Jessica McWhirt
Plus, questions to ask yourself before you go backcountry skiing by yourself that’ll make you realize you need a guide.
If you want to get better skiing in the backcountry, hiring a guide will get you there faster. You’re able to ask them questions and watch exactly how they perform a technique. They’re a direct source of information, so you won’t have to Google later.
Would you rather keep practicing a form or technique over and over again for months or years because you don’t know what you’re doing? Or, learn it within one or two backcountry ski sessions with a guide?
Signing up for a backcountry skiing group tour gives you an opportunity to meet new people who have the same interests as you. If you already have skiing friends, there’s nothing wrong with expanding your circle.
The great thing about group tours is that you can learn from each other, along with learning from your guide. Someone may show you a technique you aren’t familiar with that can improve your skiing. On the other hand, you could teach someone the proper form for a particular feature.
Guides are trained in Avalanche Safety and can tell you how avalanches form and release. They can identify avalanche terrain and how to spot and avoid common triggers. Backcountry ski guides are also able to help you survive emergencies, like dealing with injuries or evacuations.
