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Ski Touring

With skis you can not only ski down mountains, but also climb them. You can conquer the snow-covered peaks under your own power and then enjoy not only magnificent views, but also beautiful and sometimes adventurous descents through untracked terrain. Find your perfect ski tour with Outdooractive and experience the beauty of the mountains in winter.

The best regions for ski touring

In winter in the mountains.

When the snow covers the mountains in winter, some peaks are no longer accessible for hikers. Those who nevertheless do not want to forego the ascent often have the option of reaching the mountain peaks on ski tours.

Ski tours promise tranquillity in nature, because crowds are not usually to be expected away from the winter hiking trails and ski resorts. The efforts of the ascent, which always requires a certain level of fitness, are quickly forgotten once you reach the top. Wonderful views of the white landscape await you at the summit. The descent through loose powder snow in which you can make your own tracks is also enough of an incentive for many ski tourers to climb the mountains in the cold season.

Things to know for ski tourers

Ski touring technique.

Enjoying the tranquillity far from the slopes means that there is no comfortable transport to the summit. The climb therefore requires a certain level of fitness. If you want to move in rough terrain, you absolutely need surefootedness. On steep slopes, it is also advisable to master the hairpin bend.

Descending in deep snow is also very different from skiing on the piste. Keep a mobile, neutral basic posture. Bring your legs close together to increase the contact area. Avoid a hunched position to maintain control of your ski at all times. Distribute your weight evenly on both legs and don't put too much weight on the outside ski to avoid sinking into the deep snow.

In the meantime, more and more ski resorts are adapting to the special needs of ski tourers. Thus, not only tours in open terrain, but also at slope level are becoming increasingly popular.

Avalanche situation report

Before every ski tour you should check the current avalanche report. You can find the current avalanche situation on Outdooractive in the map under „Additional layers“.

The avalanche situation report consists of three important core pieces of information:

How dangerous is it today? Indication of the danger level from 1 to 5 (at danger level 4 or 5 you should refrain from the tour!).

Where are the danger spots today? Indication of the danger spots in the avalanche report according to altitude, exposure and terrain with steepness and slope shape (e.g. gullies, hollows, sunny slopes).

What is the cause of a possible avalanche release today? Indicate the type and cause of the hazard as well as the generally necessary additional load for an avalanche release. The types of danger are for example dry or wet snow slabs or loose snow avalanches, possible causes are for example drifting snow. The indication of the additional load provides information as to whether a danger zone is to be crossed individually or whether you have to reckon with self-releases.

The official data of the avalanche warning services - updated daily.

Nature-friendly ski touring

Whoever is out in nature should be aware of the environment and its inhabitants. Various projects have already been launched to make ski tourers more aware of this aspect and to give tips on how not to disturb nature during a tour. For example, the two projects „RespekTiere deine Grenzen“ and „Skibergsteigen umweltfreundlich“ by the Alpine Club. These aim to resolve the conflict between humans and nature in snowshoeing and ski mountaineering.

Ski touring equipment

For the full enjoyment of ski touring, the right equipment is crucial. The most important items of equipment include touring skis, skins, ski boots and helmet and ski touring boots. But you should also always have avalanche equipment with an avalanche transceiver and an avalanche probe and shovel with you on your ski tour. You will also need:

Ski touring backpack (approx. 30 litres) with avalanche airbag and rain cover
If necessary, crampons
Ski socks
Warm and hard-wearing clothing in a multi-layer design
Ski touring jacket and pants
Light gloves for the ascent and warm ones for the descent
Mask/headband
Ski goggles if necessary
Sun and rain protection
Supplies and drinking water (possibly a thermos bottle with hot water)
First aid kit
Pocket knife
Mobile phone

On the knowledge pages you will find more information on the subject of equipment for ski touring.

Ski tours with the features of Outdooractive

Outdooractive offers you numerous features that help you plan and implement your ski tour, inspire you and bring you safely to your destination and back home again. The detailed map informs you about altitude, terrain and the course of the tour. In addition, you can not only see the current avalanche situation, but also the snow depth.

