Frequently Asked Questions

  • Booking is easy! Just contact our headquarters and we’ll get you dialed.

    Email: info@svguides.com | Phone: (208) 721-0290

    Don’t see what you’re looking for? Need custom dates or want to discuss custom arrangements? Great! We’re here for you.

  • Give us a call at SVG headquarters and we’ll make your trip happen!

    Phone: (208) 721-0290

  • Yes! Sun Valley Guides guided programs do not require backcountry experience. You do, however, need to be an intermediate to advanced skier with good fitness.

    If you’re joining a yurt trip, make sure to check the details of the climb into the yurt as distances and difficulty vary with each location.

  • You bet! Sun Valley Guides specializes in building custom guided adventures that fit your needs, skill level, and availability. We want to build the best backcountry experience for you – winter or summer!

    Give SVG headquarters a call to get started on building an adventure you won’t soon forget.

    Phone: (208) 721-0290

  • Sun Valley Guides offers exclusive access, winter and summer, to the Sawtooth Wilderness, the Hemingway Boulders Wilderness, and the White Clouds Wilderness, in addition to the Pioneer Mountains and the Smokey Mountains.

  • We require payment in full for any guided single day or half day trip, winter or summer. For guided overnight trips, we require a 50% non-refundable deposit upon booking. The remaining 50% is due 30 days prior to your scheduled trip. Payments can be made with any major credit card.

    If you must pay by a check, please mail checks to our mailing address:
    Sun Valley Guides
    PO Box 6967
    Ketchum, ID 83340

    Please review our full cancellation policy for more details.

  • Cancellations can happen from the operator and from the guest side, please read through our cancelation policy carefully.

  • Yes. Sun Valley Guides is committed to providing safe and enjoyable adventures in the backcountry. All guests must read and sign a Release of Liability and Waiver of Claims Agreement prior to embarking on any guided trip.

    Be sure to read and sign the waiver prior to joining us in the mountains.

  • Every great trip starts with the right gear! Please check the respective equipment list for your trip or activity prior to joining us on your next trip.

    As a general rule, it is best to remember that ski touring (unlike mechanized and downhill skiing) is a highly aerobic activity that generates a lot of body heat. We recommend you dress in light layers that can be easily added or taken away, depending on the temperature and your energy output, to provide good climate control.

  • Yes! Sun Valley Guides does not provide safety gear for its guests. All guests of winter trips should be equipped with an avalanche transceiver (please test batteries prior to arrival), avalanche shovel, and avalanche probe.

  • Safety is our top priority! All of our guides are licensed by the IOGLB and are highly-trained avalanche professionals and/or AMGA trained or certified. Our guides have an intimate knowledge of the vast mountains surrounding Sun Valley as well as the current snow and avalanche conditions.

    IOGLB stands for Idaho Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board. Guides that have been certified by IOGLB are licensed and held to standards set in place by  the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association, recognized as one of the most comprehensive licensing programs in the nation. For more information, please visit IOGLB’s website.

    AMGA stands for American Mountain Guides Association, an internationally recognized organization that offers rigorous training courses for guides in the alpine, rock, and ski mountaineering industry. Guides endorsed by AMGA are verified to operate at a high level of professionalism and with a deep knowledge of their sport. Learn more about AMGA here.

  • You bet! We love to help anyone interested in knowing more about our wintery mountain terrain.

    We offer a variety of avalanche safety courses and programs. Check out our course offerings here and join us for our next session!

  • We’ve got some good friends in the neighborhood who specialize in all gear! Check out the equipment list for your respective trip or activity for more information.

    Need a more specific recommendation? Reach out and we’ll get you dialed.

    Email: info@svguides.com | Phone: (208) 721-0290

  • Travel times will vary depending on fitness, group ability and weather/snow conditions. A general rule of thumb is to estimate one mile per hour and an additional hour for every thousand feet of vertical gain. On clear days when the trail is set, most groups will travel faster, but in low visibility or if there is no set trail, it can take longer. Below are some estimates for travel time to each hut:

    • Bench Hut - 3-5 hours

    • Boulder Yurt - 45 minutes - 2 hours (can snowshoe to this yurt)

    • Coyote Yurt - 4-7 hours

    • Fishhook Hut - 3-5 hours

    • Pioneer Yurt - 3-6 hours

    • Tornak Hut - 3-5 hours

    See more details about our huts and hut trips here.

  • Yes! Groups are able to ski hut to hut between Coyote/Tornak and Bench/Fishhook.

    See more details about our huts and hut trips here.

  • Mountain guiding is part of the service industry where guides and chefs work hard to meet your personal goals and objectives. It is customary to tip your guide if you are happy with their service. Gratuities are not required and should reflect a level of excellence in the service.

    If you choose to tip, 10-20% of the total trip fee is standard, similar to other services like eating out at restaurants. If you are a member of a group, you may choose to pool tips with other group members or tip individually.

    Gratuities are best paid in cash at the end of your tour or Venmo them. We can, at times, accept credit card tip payment but the preferred method is cash/Venmo.