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Trip

Washington

Ski & Snowboard

Trip Intro to Backcountry
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Whether you’re look­ing to exit out of the gates at the local resort or just seek­ing to expand your avail­able ski oppor­tu­ni­ties, this course is an ide­al place to start.

This 2‑day course is designed to be a com­pre­hen­sive intro­duc­tion to back­coun­try ski­ing and splitboarding. We will com­bine fun­da­men­tal skills instruc­tion with great mod­er­ate pow­der ski­ing at areas around Steven’s/Blewett Pass, Mt Rainier, and Sno­qualmie Pass, hope­ful­ly cre­at­ing an expe­ri­ence that has you yearn­ing for more. 
 
Top­ics will include, devel­op­ing a tour plan, select­ing appro­pri­ate ter­rain for uphill and down­hill trav­el, and apply­ing appro­pri­ate trav­el tech­niques while search­ing out untouched pow­der stash­es. This course allows time to get in-depth, cov­er­ing the basics as well as some more com­plex sub­jects like man­ag­ing com­plex ter­rain, iden­ti­fy­ing ​“deci­sion points,” pow­der ski­ing tech­nique, and res­cue sce­nar­ios. Par­tic­i­pants will be giv­en an active role, to have a chance to test their judg­ment while under the instructor’s guid­ance. And of course, plen­ty of turns will be had by all!
 
This is an intro­duc­to­ry course with no spe­cif­ic back­coun­try ski­ing expe­ri­ence required. A Lev­el 1 avalanche course and inter­me­di­ate ski skills are rec­om­mend­ed. It is open for tele­mark and alpine tour­ing skiers, as well as snowboarders. 
 
This course involves the following:

  • Ski­ing with a day pack 
  • Ski­ing inter­me­di­ate lev­el ter­rain with some slopes to the black dia­mond level
  • Long days in the snow and in poten­tial­ly adverse weather
  • Skiers should be in excel­lent phys­i­cal con­di­tion and com­pe­tent on var­ied terrain

Course Cur­ricu­lum:

  • Selec­tion of prop­er equipment
  • Care and use of climb­ing skins
  • Trans­ceiv­er check
  • Skin­ning and uphill trav­el technique
  • Ter­rain selec­tion, man­age­ment, and trav­el tech­niques (up/​down)
  • Group deci­sion making
  • Trip plan­ning and prep
  • Self-res­cue/­com­pan­ion rescue
  • Sim­ple snow pack tests

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Itinerary
Itinerary
NOTE: ALTHOUGH WE DO OUR VERY BEST TO FOL­LOW THE SCHED­ULE LIST­ED, THIS ITIN­ER­ARY IS SUB­JECT TO CHANGE DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATH­ER, UNSAFE ROUTE CON­DI­TIONS, OR OTH­ER REA­SONS BEYOND OUR CON­TROL AND IN THE GUIDE’S BEST JUDGMENT.
  • 1
    Day number 1
    We will meet at 8:00 am, per­form a gear check and intro­duc­tions, and then we start our tour. We will learn how to use the gear effi­cient­ly, which includes learn­ing more about skis, skins, trans­ceivers, and shov­els. We will then con­tin­ue our edu­ca­tion by focus­ing on ter­rain man­age­ment, track set­ting, and more advanced trans­ceiv­er tech­niques. In the after­noon we will make sev­er­al tour plans based on our weath­er observations.
  • 2
    Day number 2
    We bring all the skills togeth­er and get you out in front, lead­ing the group and attempt­ing a big tour. After earn­ing our turns we wrap up the course at 4:00 pm in the park­ing lot.
Trip Package Includes
  • Pro­fes­sion­al guid­ing and instruction
  • Climbing/​backcountry per­mits 
  • 20% off rental at evo Seattle store
  • 20% discount code at evo.com (exclusions apply)
Trip Package Does Not Include
  • Air­fare
  • Accommodations
  • Trans­porta­tion to and from designated meeting place
  • Food
  • Clothing and gear (see FAQ for recommendations)
  • Guide gra­tu­ities
  • Travel insurance (we recommend World Nomads)

