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Sharing our passion for backcountry skiing and snowboarding is what we love to do. Our AMGA trained/certified guides specialize in delivering memorable mountain experiences with a low guide ratio.
Aspen is one of the places in North America where backcountry skiing first took hold, and to this day it remains a one-of-kind global ski destination. We firmly believe Aspen's backcountry skiing opportunities are a big part of that charm and allure, and we invite you to consider skiing or riding with us this winter.
Take a look at the offerings below, including lift-accessed ski descents. If it's your first time exploring the backcountry consider a lift-access or intro to backcountry skiing tour. Akin to summer hiking, winter ski touring has the added bonus of a ski descent.
Want more? Go on a ski mountaineering tour and perhaps climb and ski a winter peak. You let us know the kind of tour you want and depending on conditions we'll lead you to the untracked snow beyond the boundaries.
As a slopeside backcountry test center based out of Aspen Highlands, all the light-weight alpine touring equipment necessary for the day are available for daily demo.
Since 1977, Aspen Expeditions' ski guides have been leading skiers into the winter backcountry of the Elk Mountains; our local knowledge is unsurpassed.
Give us a call at 970-925-7625 or send an email to schedule a day or for more information.
Backcountry Ski Tour
$ 675.00
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Nothing beats the solitude and beauty of a backcountry ski tour. It is common for our clients to ski high quality untracked snow many weeks after our last storm. Within 20 minutes from downtown Aspen, we can easily access amazing introductory to advanced backcountry ski-touring. Your private AMGA trained/certified backcountry ski guide will plan the appropriate day for you and your party based on your experience, abilities and best conditions. Whether you are brand new to the sport or a seasoned backcountry user, there is a lifetime of high quality uncrowded backcountry skiing options surrounding Aspen. We supply the required alpine touring and avalanche safety equipment complimentary.
Please contact us via phone at 970-925-7625 or email/form to determine the best date for you or to request more information.The ski resorts are skied out, but we are still skiing amazing untracked powder! Come on out!
Posted by Aspen Expeditions on Thursday, January 14, 2016 -
Duration: Day Tour - Approximately 8:30am - 3:30pm
Location: The guide will be in touch with you the day before to determine your meeting place. If you need AT gear call 970-925-7625 to schedule a time to get setup at the backcountry center at Aspen Highlands.
Maximum Guide Ratio: 4:1
Fitness Level: All tours are custom and suited for your physical ability and needs.
Includes: AMGA trained/certified ski guide, complimentary Alpine Touring / Splitboard gear, use of avalanche beacon, shovel, probe & ski pack, 3% USFS land use surcharge
Please contact us via phone at 970-925-7625 or email/form to determine the best date for you or to request more information. -
Prep- Your guide will contact you the day before at the voice number you give us to discuss appropriate terrain for you and to confirm a meeting place and start time.
You will be provided with a pack w/probe, shovel & avalanche beacon. If you need alpine touring ski equipment (AT skis, skins, boots) we can arrange to set you up the morning of at 8:30 am at Aspen Highlands shop or the night before between 3:00-5:30 pm. (You will receive a $15 discount).
The Day - Meet your guide at our shop or at a pre-determined location. From there your will head out to the trailhead. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ski ability of the group. You will stop for lunch and snacks en route. (lunch/snacks are not included)
Please contact us via phone at 970-925-7625 or email/form to determine the best date for you or to request more information. -
BACKCOUNTRY SKIING EQUIPMENT LIST
SKI EQUIPMENT
The following items are provided for your day tour:
- Day-tour backpack: (airbag available)
- Avalanche Transceiver
- Probe
- Avy shovel: metal blade is a must
The following Demo AT rental ski package is available for $15 discount per person:
- Touring skis and boots or splitboard (we do not carry snowboard boots)
- Climbing Skins
- Ski Poles (adjustable length optional)
CLOTHING
- Socks: Wool or synthetic ski socks
- Base layers: Synthetic, wool or silk bottom, underwear and top
- Mid Layer: Synthetic or wool zip shirt
- Hard Shell or Softshell pants: A pair with side vents are best.
- Insulated vest or jacket: down or synthetic.
- Hard or Soft shell jacket: waterproof and breathable, no or little insulation.
