Looking to find some backcountry ski tours where the lifts get you a long way to your objective?
Today let’s take a look at ten lift accessed backcountry experiences chosen for their epicness.
Sure, you are less likely to find untracked out snow on ski tours starting out of a ski area boundary. Sometimes, though, it's nice just to get some vertical with the lifts, get a bit away from the crowds and focus on the downhill.
In no way do these tours offer more safety. By virtue of numbers, most avalanche incidents do occur in this terrain. You must be knowledgeable about snow safety, have the correct rescue equipment, and. know how to use it before venturing into this type of terrain. If you are interested in starting out ski touring take a look at my previous post : Backcountry Skiing. How to get started.
Ski areas have ever evolving policies when it comes to accessing lift serviced backcountry, so check these and with the local patrol before heading off.
This list is not necessarily the most recognisable. Hopefully some will surprise and entice you. All have been experienced by the Primal Regeneration Team , so the recommendations come first hand. Some require very little ascent beyond the lifts, while others can involve a full day depending on routes chosen.
It is advisable, especially in the glaciated regions, to experience these with a guide.
Here are my list of ten epic lift accessed backcountry experiences
1.Val d'Arlas, Diavolezza-Lagalb, Engadine, Switzerland
Corvatsch-Diavolezza-Lagalb is a large interconnected ski region in the Engadine of Switzerland. The Diavolezza and Lagalb mountains are accessed from the Bernina Pass, that gateway to Italy famous for it's red Bernina Express train that services the route.
The region is high altitude and surrounded by some fabulous peaks which are renowned ski mountaineering objectives. The highest is Piz Bernina at 4048m.The ski area welcomes ski tourers and freeride skiers and there is a wide variety of touring choices both accessed from the resort and nearby Julier Pass. In the area there is an avalanche safety training zone and a marked ski touring course.
Also for those that want a sense of adventure without any climbing or significant risk, there is the descent of the Pers and Morteratsch Glaciers from the Diavolezza top station at 2978 m. It is 8km of ungroomed terrain but is marked with yellow route markers.
You cruise your way to Morteratsch Valley and catch a train back to Diavolezza- very civilised! And it's the longest glacier ski descent in Switzerland.However, for a bit more of a freeride experience there is the Val d'Arlas.
This is touted as one of the best lift access tours in Switzerland. It offers a large big- mountain bowl with numerous aspects to choose from and a descent of almost 1000m from Sass Queder at 3006m to Lagalb. It is a short ascent from the Diavolezza top station to get over the Saas Queder and into the Val d'Arlas. Choose which aspect of the bowl to ski depending on conditions and have a blast!
2. Schwartztor , Zermatt, Switzerland.
Zermatt is certainly not unknown as a ski touring destination. It is after all the end point of the most famous of ski tours, the Haute Route. It offers a huge variety of tours including summit ascents such as the Breithorn and Dafourspitze. This is glaciated terrain and requires good navigation and crevasse rescue skills in addition to snow safety knowledge. Hiring a guide is always the safest option.
The great thing about this tour is the amount of descent you get for little climbing: 3 km down for about 100m up. That is pretty good value. It incorporates some famous land marks such as the Kleiner Matterhorn, the Breithorn, Castor and Pollux. If you get it right you will be cruising through powder snow surrounded by seracs and crevasses with one of the most iconic views of the mountains: The Matterhorn.
A great place to stay is the Hotel Alpina .
3.Fourth of July Bowl, Peak 10, Ten Mile Range , Breckenridge, Colorado
Having previously been a winter local in Breck, I had to include one of my favourites from that area in this post. Again, I am not revealing any secrets here. It's a popular tour in late Spring and early Summer.
Peak 10 is 4157m and towers over the town of Breckenridge and its ski terrain. To the south is a "14er" (over 14000ft): Quandry Peak. This is also a popular ski and hiking objective. Due to the altitude it is advisable to have been doing a bit of uphill training and sleeping in Breckenridge before attempting a big climb.
It is quite a long climb from the ski area and the ridge is exposed to the wind . The bowl gets loaded and you need to be really sure about conditions before giving it a go. Colorado's dicy continental early and mid winter snowpack is not the time to test this route and even in spring I have witnessed a rider trigger and fortunately emerge from a slide. Most people ski it long after the ski area has closed.
Nonetheless it offers a great consistent vertical at a relatively sustained 30+ degrees. The steepest pitch is around 45 degrees. On an ideal day you won't be alone but will have a fantastic experience that will be one of your favorite days skiing.
4.Sugar Bowl, Rusutsu Ski Resort, Hokkaido, Japan.
The legend of Hokkaido powder snow is no secret and since we first visited Rusutsu, that is obvious. There are way more western skiers visiting and looking for some fresh tracks .Rusutsu is a small resort and town- certainly not a Niseko or Hakuba in terms of ski resort services. It's a bit quirky .
It does offer great access to gladed tree skiing in the resort that when it's storming can fill in every lap you do. The in bounds laps are short and often involve a cold cat track out to a lift but they can be so much fun. Nothing super steep, but often super deep snow.
There are many options. One is Sugar Bowl which sits between East Mountain and Mount Isola. You might need your powder skis and a snorkel.
5. Craigieburn Range , Mt Cheeseman, Canterbury, New Zealand
I'm not sure it gets better than the Craigieburn Range for so much touring close to a major city. Not far west of the South Island city of Christchurch, this mountain range has relatively rounded summits but falls steeply into the valleys. It can be accessed from a number of commercial or club ski areas along the range. In fact you can multi-day tour hopping from one to another (NB not all have accommodation on mountain).
