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.
Tag:
backcountry skiing
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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.
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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.
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Identify avalanche terrain quicker and easier this winter with the new Slope Angle – Avalanche map. Designed in-house, this map expands our coverage globally and integrates high-resolution data to help make picking out steep slopes on the map a snap. Add the new slope angle layer to your favorite base map to help plan a safer route through the snow-bound backcountry.
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The transition from resort skiing to the backcountry can seem daunting, but you no longer have to go it alone. Bluebird Backcountry ski area is a totally new concept that is designed to mentor backcountry skiers through the steep learning curve of winter travel in the mountains. Tune into this conversation with Bluebird Backcountry co-founder Erik Lambert to discover why this brand new ski area without lifts is so hot this year.
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Ultra runner Courtney Dauwalter cannot seem to find a big enough challenge. Learn what motivates her to test her limits and her mental hacks to push through the seemingly impossible this week on the Out and Back podcast.
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Get the inside scoop on Justin “Trauma” Lichter’s ground-breaking thru-hike adventures on Out and Back this week. Trauma delves into getting stalked by lions in Africa, hiking 2,000 miles across the Himalayas, and thru-hiking the PCT in winter. He shares his trove of knowledge about international resupply logistics, winter navigation, and finding what it takes to push your own limits.
Get official, up-to-date avalanche forecasts directly from the map on your phone. Simply pair the Avalanche Forecast layer with your favorite map to get the color-coded North American Avalanche Danger scale for your region. Whether you’re skiing couloirs or snowmobiling the back bowls, add this must-have feature to your avalanche safety toolkit. Read more about the Avalanche Forecast layer.
Bruce Tremper nearly died in an avalanche. Tune in to hear this harrowing tale, and how getting buried alive changed the trajectory of this avalanche expert’s life.
As new snow settles into the couloirs and glades this season, it’s easy to get caught up in the stoke without doing your homework—a potentially fatal mistake when you’re backcountry…