From the tour suggestions in your region, you can choose the best one or design your own ski tour with the help of the tour planner. With the BuddyBeacon, you can share your location with friends and family in real time, so you can be found quickly in an emergency.

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8 Classic Backcountry Routes for Beginners to Experts

Resorts are closing, but you can extend your ski season with these backcountry touring routes for all abilities..

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Turns are sweeter when you earn them. While lift-accessed skiing is winding down for the season, the backcountry is just ramping up. Here are a smattering of our favorite ski tours around the U.S., ranging from mellow tree runs for novice backcountry skiers to high-alpine ascents for the highly experienced. No matter the level, proper safety equipment and knowledge about how to use it is required.

Tumalo Mountain, Ore.

• Level: Novice • Vertical Gain: 1,900 feet

The friendly west-facing slopes of Tumalo Mountain make for a straightforward and easily digestible backcountry adventure. The west side of the mountain, accessed from the Dutchman Flat Sno Park across from Mt. Bachelor Ski Area, provides consistently low-angle slopes, great for newer backcountry skiers or those looking for a mellower tour with lots of options. On a sunny day, enjoy breathtaking views of some of Central Oregon’s giants, including the Three Sisters and Broken Top Mountain.

Related: Improve Your Ski-Touring Technique With These Tips

Jake’s Peak, Calif.

• Level: Novice to intermediate • Vertical Gain: 2,200 feet

Even for locals, skiing above sparkling blue Lake Tahoe never gets old. Jake’s Peak is a Tahoe favorite, a short approach with sustained 2,000-foot descents through perfectly spaced old growth trees. North and east aspects provide opportunities for sunny spring corn and well-preserved powder in the shade depending on the season, and steeper more freeride-oriented descents are mixed in alongside mellow tree runs making it a great place for skiers of all levels.

Twenty-Five Short, Grand Teton National Park, Wyo.

• Level: Intermediate • Vertical Gain: 3,300 ft

Grand Teton National Park hosts a lifetime’s worth of backcountry skiing within its iconic jagged peaks. While extreme skiing and the Tetons typically go hand in hand, you don’t have to get gnarly to partake in the glory. Twenty-Five Short is a local favorite throughout the season, ripe with opportunity for endless fresh turns on a powder day, and spectacular views of the big Teton peaks from the summit when the weather is clear. A full lap to the top is well worth it, but you can easily shorten the day by dropping in earlier or bump it up by lapping the east-facing slopes when the snow just won’t stop falling.

Also Read: Best Backcountry Ski Boots of the Season

Silver Couloir, Buffalo Mountain, Colo.

• Level: Intermediate to advanced • Vertical Gain: 3,500 feet

Any skier who’s driven I-70 through Summit County has undoubtedly noticed the massive dome-shaped mountain that dominates the skyline above Silverthorne. Skiing the Silver starts with a long, 3,000-foot climb up the east face of Buffalo before ducking into the wide northeast-facing couloir a few hundred feet below the summit. You don’t need to top out on the 12,750-foot summit to access the couloir’s entrance, but you should—it’s only a few extra hundred feet and boasts incredible views of the Gore Range. Enjoy a rewarding 2,700-foot descent of perfect fall line skiing before cutting right back into the trees for a traverse with a short climb back to the parking lot.

Cardiff Pass and Mount Superior, Utah

• Level: Novice to expert • Vertical Gain: 1,300–2,800 feet

You won’t be alone when you head up Cardiff Pass (also referred to as Poleline Pass) skin track above the town of Alta, but that’s because this zone has some of the best variety the Wasatch has to offer. Low-angle bowl skiing mixed in with steep, cliffy ridges and more committing descents lets you keep your options open depending on conditions. For a mellower ski tour or dawn patrol on a powder day, you can lap Cardiff Bowl from the ridge. Or continue up to the summit to ski the iconic south face of Mount Superior, a steep aesthetic face that taunts skiers from the Alta parking lot.

Tuckerman Ravine and Sherburne Ski Trail, N.H.