I chose Mt Cheeseman as it is the closest club field to Christchurch, has T-bar access to the summit of Mt Cockayne, and the road is not completely terrifying. They have in the past sold a single lift access touring pass. From the top t-bar you can venture beyond the boundaries in either direction. A popular sidecountry route is into Tarn Basin just south east of the ski area. It offers a short climb back into the area after just over 200 vertical meters of riding.
A good day of exploration is to head over Mt Cheeseman and on to the relatively gentle slopes of the Ryton Valley. You can do laps in here underneath the surrounding peaks of Mt Olympus, Cheeseman and Izard. It feels like it is your own human powered ski area.
6. Australia's Highest Mainland Peak- Mt Kosciuszko
It is kind of special to ski off the roof of Australia.
Many are surprised there is skiing here at all and the terrain , flora and fauna are all unique. You might spot kangaroos and wombats en route to your starting point and the lower slopes are dotted with eucalyptus trees
.You have a choice of two resorts as your starting point to access the summit of Australia at 2228m. Both options can be anything from a half to full day tour .
From the top of Thredbo's Crackenback chairlift at 1930m you can start skinning along the poled route across the Ramshead Range. If you have more than a single ride pass you can gain more elevation with the Basin T-bar . The access route is a fairly straightforward gentle approach . There are a number of options for skiing back - usually involving a couple of more climbs before descending to the Thredbo Valley.
The other access point is from Kangaroo Ridge in Charlotte Pass Ski Resort. The access to Charlotte Pass is in itself an adventure, utilising oversnow vehicles from Perisher Valley. There is a gradual climb to Rawson Pass where the trail meets the approach from Thredbo.
At the end of the day, enjoy the calls of parrots in the trees as you toast your efforts.
7. Whitewater , British Columbia, Canada
Whitewater Ski Area is nestled in the Western Kootenay Mountains of British Columbia. The in bounds skiing really feels like lift serviced backcountry , with long traverses to powder shots in the trees and open bowls to charge on clear days.
Beyond the boundaries, the terrain can quickly become technical and challenging with avalanche paths a plenty. As in all backcountry terrain, you need to know what you are doing.
A relatively short and popular tour from the top of the Silver King Chair is toward White Queen via the Silver King Ridge. There are great tree runs and bowls to be found. The resort is planning a new quad chair to the ridge for the 23/24 season, which will improve accessibility further.
Whitewater is a day use area only but is serviced by one of North America's coolist mountain towns, Nelson. It's a great area to experience and with your own transport you can incorporate a few of BC's epic mountains.
8. Vallaccia, Livigno, Italy.
Livigno is in northern Lombardy in the mountains of the Alta Valtellina bordering Switzerland and Stelvio National Park. .It is a beautiful area and surrounded by amazing vistas. It is known as a freeride friendly resort and there are numerous possible routes with varying aspects.
A great intro to free riding is the Vallaccia. This valley is accessed from the top of the Valfin chairlift at 2700m. Numerous options are possible into the Vallaccia with the end point Ponte Vallaccia at 2021m .
Livigno also has managed trails for ski mountaineering training, similar to that found in Diavolleza. The towns and pistes can be busy mid winter but the freeride and touring scene is great.
Guiding is also available.
9. Pebble Creek, Portneuf Range, Idaho.
I haven't skied Pebble much. It has been a stop off between Salt Lake and the Tetons. Yet it has been one of my favorite skiing experiences. A small area with good consistent fall line skiing , amazing trees and occasionally epic snow. Making it particularly special is the community feel that only small local hills have these days.
I have had fantastic powder skiing here and there are some side-country lines that are super fun such as the gladed North Bowl. Despite what some locals may say it can and does avalanche here do use the usual precautions.
You can stay just down the road at the hot springs town of Lava Hot Springs. There are some cool shops and dining- The Chuckwagon Cafe is an experience not to be missed, and the historic Riverside Hot Springs Inn is a great place to stay.
10. Glacier Col du Nant, Champagny en Vanoise , France
The Parc National de la Vanoise was France's first national park, established in 1963. It incorporates the Vanoise massif located in the Savoie region, and is dominated by Grande Casse at 3855m . It supports some fabulous mountain wildlife, most famously the Ibex or bouquetin.
Adjacent the park are some large ski resorts including the interconnected lifts of La Plagne Paradiski.
Chamagny en Vanoise is a quaint traditional village within this system . You can stay here or base yourself at the mountain hut , Refuge du Bois further up the valley . There are buses that service the area for the start or finish of the tour.
Champagny en Vanoise offers a number warm up options for touring and /or freeriding. To warm up your climbing legs there is the “Porcière” , a marked touring trail 6km long with a 930m vertical gain. This gets you to about 2200m for a ski back down the “Mont de la Guerre” trail.
The top lift of the region takes you to the the upper slopes of the Bellacôte at about 3000m. There are some good marked trails from here. This tour also starts from the Bellacôte but drops into the south facing Glacier Col du Nant and descends almost 1800m to the valley of Champagny le Haut via the Plaisance Refuge and then via the cross country (or hiking ) tracks to Refuge du Bois.
If you are well into spring the bouquetin will be visible along the valley.
You can enjoy some great hearty mountain food at the Refuge to celebrate your adventure.
NOTE: Backcountry skiing is inherently dangerous and requires specific skills, knowledge and experience. . This post and website is not intended as an instructional resource for backcountry skiing nor a guide to accessing backcountry terrain. Gain skills by being instructed by a professional education program.
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