The high country is officially dusted in white, which means it’s time to tune the skis, get in those last-minute squats, and switch gears into snow mode. Get started by swapping your basemap to Gaia Winter—the best backcountry map, but designed for all things winter.
Tag:
backcountry skiing
-
Don’t let cold feet hold you back. Stay warm and dry with our Snow Depth map. Inspired by a thru-hiker looking to track snow depths along the Pacific Crest Trail with Gaia GPS, the Snow Depth map lets you find snow-free trails from the comfort of your couch.
-
Join us in soaking up the last of summer by celebrating the holiday weekend outside! Between now and the end of Tuesday (11:59 pm PT), go on an adventure and add a photo waypoint to your Gaia GPS map for a chance to receive a $25 gift card to the Outside Shop! Don’t know how to add a photo waypoint to the map? No sweat. Read on to learn how to add photo waypoints and to make the most of waypoints in general. Happy adventuring!
-
Backcountry skiing and riding can be both tempting and intimidating. The promise of untouched powder is alluring, but the threat of deadly avalanches is ever-present. How do you manage the risk? Renowned avalanche expert Bruce Tremper is here with tips on how to choose a safer route.
-
Seven years after a life-threatening cycling crash, Alan Adams reclaimed his fitness, tenacity, and connection to nature through a new year’s resolution. He set out to cover two million vertical feet in a single calendar year — all under his own power. He ended up ski touring and cycling his way to the world record. Alan climbed over 2.5 million vertical feet, averaging over 7,000 vertical a day. Tune in to the Out and Back podcast to learn how Alan juggled this overwhelming feat while maintaining his job and a relationship.
-
Exploring great backcountry terrain often goes hand in hand with the threat of avalanches, but with careful route planning and rational terrain management, dangerous slides can largely be avoided. Before you head into the backcountry, brush up on how to use the best maps to identify avalanche terrain and plan the safest routes.
-
Winter hiking offers the ability to test out new skills, push your physical limits, and experience the beauty of a snowy landscape. But the same things that make winter hiking wonderful, can also make it more dangerous. Read our winter hiking safety guide to learn about winter hazards and how to pack for a snow-bound excursion.
From following snow-swept trails to keeping an eye on avalanche conditions, Gaia GPS proves even more valuable during winter. But you can’t use your phone if it dies in the cold. Learn how to preserve your phone battery when the temperature drops, plus get a special discount on an insulating phone case from Cold Case Gear.
Vasu Sojitra is a highly accomplished skier and mountaineer. Yet he finds summiting technical peaks, skiing narrow couloirs, and landing 720s are not really about the accomplishments themselves. It’s far more about how these activities make him feel. A self-described “brown kid with one leg,” Vasu found community in the mountains. Now he’s on a mission to empower everyone, especially those from diverse backgrounds, to discover courage, resiliency, and joy through moving their bodies outside. Tune in to Vasu’s story on the Out and Back podcast.
When you think of the Himalayas, images of Everest and K2 probably come to mind. But scaling those formidable peaks only scratches the surface of what the region has to offer. Ski mountaineer Luke Smithwick has made it his goal to ski 500 beautiful and iconic backcountry lines in the world’s highest and most expansive mountain range. Tune in to the Out and Back podcast to learn why Smithwick thinks Himalayan backcountry skiing is worth a trip halfway around the world.