• Level: Intermediate to expert • Vertical Gain: 1,800 feet to the base, roughly 800-1,000 feet per line

The steep cirque of Tuckerman Ravine is a proving ground of sorts for East Coast skiers. A 2.5-mile skin up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail is the starting point to access the notorious bowl, from which skiers typically bootpack 800 to 1,000 feet up their line of choice. Don’t let the short lines fool you, the descents range from 40 to 50-plus degrees, and icy conditions add an extra layer of difficulty to the steep chutes. Skiing the Sherburne Ski Trail is the standard exit from Tuck’s, and a popular route for those who aren’t seeking out the pucker factor, a mellow two-mile descent from Hermit Lake back down to Pinkham Notch.

Mount Tukuhnikivatz, Utah

• Level: Expert • Vertical Gain: 3,500 feet

Arcing turns above Moab’s red desert landscape is a truly unique experience for any backcountry skier. Best skied in the spring when the road to the Geyser Pass Trailhead is snow-free, a mission to ski Tukuhnikivatz is an ideal way to sprinkle some skiing into an April desert trip. A rolling skin through Gold Basin’s dense forests and aspen groves drops you at the bottom of an impressive cirque, flanked by the high-alpine summits of the La Sals. You can access the 12,482-foot summit via the north ridge, or the northeast cirque, both of which require some bootpacking with an ice axe and crampons depending on surface conditions. The long sustained fall line off the north face is the most common descent—and wickedly fun—but you can also opt to ski down the east shoulder into the northeast cirque, or time the corn cycle for a long pitch of south-facing skiing.

Go Deeper: Affordable Backcountry Gear That Isn’t Cheap

Mount Adams Southwest Chutes, Wash.

• Level: Expert • Vertical Gain: 6,ooo–7,000 feet

A spring ski descent of Washington’s second-highest peak is on the hit list of almost every PNW skier. While some volcanoes are more about the adventure of the climb, Adams is a skier’s mountain. The climb, while non-technical, is pretty burly in terms of vert, but rewards skiers with some of the most sustained skiing on any volcano—nearly 4,000 feet of 30- to 40-degree fall line skiing will make you forget about the lung-busting climb. If you’re feeling pretty gassed on the way up you can cut the climb short without sacrificing any skiing by dropping in from Piker’s Peak (the false summit at 11,675 feet), where the Southwest Chutes begin. Adams is best skied in May and June when the road to the South Climb Parking Lot is plowed. Otherwise, expect to add an additional six to eight miles each way depending on road conditions.

Learn how to ski the backcountry safely and efficiently in SKI’s Backcountry Basics They Didn’t Teach You in Avy 1 course on Outside Learn

Ready to level up? Head over to Outside Learn, home to hundreds of video tutorials. Get expert tips on how to level up from industry pros like Glen Plake, Wendy Fischer, Daron Rahlves, and more.

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Haute Route Chamonix to Zermatt Hut to Hut Ski Tour

The alps are famous for ski touring and the haute route reigns as the most classic traverse between two iconic mountain towns..

Experience the ultimate ski tour of the Alps: the Haute Route. This famous tour links the highest glaciers between Chamonix and Zermatt using the comfort of various alpine huts. Covering over 50 miles and 20,000' of vertical on skis through complex glaciated terrain, the tour is for experienced and fit backcountry travelers.

Big days and complex terrain in variable conditions punctuated by world class descents, stunning views, and impressive glaciers.

The Haute Route has a few key variations, but we plan to follow the "skier's Haute Route". A good description can be found below in the itinerary. Every day, skiers can expect to cover 3-5,000' feet of elevation gain and should be prepared for any snow conditions and steep turns. Every night is spent at a unique alpine hut, where meals and a bed are provided. Although pack weights are light for a multi-day tour, the addition of glacier and ski mountaineering equipment is significant. For those who have limited experience with glacial travel or are simply looking to explore Chamonix's world class skiing, we recommend booking two days of private guiding in the days leading up to the trip.

From knee deep powder to white-out in breakable, you could get it all on the Haute Route

The Haute Route covers a wide variety of terrain, from inside famous ski resorts to on some of the Alp's biggest glaciers. Some days, we even see over 6,000' feet of relief, meaning we'll encounter a lot of different conditions on one descent alone. The good news is that you'll likely have at least one very memorable powder descent!

