Washington Backcountry Skiing Fundamentals Course

Washington
Group Course
Ability level: Beginner, Intermediate
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Questions? Let us help! Call us at 1-866-386-1590

This 2‑day course is designed to pro­vide com­pre­hen­sive instruc­tion to back­coun­try ski­ing with our school. 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. We will com­bine fun­da­men­tal skills instruc­tion with great mod­er­ate pow­der ski­ing at areas around Stevens Pass, Blewett Pass, Mt Bak­er, and Sno­qualmie Pass, hope­ful­ly cre­at­ing an expe­ri­ence that has you yearn­ing for more. 

Plans may evolve with weather & guides' judgement, we strive to find the best conditions each day

ITINERARY

We will meet at 8:00 am in the park­ing lot, 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.

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.

Note on Itin­er­ary: Although we do our very best to fol­low the sched­ule list­ed, the very nature of climb­ing and ski­ing in an alpine envi­ron­ment requires flex­i­bil­i­ty. This itin­er­ary is sub­ject to change due to inclement weath­er, unsafe route con­di­tions, and oth­er rea­sons beyond our control.

What’s Included

  • Group climb­ing equipment
  • Guide ser­vices
  • 20% off service and 10% off rental at evo Seattle store
  • 20% discount code at evo.com (exclusions apply)

Not Included

  • Air­fare
  • Trans­porta­tion
  • Meals on the mountain
  • Hotel accom­mo­da­tions
  • Restau­rant meals
  • Gra­tu­ities for guides
  • All per­son­al gear
  • Trav­el insur­ance with trip can­cel­la­tion, med­ical and evac­u­a­tion policy

What’s Included

  • Group climb­ing equipment
  • Guide ser­vices
  • 20% off service and 10% off rental at evo Seattle store
  • 20% discount code at evo.com (exclusions apply)

Not Included

  • Air­fare
  • Trans­porta­tion
  • Meals on the mountain
  • Hotel accom­mo­da­tions
  • Restau­rant meals
  • Gra­tu­ities for guides
  • All per­son­al gear
  • Trav­el insur­ance with trip can­cel­la­tion, med­ical and evac­u­a­tion policy

Location Details

Course options are offered from Snoqualmie Pass as well as Stevens Pass. Select the date and location that is ideal for you.

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FAQs

I'm ready to book. What next?

Awesome! Full pay­ment is due at the time of reg­is­tra­tion by cred­it card, which includes a $200 non-refund­able reg­is­tra­tion fee.

Where will my course take place?

Avalanche course locations include options for Stevens Pass or Snoqualmie Pass, depending on which date and location you book.

What if I would like to book a private group course?

For those who would like to select all the members of their party, you may book a private group course. If you are interested, please email [email protected]

Do I need any prior training to participate in this course?

No prior backcountry experience is required. Participants should be intermediate or above skiers/snowboarders.

How physically fit do I need to be for this course?

Mountain Madness is committed to the safety of their guests. Their guides are trained to recognize potentially hazardous situations in the backcountry; they plan and operate accordingly. Prior to your departure you will be asked to complete a brief health history. The failure to disclose pertinent information on the health history form could result in serious harm, even death, to the signing participant, other guests and/or the guide. All information submitted is completely confidential; it is for the guide’s use and would only be shared in the event of an emergency with medical and/or rescue personnel directly caring for the guest. 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.

Are rentals available?

Yes, rental gear is available and can be rented directly through the evo Seattle store for 10% off.

Is there a minimum age required for this trip?

We will accept par­tic­i­pants 16 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.

What if I need to change the dates of my course/trip?

evo will refer to the Mountain Madness Policy.

All date changes must be received in writ­ing. There will be a fee of $200 for any date changes. Any date change can be dif­fi­cult to accommodate and is sub­ject to all addi­tion­al incurred expens­es as assessed by Moun­tain Mad­ness. Changes will be made at the sole dis­cre­tion of Moun­tain Mad­ness and may not be pos­si­ble. Date changes are for cred­it only (no refunds) and valid for one year from writ­ten change notification.

What if I need to cancel?

evo will refer to the Mountain Madness cancellation policy.

If you need to can­cel your trip, Moun­tain Mad­ness must be noti­fied in writ­ing. Your trip will be can­celled from the date they receive writ­ten notice. You will be assessed a can­cel­la­tion fee accord­ing to the fol­low­ing schedule:

More than 90 days from trip depar­ture — $200 fee reg­is­tra­tion fee
90 days or less from trip depar­ture – 100% of trip cost

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