The annual Ice Axe Expeditions Antarctic Ski Tour is ready for lift off! Guides and guests will gather in Ushuaia, Argentina this week where we’ll stretch our legs on the prime terrain of the Martial Glacier before setting sail for infamous Drake Passage, and eventually the Antarctic Peninsula. I’m super excited to work with Mountain… Continue reading Off to Guide and Ski Tour in Antarctica
In the last week of summer in California, I went skiing. Twice, actually. And to be honest, it was pretty good. Both sessions were off Carson Pass in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Kirkwood, and the conditions were a nod to last season’s monster winter. For those with a mind to join the turns-all-year club,… Continue reading Skiing 167 Months in a Row
It was another incredible summer trip to winter in South America this August. Every trip to Portillo in Chile is memorable, but catching the resort turn on with cold smoke powder is something else. Here’s an instagram RG from @mtnhub: Things are happening in Portillo, Chile! Mountain Hub Ambassadors Chris Davenport, Angel Collinson and Brennan Lagasse… Continue reading Deep Powder in the Classic Super C Couloir | Portillo, Chile
The winter has come and gone, but I will never forget supporting Ario this past February on his mission to support permanent protection for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Here’s a piece I wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle’s SF GATE snow folks about our trip: Skier embarks on epic snow adventure in Alaska for… Continue reading -60 Degrees in Kaktovik, Alaska for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Lots more to come from our trip, but overall we had a successful expedition in skiing a previously unskied line from 20,084ft while also seeing lots of potential for future human powered ski touring. Here are a few recent social media posts Luke has shared as he is a true wizard of the region, not… Continue reading Back from the Himalaya with Human Powered Ski Success!
Luke Smithwick is the owner and lead guide for Himalaya Alpine Guides. He has been exploring off the beaten path portions of Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Tibet for years. Luke and I met two years ago while I was ski guiding in Kashmir in the Gulmarg area. Luke is the snow safety officer for the Gulmarg ski resort.… Continue reading Off to India to Ski Guide with Himalaya Alpine Guides
From polar powder to the best corn skiing on planet earth, this report comes to you from Arctic Greenland and the Sierra Nevada. It’s been a crazy winter in the Sierra and skiing in the home range is nothing short of all-time with several weeks of high quality skiing still on tap. But for the… Continue reading State of the Backcountry 2017: Greenland and the Sierra Nevada
As winter turns to spring, year in and year out, the compass always points to Alaska. Snowsliders the world over have been making the trek for over 25 years, and while the best ski day is always exactly where you’re at, there’s still nothing like scoring a pristine day in the Chugach Mountains. I have… Continue reading State of the Backcountry 2017: PNH Tour Camp Edition, Chugach Mountains, AK