- Gloves: a pair of heavy gloves and a pair of medium weight gloves
- Hats: one with brim, one for warmth
- Neck Gaiter or Balaclava: optional, but nice to have
- Helmet (recommended)
- Sunglasses
- Goggles
OTHER ITEMS
- Water bottle
- Small thermos: (Optional)
- Sunscreen and lip balm: water/sweat-proof
- Headlamp
- Toiletries, Personal first-aid kit: for your personal meds/needs
- Camera or Smartphone
- Lunch/Snack food
-
Participants will travel through the winter backcountry on skis, splitboard with skins, or snowshoes. Come dressed appropriately with warm layers for moderate physical exertion in cool and wintry weather.
THE FIRST STEP
It is suggested that you maintain a good level of physical fitness. Maintain and build heart and lung endurance with cardiovascular activities such as swimming, cycling, running and hiking. Hike up hill, up stairs or do squats to prepare your legs for mountain travel.
THE NEXT STEP
Follow a day of backcountry ski touring with another ski day, a lift access backcountry ski tour, a backcountry ski camp, hut trip or international ski trip.
Please contact us via phone at 970-925-7625 or email/form to determine the best date for you or to request more information. -
POLICIES
Booking/Cancellation policy:
AE requires a full credit card or cash/check payment to hold your reservation. If you choose to cancel within 7 days of a scheduled trip, you will be charged full price. Within 7-14 days of your trip, we would be happy to work out a date to reschedule. If you choose to cancel 2 weeks or more (3 weeks or more for multi-day trips of 5+ people) prior to your scheduled trip, you will receive a full refund. If your guide decides that weather makes your scheduled trip a no-go, we will work with you to reschedule, give you a credit, or refund your trip. Travel Guard insurance is available via our website homepage.
Risk Management
Please note: AEW's number one priority is your safety. Many conditions affect our guides' decisions in the mountains, including client fitness and comfort, weather conditions and route conditions. There are inherent hazards in mountain travel such as inclement weather, avalanches, rock fall, ice fall that our guides manage yet cannot eliminate. The combination of our guides' formal training and wealth of experience assures that their sound decision create an enjoyable and safe mountain experience. Aspen Expeditions reserves the right to turn around or change routes without refunds or credits under any conditions.
Please contact us via phone at 970-925-7625 or email/form to determine the best date for you or to request more information.
Aspen Lift Access Backcountry Ski/Ride
$ 675.00
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Aspen has some of the best lift-accessed backcountry skiing available in our country. With four amazing mountains to easily access a wide variety of backcountry terrain, our program rivals Jackson Hole’s renowned lift-accessed backcountry skiing and is the closest thing to heli-skiing permitted in our area. Your private AMGA / AE trained and certified backcountry ski guide will match up the best conditions and terrain to best suit you and your group's desires and abilities. We supply the required alpine touring and avalanche safety equipment complimentary.
Aspen Mountain, aka Ajax by seasoned locals, offers a wide range of easily accessible terrain minutes from the top of the Silver Queen Gondola. Offering low angle (think green circle steepness), beginner meadows and glades at 11,212’, Ajax is one of our single best introductory backcountry skiing products. This high elevation low angle skiing is also our go-to for fun, safe skiing during higher danger avalanche conditions. When conditions permit this mountain provides amazing 3,000’ plus steeper skiing from both east and west to the valley floors. Grab lunch at the top-of-mountain restaurant or stay out all day for more fresh tracks.
Highlands - this is our bigger terrain. With a few hours of hiking with skis on our back from the top of the famed Highlands Bowl, we access 4,000’ lines to the east and west valley floors with runs that sustain 40° steepness. When conditions permit, we also have no-hiking or skinning required options dropping from the lifts right into the majestic Maroon Bowl to the valley floor.
Buttermilk - offers classic beginner terrain in the wide open “Sugar Bowls” and famed town-to-town alpine touring through old growth Aspen trees on the historic Government Trail.
Snowmass - has it all from family friendly skiing on 13,000’ Mt. Baldy into green circle/ blue square above tree-line terrain, to the steep couloirs and chutes into East Snowmass Creek.
Please contact us via phone at 970-925-7625 or email/form to determine the best date for you or to request more information.
Off of Snowmass Mountain
Backside of Aspen Mountain -
Duration: Day Tour - Approximately 9:00am - 3:30pm
Location: The guide will be in touch with you the day before to determine your meeting place. If you need AT gear call us at 970-925-7625; we will schedule a time to get setup at our backcountry center at Aspen Highlands.
