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Pro Guiding Service
Domestic & International Trips & Courses with Professionally Trained Mountain Guides
Course

1-Day Ski Touring Course - Snoqualmie Pass

Overview

Are you curious about backcountry touring? Have you tried it, but want a more structured introduction? This course is designed for competent inbound skiers or riders with little or no backcountry experience. You'll learn about the gear, its use and the basics of touring while actually moving through the landscapes of Snoqualmie Pass. This course is also offered at Crystal Mountain.

$240 Per Person
1 Days
Difficulty
Ratio:
4:1, 8:2

Trip Information

$240
Price based on 3-4 skiers. Please contact us directly for private trips. 425-888-6397 x2 | info@proguiding.com

This 1-day Ski Touring course is designed to give you an introduction to the fundamentals of backcountry skiing.  Getting familiar with the equipment specific to touring, uphill and downhill transitions, uphill movement skills including kick turns, and traveling with a group will be among the topics covered.  While there will be some discussion about using your beacon, shovel, and probe,  the focus of this course is on touring.  We recommend taking an avalanche safety course (e.g., an AIARE 1 Avalanche course) as a good compliment to any ski touring course.

The course takes place at Snoqualmie Pass.  It is open to skiers (AT and Telemark) and Splitboarders.

Courses typically run from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

Duration: 1
Ratio: 4:1, 8:2
Difficulty Level:
Click here to learn more about difficulty ratings.

Overall Difficulty Level:  ◾◾◽◽◽

Skiing Skills Required:◾◾◽◽◽ (31 to 38 Degrees)

It is important that you're able to ski advanced runs in the ski area in variable conditions. 

Fitness Level:◾◾◽◽◽ (2500 to 3500 feet of vertical gain; 12 kilometers of distance)

Technical Skills: ◾◽◽◽◽ (You show up with the appropriate gear and we'll teach you how to use it.)

Sounds too Difficult? Call to ask about our private 1 -day ski coaching.

Sounds too Easy? Check out our 3-Day Ski Touring Course.


Private Trips Available

Don't see a date that works for you? Pro Guiding Service offers any trip or courses on a private basis. We are flexible! Call or email to inquire.
Learn MoreView Dates & Availability

Itinerary

While completing a moderate ski tour in the Snoqualmie Pass backcountry participants will work on:

  • Daily risk management
  • Appropriate gear, its management and its use, including: beacon trailhead checks, uphill and downhill transitions, the backcountry boot and binding, and the use of skins.
  • Uphill movement efficiency and skills including: skinning, AVA turns, and uphill kick turns.
  • Downhill movement and group management.
  • Daily debrief

Private Trips

Pro Guiding Service proudly offers the most diverse ski touring and ski mountaineering programs of any guiding service in the Northwest. Smaller, more intimate custom itineraries or instructional tours are available for any of our destinations. Tell us what you want to do, and we can create a customized plan for you.
View Private Trips

Pricing

$240
per person
Price based on 3-4 skiers. Please contact us directly for private trips. 425-888-6397 x2 | info@proguiding.com
View Dates & Availability
Payment Policy
If booking a domestic trip that is over 60 days away or an international trip that is over 90 days away, you can book your trip by paying a 20% deposit.  View Full Policy
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel for any reason 60 or more days before domestic trips or 90 or more days before international and Alaska trips, we will refund everything you have paid minus half of your deposit. No refunds will be provided if you cancel your trip for ANY REASON (this includes but is not limited to illness including CoVid-19, injury, or work-related issues) within 60 days of the start of domestic trips or 90 days of international and Alaska based trips.  View Full Policy

Equipment List

Clothing
Base Layer
  • Lightweight or midweight top (avoid cotton)
  • Lightweight or midweight long underwear bottoms, may omit depending on the warmth of your pants
  • Warm ski socks
Mid Layer
  • Fleece or wool or similar warmth layer
  • Wind shirt or soft shell jacket - wind & water resistant, breathable
Outerwear
  • Waterproof/breathable jacket with hood
  • Ski/snowboard pants - either softshell or waterproof/breathable pants depending on weather)
  • Down or synthetic puffy-type jacket
  • Warm hat - should cover ears
  • Sun hat - baseball type or visor
  • Lightweight gloves
  • Ski gloves or mittens
  • A 3rd pair of gloves - recommended for temps above freezing in case your gloves get wet (lightweight or midweight)
Personal Gear
  • Day pack – large enough to fit everything inside (around 30 liters) - dedicated shovel pocket preferred
  • Water bottles - enough for a full day - wide mouth best to prevent freezing shut, hydration systems are okay if the temps are going to be above freezing
  • Lunch and snacks - enough for a full day
  • Sunglasses - adequate for snow travel
  • Goggles
  • Sunscreen - SPF 25+, waterproof
  • Lip Balm - SPF 15+
  • Headlamp - lightweight LED recommended
  • Face mask/covering - for when close contact is unavoidable
Technical Gear

Snow Travel Gear

  • Snow travel equipment - alpine touring or telemark skis or splitboard
  • Boots - touring ski boots or snowboard boots
  • Poles - adjustable poles are ideal so you can adjust the length when going uphill/downhill
  • Climbing skins
  • Ski brakes or removable ski leashes
  • Ski or splitboard crampons - ensure they are compatible with your bindings and ski/board width

Safety Gear

  • Avalanche Beacon
  • Shovel - compact, lightweight, metal blade preferred
  • Probe - dedicated probe only (240cm or longer strongly recommended)

 

Optional Items
  • Basic snow study kit - dial stem thermometer(s), crystal card, magnifying loupe, ruler
  • Notebook and writing utensil
  • Thermos - with a hot drink
  • Compass - adjustable declination a must
  • Altimeter watch
  • Maps - contact guiding office for appropriate quadrangles
  • Map case - large Ziploc bags work well
  • Camera
  • Hand sanitizer
Equipment Sales & Rental

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FAQs

Should I tip my guide?

Although tipping is not a requirement it is considered standard practice in the guiding industry and is appreciated by our guides. We generally recommend roughly 10%-15% of your course or trip cost or a flat amount that you are comfortable with.

Why Book With Us? 

Certified Professional Guides & All Access
All of our guides have the highest quality training and certification in the industry, and you can be sure that we have the permits, licenses and insurance in every location we operate.
Safe, Well-Planned Tour Design
Every tour has a carefully thought-out guide-to-customer ratio. You always get a safe, high-quality trip or learning environment with us.
Pioneers In The Industry
You will travel and learn from experts. We've pioneered several alpine climbing routes, ski descents, and traverses and we've written books on skills and routes in the industry. 
Read Our story
Resources

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