these pages are links that you may find useful, including printable forms and policies concerning a trip with TMG. We encourage ALL prospective climbers to read our Preparation advice. Our office can help place you with others who are looking to climb.

By Phone 800.239.7642

By Email Inquire Now

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