A day of ski touring with Crested Butte Mountain Guides…..powda day that is !!!

It has been a busy and snowy start to 2011 with Crested Butte Mountain Guides, enjoying some phenomenal snow conditions in the Crested Butte Backcountry. So far, snow totals in the high country have broken 400″ and it is only the beginning of Feb !  We have been out and about in the Elk Mountains frequently guiding Backcountry Ski & Split-Board Tours with folks from around Colorado and beyond. The avalanche conditions have remained relatively stable for this time of year, and we’ve been able to venture onto some bigger anbd steeper alpine lines, as well as enjoying our signature powder skiing on our go-to stashes in the trees and gladed bowls in the backcountry closer to town.

 AIARE Avalanche Courses continue to run at, or near, full enrollment and our Avalanche Refresher Courses have been a real hit with locals….including 1 local that has just taken her 4th one….”at the price and experience you get, I’ll take 1 every year”……she say. Our Level 1 Hut Courses have been completely sold out for almost the entire winter, and our last remaining Level 2 Course on Feb 17-20, 2011 has just a few seats remaining….

January brought our newest adventure: a High Altitude Moutaineering Expedition to Pico de Orizaba….North America’s 3rd highest mountain at 18,610′. A fun and challenging adventure for folks looking to break into climbing in the world’s ‘big mountains’ this trip has it all….great culture, friendly locals, beautiful countryside and views, challenging climbing, and a semi-exotic locale. Read more about this past year’s trip on our BLOG Archives here  and join us in 2012….

The month of February kicked off with our Inaugural Ouray Ice Climbing Camp. This 4-Day skills intensive clinic/camp was a great success, as participants flew in from such far flung areas as Vermont & California and all had a great time with CBMG Guide, Kyle Mattingly. Fresh snow and bitter cold temps kept the challenge of the high mountains present, even in the fairly comfortable confines of the Ouray Ice Park, but folks learned basic and advanced skills and climbed nonetheless…..look for dates for another Ouray Ice Climbing Camp in 2012 to be on our website soon.

Backcountry Ski Touring has seen some big growth in the past few years and the conditions this season have been inredible with all the snow. For the 4th year in a row we are headed back to the European Alps for the famous Haute Route Ski Tour between the iconic mountain towns of Chamonix & Zermatt. Lead this year by CBMG Guide, Steve Banks (IFMGA Guide), we are departing in early-April for this once -in-a-lifetime trip ! Folks close to Crested Butte & Colorado have been skiing with us here in the underappreciated CB Backcountry to get prepared, and have already been remarking on how their backcountry ski touring days here with us have been “the best day of skiing in my life” …..over, and over, and over……

As we start to look towards spring and the Ski Mountaineering season we are also excited to announce that we will be heading to Valdez, AK for our 1st ever Alaska Ski Mountaineering Camp. Taking place in an area made famous by extreme skiing icon, the late Doug Coombs, Valdez, AK should be on any true die-hard skiers ‘must-do’ list. A few spots are still open on this coveted trip, so get yours today if interested.

We are also having 2 local Colorado Ski Mountaineering Camps again here in Crested Butte this April. Wildly successful last year, these camps are a great intro into the sport of Ski Mountaineering and are a great first-step training ground to learn the skills and techniques it takes to ski in bigger places like the mountains of Alaska & the European Alps.

Running just after the official close of the ski season here at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, enjoy the quiet and quaint confines of charming Crested Butte, while skiing some incredible 12 & 13,000′ peaks just mere miles from your door. Watch the sunrise from the side of a mountain, and ski great ‘spring corn snow’ for thousands of feet while relaxing on the deck of your favorite bar or restaraunt in town for the afternoon and staring up at your tracks right above town….finish the ski season off with a truly unique and unforgettable experience…..

— CBMG