Maximum Guide Ratio: 4:1
Fitness Level: All tours are custom and suited for your physical ability and needs.
Includes: AMGA trained/certified ski guide, Alpine Touring (AT) ski, or splitboard equipment, use of avalanche beacon, shovel, probe & ski pack, 3% USFS land use surcharge
Not included: lift tickets, lunch/snack food.
Please contact us via phone at 970-925-7625 or email/form to determine the best date for you or to request more information. -
Prep- Your guide will contact you the day before at the voice number you give us to discuss appropriate terrain for you and to confirm a meeting place and start time.
You will be provided with a pack w/probe, shovel & avalanche beacon. If you need alpine touring ski equipment (AT skis, skins, boots) we can arrange to set you up the morning, or preferably the night before, at Aspen Highlands. (AT / Splitboard gear is complimentary for the day)
The Day- Meet your guide at our shop or at a pre-determined location. From there your will head out to the trailhead. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ski ability of the group. You will stop for lunch and snacks en route. (lunch/snacks are not included)
Please contact us via phone at 970-925-7625 or email/form to determine the best date for you or to request more information. -
BACKCOUNTRY SKIING EQUIPMENT LIST
SKI EQUIPMENT
The following items are provided for your day tour:
- Day-tour backpack: (airbag available)
- Avalanche Transceiver
- Probe
- Avy shovel: metal blade is a must
- Touring skis and boots or splitboard (we do not have snowboard boots)
- Climbing Skins
- Ski Poles (adjustable length optional)
CLOTHING
- Socks: Wool or synthetic ski socks
- Base layers: Synthetic, wool or silk bottom, underwear and top
- Mid Layer: Synthetic or wool zip shirt
- Hard Shell or Softshell pants: A pair with side vents are best.
- Insulated vest or jacket: down or synthetic.
- Hard or Soft shell jacket: waterproof and breathable, no or little insulation.
- Gloves: a pair of heavy gloves and a pair of medium weight gloves
- Hats: one with brim, one for warmth
- Neck Gaiter or Balaclava: optional, but nice to have
- Helmet (recommended)
- Sunglasses
- Goggles
OTHER ITEMS
- Water bottle
- Small thermos: (Optional)
- Sunscreen and lip balm: water/sweat-proof
- Headlamp
- Toiletries, Personal first-aid kit: for your personal meds/needs
- Camera or Smartphone
- Lunch/Snack food
-
Participants will travel through the winter backcountry on skis, splitboard with skins, or snowshoes. Come dressed appropriately with warm layers for moderate physical exertion in cool and wintry weather.
THE FIRST STEP
It is suggested that you maintain a good level of physical fitness. Maintain and build heart and lung endurance with cardiovascular activities such as swimming, cycling, running and hiking. Hike up hill, up stairs or do squats to prepare your legs for mountain travel.
THE NEXT STEP
Follow a day of backcountry ski touring with another ski day, a lift access backcountry ski tour, a hut trip with friends/family or one of our renowned international ski trips.
Please contact us via phone at 970-925-7625 or email/form to determine the best date for you or to request more information. -
POLICIES
Booking/Cancellation policy:
AE requires a full credit card or cash/check payment to hold your reservation. If you choose to cancel within 7 days of a scheduled trip, you will be charged full price. Within 7-14 days of your trip, we would be happy to work out a date to reschedule. If you choose to cancel 2 weeks or more (3 weeks or more for multi-day trips of 5+ people) prior to your scheduled trip, you will receive a full refund. If your guide decides that weather makes your scheduled trip a no-go, we will work with you to reschedule, give you a credit, or refund your trip. Travel Guard insurance is available via our website homepage.
Risk Management
Please note: AEW's number one priority is your safety. Many conditions affect our guides' decisions in the mountains, including client fitness and comfort, weather conditions and route conditions. There are inherent hazards in mountain travel such as inclement weather, avalanches, rock fall, ice fall that our guides manage yet cannot eliminate. The combination of our guides' formal training and wealth of experience assures that their sound decision create an enjoyable and safe mountain experience. Aspen Expeditions reserves the right to turn around or change routes without refunds or credits under any conditions.
Please contact us via phone at 970-925-7625 or email/form to determine the best date for you or to request more information.
Ski Mountaineering - Ski Peak Ascent/Descent
$ 725.00
Aspen has a long heritage of ski mountaineering that dates back to the early 1900’s. This is in part due to our relatively easy access to a large number of...