Questions? Call or email us!
Area Information

Washington Cascades


The Washington Cascades are part of the greater Cascade Mountain Range, extending from northern California to British Columbia. To offer flexibility and a diverse range of options to clients, Mountain Madness offers courses in several destinations. Closest and most convenient to Seattle is Snoqualmie Pass, while  Stevens Pass and Mount Rainier go a bit deeper and farther east into the mountains.
FAQ
FAQ
  • What COVID-19 policies do you have in place?
    Mountain Madness has a detailed COVID-19 Operations Plan which will be shared prior to the trip. All participants must fill out a pre-trip COVID-19 questionnaire/agreement. Classroom lectures will be held via Zoom instead of in person. In the field, a face covering must be worn at times when social distancing cannot be maintained.
  • Do I need any prior training to participate in this course?
    This is an intro­duc­to­ry course with no spe­cif­ic back­coun­try ski­ing expe­ri­ence required. A Lev­el 1 Avalanche course and inter­me­di­ate ski skills are rec­om­mend­ed. It is open for tele­mark and alpine tour­ing skiers, as well as snowboarders.
  • How physically fit do I have to be for this course?
    This can be a physically demanding course, and your abil­i­ty to enjoy the adven­ture depends on your health and fit­ness, thus it’s recommended that you are in good physical condition.
  • Who are the guides?
    Mountain Madness guides are high­ly expe­ri­enced instruc­tors that have been trained by the Cana­di­an Avalanche Asso­ci­a­tion (CAA), the Amer­i­can Moun­tain Guides Asso­ci­a­tion (AMGA), and the Amer­i­can Insti­tute for Avalanche Research and Edu­ca­tion (AIARE). They are the best, most­ high­ly trained instruc­tors!
  • Are rentals available?
    Yes, rental gear is available and can be rented directly through the evo Seattle or Snoqualmie store, and we are happy to provide 20% off rentals for guests on this course. Please inquire for pricing.
  • What if I need to cancel?
    evo will refer to the Mountain Madness cancellation policy. If you need to can­cel your trip, please submit your noti­fication in writ­ing. Your trip will be can­celled from the date we receive writ­ten notice. You will be assessed a can­cel­la­tion fee accord­ing to the fol­low­ing schedule: More than 90 days from trip depar­ture —  non-refundable $200 reg­is­tra­tion fee. 89 days or less from trip depar­ture – 100% of trip cost
  • What if I need to change the dates of my trip?
    All date changes must be received in writ­ing. Changes are deter­mined at MMI’s dis­cre­tion and if approved, must be accom­pa­nied by a new trip reg­is­tra­tion. Any change from sched­uled trip depar­ture can be extreme­ly dif­fi­cult and is sub­ject to all incurred expens­es as assessed by MMI. All date changes are for cred­it only (no refunds) and valid for one year from writ­ten change noti­fi­ca­tion and receipt of new reg­is­tra­tion. A $200 date change fee will be assessed for all domes­tic trips.
  • When and how do I meet up with the group?
    You will receive detailed instructions regarding when and how to meet the group from Mountain Madness.
  • What is the maximum number of guests on the trip?
    There is a maximum of 12 guests for this course, with groups being split into 2 groups due to COVID.
  • Is there a minimum age required for this trip?
    We will accept par­tic­i­pants 15 years or old­er, if they are accom­pa­nied by a legal guardian. You must be 18 years or old­er to attend a trip on your own.
  • I need accommodations in Seattle. Do you have recommendations?
    Yes, there are plenty of options, depending on your preferences. Near Sea-Tac Airport: Cedarbrook Lodge (4-star), Double Tree Hotel Seatac (4-star), Hampton Inn Seatac (3-star), Hilton Garden Inn Seatac (3-star). Near Mountain Madness: Georgetown Inn (2.5 star), The Grove (2-star).
Testimonials
The experience was awesome--great course, both professional and a lot of fun. Appropriate measures for Covid-19 were put in place.
Evan
Trip Guest
I’ve climbed all over the world with MM and couldn’t recommend them higher. Their guides are world class and are knowledgeable, appropriately cautious but eager to get you to the summit, amiable and yet able to challenge you to do things you didn’t think you could! Their front office is easy to communicate with and keeps you up to speed with everything throughout the whole process from pre-climb to post-climb. If you’re thinking about climbing, I would strongly and without reservation recommend mountain madness.
Andrew
Trip Guest
Jake was an awesome guide, super informative. MM was fantastic, had good options for renting gear, easy to work with.
Kayla
Trip Guest

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Sorry, this trip is sold out
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1-866-386-1590