Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding

Spend 14 days immersed in the mountains of Wyoming, known for dependable snow and some of the best ski terrain in the country. You’ll travel by touring skis or splitboard, sleep in snow shelters, and build a solid foundation of backcountry travel and avalanche education.

Offered in partnership with Black Diamond, this course combines world-class instruction with the equipment you’ll need to continue exploring long after the course ends. Every participant receives a Black Diamond backcountry ski pack, shovel, probe, and beacon to use throughout the course and take home afterward. By learning with the same avalanche rescue kit you’ll rely on in the future, you’ll build familiarity, confidence, and sound rescue habits from day one.

You’ll start at NOLS Teton Valley in Driggs, sorting gear, working through introductory avalanche curriculum, and taking a professional ski lesson at Grand Targhee Resort before heading into the field. If you’re newer to skiing, a few additional lessons before arriving is encouraged. From there your course will take you into the Snake River Range, the Palisades, the Wyoming Range, or the Absaroka Mountains— all magical places to learn the intricacies of backcountry travel and winter camping. 

Photo credit: Kristen Lovelace

Next, you’ll spend 10 days in the backcountry, sleeping in elaborate snow shelters you build with your group. Days include skiing or snowboarding from camp, learning camp craft, studying avalanche science, local ecology, and cooking. Managing cold — staying warm, boiling water, preventing cold injuries — runs through every day alongside the technical curriculum.

You’ll leave with a Level 1 Avalanche and Avalanche Rescue certification, recognized by the American Avalanche Association, along with the skills, judgment, and equipment to confidently plan and lead your own winter backcountry adventures.

Photo credit: Kristen Lovelace