The skiing itself is usually moderate, with long gradual descents that can feel challenging after an equally long climb. There are a few mandatory steep pitches and skiers should feel confident tackling double black diamond terrain. Depending on route choice and skier abilities, more extreme descents are abound and provide the most advanced skiers a chance to test their skills.

Enjoy the luxury of huts while traversing the alps. Oh yeah, have a beer while you're there!

Every night along the tour is spent at a unique alpine hut, common in Europe. The Swiss huts are particularly well kept and always have incredible views. Each hut serves a multi-course meal for dinner and a light spread for breakfast, all included in the trip. Dietary accommodations vary in quality, but are always met. For an extra cost, one can purchase a variety of drinks or food similar to a small restaurant during the day. At night, everyone sleeps in bunks dormitory style generally waking up around the same time.

Arrival in Chamonix

We recommend arriving in Europe at least a few days prior to the trip to help adjust to the time change. Chamonix is a world class destination, so catching a series of trains or hiring a private transfer is easy and economical from Geneva, which has a major international airport.

The evening before the trip includes a night at a hotel right at the beginning of our tour, allowing everyone to meet and for your guide to perform a thorough gear check. Options for a private room are available at the Gran Montets hotel for an additional cost.

For those looking to explore a bit of Chamonix before the trip, we are happy to set up additional guided days for descents such as the famous Vallee Blanche of the Aiguille du Midi.

Weather & Variations

Weather is always the crux of a big trip, but the infrastructure of the Alps allows for many variations. Although we will be prepared for any conditions, skiing and navigating in whiteout conditions can be dangerous and simply not fun. If necessary, your guide will make changes to the itinerary and coordinate with the huts to adjust plans. Fortunately, many of the major variations are incredible detours through small Swiss towns or less travelled passes. Occasionally major changes will incur additional costs, at which point your guide will explain the associated fees with the group.

For those interested in a private trip, we can add an extra day into the program to account for poor weather and provide more flexibility in the schedule.

Meet Your Guides

Aki grew up in the small town of Placerville, California. Early on, he was introduced to climbing & skiing in the Sierra Nevada foothills. At 17, he moved to Montana and started guiding... Read More

Ty is a New England transplant that is head over heels in love with skiing. He is a Certified Ski Guide through the AMGA, a professional ski patroller at Bridger Bowl Ski Area, and... Read More

April, 2025

Sign-Up Deadline: February 1, 2024

(Open enrollment, individuals are encouraged to join. Total group sizes are 4-8 skiers). Prices start at $3495/person in a group of 4 and $4395/person in a group of 3.

What's included

Expert guiding and instruction

Lodging and bookings along the route

One night at Les Grands Montets prior to the trip

Breakfast and dinner along the route

Luggage shuttle Chamonix-Zermatt

Guide's international licensing & insurance

Lift tickets for various bumps

What's not included

Airfare & travel to/from Chamonix & Zermatt

Travel Insurance

Lunches and extra purchases (beverages, snacks, etc.)

Equipment (a gear list will be provided after booking with some rental equipment avail.)

Accommodations in Zermatt

Skiing Experience Required

Skiers/riders should have experience and feel comfortable skiing double black terrain in any conditions along with extensive backcountry skiing experience in various conditions.

Participants will be required to tour 3,000+' per day for multiple days in a row with a heavier than normal touring pack.

Due to the glaciated nature of this tour, some familiarity with harnesses and climbing equipment will be required before the trip.

Sexism & Discrimination

We want to make sure to create a safe and welcoming space for anyone who is joining.

We do not tolerate any form of sexism or discrimination. If & when you feel uncomfortable with other participants, bystanders, or even guides, please notify your guide or our office immediately.

**A description of participant experience will be required before signup. Individuals seeking to expand skills or receive feedback can book a domestic trip beforehand.

**Participants may sign up as individuals at group rate and choose to drop or adjust price if the trip does not fill.

What's special about us?

