Steeps Camp Ski Mountaineering

Meet at Sun Valley Guides Headquarters

401 Lewis Street, Ketchum, ID 83340

Time

7:00AM

Session

Multi-Day

Description

This 4-day yurt based course out of Pioneer Yurt, teaches you the skills to evaluate steep terrain and the tools to manage it. Learn steep skiing/riding techniques to approach various snow conditions that the mountains give us. We will use our snow school to teach you how to use boot crampons, ice axes, knots, ropes, belaying, and various anchors. Then we will use those techniques in smaller objectives and finish the course with larger objectives (if conditions and stability allow for it).

Springtime in the mountains is a complex being. There are a lot of factors that need to fall into place for us to be able to get up high in the mountains. Overnight freezes, no persistent weak layers, and having enough snow are all pieces to the puzzle. If the weather and snowpack don’t align, we will cover more technical components of ground school and head to safer zones to make your experience a healthy one. The Pioneer Mountains host a great venue for this course.

Dates:

TBD

Prerequisites:

Backcountry touring experience (comfortable doing kick turns in steeper terrain), Level 1 Avalanche Course, fitness to skin ascend and descend 3000-4000’ vertical in a day and ability to ski/ride variable snow conditions in terrain at least 40°.

Topics Covered:

  • Risk management

  • Snow/natural anchors

  • Knots, ropes, harnesses

  • Belayed skiing

  • Rappelling

  • Steep uphill travel

  • Ice axe and boot/ski crampon use

  • Self-arrest

  • Steep skiing/riding technique

  • Evaluating stability

  • Route planning

Recommended Reading:

The Ski Guide Manual: Advanced Techniques for the Backcountry by Rob Coppolillo

Backcountry Skiing: Skills for Ski Touring and Ski Mountaineering by Martin Volken, Scott Schell, and Margaret Wheeler

  • We will meet virtually ahead of time, to have a decision on mountaineering gear associated with riding in the big mountains. We will also cover the components of the course and answer any questions.

  • Meet at the Sun Valley Guides headquarters. We will double check gear and equipment before driving over to the Pioneer Yurt Trailhead. A snowmobile will tow the group within a ~1 mile of the yurt and we will skin the rest (~1 mile and 900’ gain). While our gear gets towed into the yurt. Then we will go out for an afternoon shakedown tour to assess the group’s ability, stability, and direction for the following days.

  • Start out the day with snow school covering the following topics: snow/natural anchors, belaying, rappelling, boot crampon techniques, practicing various self arrest positions. Take a short tour that practices some of the newly learned skills.

  • Go on a bigger mountain objective, such as the Comma Couloir, North Couloir, Hyndman Peak, Paymaster Peak, Jacqueline Peak or the Dorsal Fin.

  • Do another objective that is not a full day, so there is time to exfil out of the yurt and back to the vehicles by 4pm.

PRICING

TBD/Person

*Guest to Guide ratio is 4:1 | Min. 6 | Max. 8

**Sales Tax and Forest Service fees not included

***Guide gratuity not included. As part of the service industry, it is customary to tip your guide(s) if you are happy with their service and should reflect a level of excellence in the service. If you choose to tip, 10-20% of the total trip fee is standard and cash/Venmo is the preferred method.

Additional Services

Snowmobile Assist: Allows us to bump your group out further into more remote areas, avoiding higher-use areas, and finding fresh tracks and better conditions. This is an infill to a remote location from where the group embarks on a Backcountry Day Tour (skinning/skiing) and then we bring you back in at the end of the day via snowmobile or defender/side-by-side.

Defender/Side-by-Side: $100/PERSON ($400 MIN.) MAX. 5

Snowmobile: $50/PERSON ($200 MIN.)

  • Yes! Sun Valley Guides guided programs do not require backcountry experience. You do 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.

  • Yes! Sun Valley Guides does not provide safety gear for its guests. To ensure the safety of both guests and guides, we require that all guests to carry reliable avalanche gear that meets our criteria. This includes an 3 antenna avalanche transceiver, a metal avalanche shovel, and a click-lock mechanism avalanche probe.

    For more details, please see our equipment list.

  • 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.

  • Yes, your safety is always our top priority. Our highly trained guides closely monitor avalanche conditions and warnings, adjusting routes or plans as necessary to ensure the safest possible experience. While it’s important to understand that backcountry skiing carries inherent risks, we take every precaution to manage these. We’re committed to making your trip as safe and enjoyable as possible.

  • 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.  You can find your waiver in your reservation confirmation.  If you did not make the reservation, please ask whoever did to invite you to sign through their reservation confirmation email they received or email us at info@svguides.com 

  • 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

  • Booking is easy! Just contact our Headquarters (Email: info@svguides.com) and we’ll get you dialed. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Need custom dates or want to discuss custom arrangements? – Great! We’re here for you. 

  • Gratuity is not included in the trip fee. As with other service industries, it is customary to tip your guide(s) if you are satisfied with their service. A gratuity of 10-20% of the total trip fee is standard, reflecting the quality and excellence of your experience. Cash or Venmo is preferred.

  • We require payment in full to secure a day trip reservation. Cancellations made less than 48 hours prior to scheduled trip are 100% non-refundable.  If a guest cancels outside of 48 hours, 50% of total trip cost will be refunded to the guest. 

    Please keep in mind that these policies vary by service. See our full cancellation policy for details.

Frequently Asked Questions