North Cascades Mountain Guides is dedicated to bringing out the backcountry skier in everyone. Situated in the heart of nordic ski country, we offer programs customized for x-country skiers to take their skills to the backcountry. We also offer tours catered to Alpine Touring or Randonee skiers, and most of our guides are PSIA certified ski instructors.

We use a mix of traditional instruction, experimental education, and lots of fun to forge a memorable experience where you learn skills and techniques to become a safe and competent backcountry skier.
 

Backcountry Day Tours
Backcountry Ski Workshop
Ski Mountaineering Course

Triple Crown

Karhu XCD Program

Haute Route
Ortler Tour
Canadian Ski Touring

Spearhead Traverse

Avalanche Training courses

These customized trips are offered on a daily basis (with advanced registration) and tailored to your skills, desires, and the best snow conditions. Topics covered include skiing techniques for the backcountry, natural history, and avalanche awareness. An excellent option while visiting the Methow Valley for those enthusiasts looking for a full day of fun, exploration, and great skiing.



 Touring in Liberty Bowl.

 Enjoying some untracked in the backyard.

• $145/day/person for 4 skiers
• $170/day/person for 3 skiers
• $225/day/person for 2 skiers
• $325/day for 1 skier
• Ski Equipment List
• A Backcountry Ski Gear Primer
• Click here for much more info on Backcountry skiing.

This is possibly the most famous ski traverse in the world. Beginning in the birthplace of alpinism, Chamonix, France, the haute Route will climb over high mountain passes, down long glacial descents and through some of the most spectacular terrain imaginable to arrive in Zermatt, Switzerland, 9 days later. Each night will be spent in the comfort of fully stocked and catered mountain huts, allowing us to travel largely unencumbered, thus fully enjoying the skiing along the way.

• 2011 dates: April 14 - 21st
• Click here for much more information on the Haute Route.

This area offers some of the highest and most spectacular terrain in all of the Alps. Home to the largest glacier in all of Europe and such legendary summits as the Monch, the Jungrfrau and the Eiger, the Berner Oberland is well known for its amazing terrain and comfortable huts. Like all of our other Alps ski trips, the theme will be finding the best skiing while enjoying the comfort and access provided by the amazing hut system.

• Click here for much more information on the Berner Oberland ski tour.

Some of our guests that have skied the Haute Route asked us to put together another tour that was comparable in difficulty, but perhaps a little less well known. After conferring with some other guide friends, we were convinced that the Ortler tour was just that. This Tour takes place in Stelvio National park in the South Tirol region of Northern Italy, close to the borders of Switzerland and Austria. The park itself is one of the largest in all of Europe. It lays between the Bernina group of St Moritz to the West and the Dolomites to the East. The terrain is slightly lower than that of the Western Alps, but still heavily glaciated and very alpine. Much of the tour takes places between 10,000-13,000'. This tour is actually a loop circuit as opposed to a point to point, making travel and logistics much easier. The huts are well known for great food, incredible coffee and many even have hot showers!

• April 5- 11th, 2011
• Click here for much more information on the Ortler Tour.

Ski touring based out of one of the many backcountry huts in British Columbia is a backcountry skiers paradise. This year NCMG has booked the Vallhalla Mountain Touring lodge for a prime week in March. Fully catered and guided, this trip is a great combo of human powered skiing and heli accessed privacy.

• 2011 dates: TBA (March)
• Cost $TBA/skier
• Call us for more details

These courses are designed for anyone looking to gain a deeper and more thorough understanding of avalanche forecasting, rescue and beacon usage. The level 1 course is held over 2 1/2 full and informational days. The Level 2 course is a 4 day program.

• Level 1 - More details and dates
• Level 2 - More details and dates

This program is designed for graduates of our Level 1 course who want to brush up on their avalanche rescue skills. The day will be spent in the field reviewing routefinding, safe travel techniques and running through beacon drills as well as full rescue sequences.

• 2010 - 2011Dates: Call to schedule
• Cost: $150/person with min of 2

This program is designed for the aspiring backcountry ski tourer. We spend the first day at a local lift-access area where the focus is improving technique and confidence on skis. Taking advantage of the lifts and racking up the vertical allows us to develop and hone skills we'll apply in the backcountry. The next day we head out for a full day of touring. Here we review many skills such as the use of kick wax and climbing skins, avalanche awareness and beacon use, ascending techniques and ripping turns in powder. This course is open to Telemark and A.T skiers. Call to arrange dates for this program.

• $300 per person
• Minimum 2 participants
• Ski Equipment List
• A Backcountry Ski Gear Primer
• Ski Equipment Rental Form

This 4 day course is designed for the backcountry skier looking to expand their skills into glaciated terrain with steeper and more technical objectives. While making turns in the Spring corn snow is great fun, the ease and speed that skis allow you to travel make them the perfect tool for climbing peaks and completing long alpine tours. A great precursor for an expedition like the Haute Route, this course is also a means to and end for people that want to take advantage of the incredible ski Mountaineering opportunities right here in the North Cascades. This special program is offered during the prime Spring touring season.

We will cover use of ropes, ice axes, crampons(boot and ski crampons) as well as glacial navigation, crevasse rescue, route planning, snow camping, hazard evaluation and more.

• $700/ person with minimum of 2 skiers
• Equipment List
• A Backcountry Ski Gear Primer
• Ski Equipment Rental Form

Learn the full gamut of Nordic ski skills with two full days of instruction covering each of the Nordic disciplines: Striding, Skating and Telemarking. The Methow Valley's incredible cross-country trail system is ideal for improving one's track skiing abilities. Many of the skills we concentrate on cross into each Nordic discipline with the main goal of becoming an all-around Nordic funhog! We break each day up with some video analysis sessions. This is an excellent method for achieving breakthrough results; you'll see yourself skiing better! We offer reduced rates for this trifecta of fun.

• $300 per person
• Minimum 2 participants.
• Ski Equipment List
• Ski Equipment Rental Form

We are very excited to be able to offer our latest ski program - XCD Touring. XCD (cross-country downhill) is all about freedom and versatility. The versatility to tour and make turns with equal aplomb and the freedom that lightweight ski gear can offer.

This category of ski equipment has seen a dramatic resurgence of interest over the past few years. For many of us it is very similar to the telemark equipment we learned on - equipment that was not too far removed from its Nordic touring roots. But, as telemark gear become more more downhill oriented and moved farther from its Nordic roots, the ability to tour with ease and efficiency was sacrificed. XCD Touring returns you to the soul of Nordic skiing. Using skis as a tool to travel through the winter world, lightweight touring gear utilizes skis with full metal edges for control, a patterned base to provide grip and a flex that balances the needs of turning and touring.

Many of us here at NCMG have rediscovered our love of Nordic skiing through XCD style touring. Leaving behind the weight of big telemark skis and boots and the hassle of climbing skins, travel through the winter world once again becomes a joy. The equipment allows you to cover some distance when you want to, make a few turns down a powdery hill, and then be able to head right back up again to make a few more.

Experience winter in a new way. Join us and rediscover the soul of Nordic skiing - XCD Touring. .

• $100/day/person for 4 skiers
• $115/day/person for 3 skiers
• $150/day/person for 2 skiers
• $210/day/person for 1 skier

NCMG graphic designer Sussi Rowntree and husband enjoy some light gear touring.

Practicing Tele turns in perfect powder.