Working with American guides comes with several major benefits, mostly involving ease of communication before and during the trip. Struggling to understand or convey concerns in a stressful environment can take away a from an experience or simply create a dangerous situation. Similarly, it is easier to get to know your guide beforehand with a local trip to Montana or Wyoming before going abroad.

Day 0 - Chamonix -

Welcome to France! Everyone arrives from various destinations on their way to the Chamonix Valley. We encourage folks to check in at Les Grands Montets Hotel in Argentiere before taking a minute to explore the town of Chamonix (if they haven't already). A group dinner may be organized, or participants can choose to explore the valley on their own. Either way, we schedule a time to perform a group gear check at the hotel based on everyone's arrival times. Here we answer any last minute questions and brief the group on the forecast and proposed plan for the next few days.

Day 1 - Argentiere -

On our first morning, we enjoy a breakfast at the hotel before packing up our bags and handing off our luggage to be seen next in Zermatt. We catch a series of lifts up the ski resort before skinning about 1700' to the Auguille des Grand Montets. Here, we make a 2,200' descent to the Argentiere Glacier and transition for the 800' ascent to the Argentiere hut. This hut is perched on a lateral moraine, hanging above the glacier with bonus touring options right out the door and the North face of Les Droites right across the valley.

3.7 miles, 2700' ascent, 2200' descent

Day 2 - Plateau du Trient -

One of the bigger days on the route, day 2 presents two major options with the most classic being the Col du Chardonet. From the hut, we make a short descent down the Argentiere Glacier before beginning the climb up to the col. After about 2700' of gain, we do a short scramble into the col and either rappel or make a few belayed turns into the steep couloir. It quickly eases off into open glaciated terrain for a nice descent into the Saleinaz Glacier where we then have to gain another 900' up to the Plateau du Trient. From here, it is a gradual traverse to the base of the Trient hut, guarded by a final 400' climb.

7.7 miles, 3900' ascent, & 2600' descent

Day 3 - Verbier -

After two days of more ascent than descent, we've earned a big descent. Right out of the hut, we wrap around into the Val d'Arppette and make a 5,700' descent into Champex. Here we catch a bus and then train to the famous ski town of Verbier, where we then ride a series of lifts to the shoulder of Mont Fort. Our afternoon takes us out of the ski resort and across 5 miles of Glacier Gran Desert to the Prafleuri hut. With good weather, skiers enjoy the opportunity to ski off the summit of Rosablanche along the way.

9.8 miles, 2200' ascent, & 7800' descent

Day 4 - Lac des Dix -

Day 4 begins with a small climb out of Prafleuri to Col des Roux, before embarking on a 4.5 mile traverse above the large Lake Dix. Warmth is often a concern on this traverse, so an early start for firm conditions ensure a fast a safe ski. Once we reach the end of the lake, we climb for 1800 feet, gradually gaining the Glacier de Cheilon before turning up to the Dix hut.

Once settled in, the group has the decision to rest up and enjoy some of the local cuisine or make an afternoon tour towards La Luette, a 3500m peak just 1800' above the Cabane.

7.3 miles, 2300' ascent, & 1600' descent

Day 5 - Pigne d'Arolla -

From Dix, we take off under the impressive North Face of Mont Blanc de Cheilon towards the Serpentine pass, weaving our way through some of the most complex glaciated terrain yet. After 3100' of ascent, we reach the Pigne d'Arolla at nearly 3800 meters. Here, we can enjoy views from the entire route- spanning from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn. From the summit, we descend over 2000' of glaciers, eventually transitioning and skinning into the famous Vignettes hut.

6.3 miles, 3300' ascent, & 2600' descent

Day 6 - The Matterhorn -

Like any good tour, we save the best for last. This final day is simply epic. From the Vignettes hut, we make a 8.5 mile high traverse of three glaciers. After 4000' of gain, we stand at the Col de Valpelline looking towards the Matterhorn and the town of Zermatt, over 6000' below. The descent takes us through the complex glaciers guarding the Matterhorn, eventually navigating the moraines beneath it. Finally, we end up on the groomed trails of the ski hill and slide directly into Zermatt for a surreal ending to an epic tour.

19.4 miles, 4200' ascent, & 9100' descent