Backcountry Hut Trips

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Backcountry Hut Trips

All ages 12 and up

Experience the unique and unforgettable adventure of a private backcountry hut trip with Apex Mountain School. These hut trips combine warm and comfortable backcountry huts and access to exceptional backcountry skiing and snowboarding. By day, venture out into the San Isabel National Forest for fresh turns in a high alpine environment, with instruction from our expert guides on efficient travel, skiing/riding techniques, and terrain selection to maximize your fun out on the slopes. In the evening, relax by the fire with a hot cup of tea as your guide prepares a hearty, home cooked meal on the woodstove and enjoy uninterrupted views of the untamed Colorado Rockies.

Colorado hut to hut tours continue to grow in popularity; experiencing a backcountry hut tour with our ski guides is a great way to connect with the Colorado landscape while increasing your knowledge of backcountry travel and avalanche preparedness. The huts themselves offer a uniquely luxurious backcountry experience that will leave you refreshed and ready for the next day of skiing/riding. Spectacular terrain bordering hut areas offer extensive options for backcountry skiing and riding for all ability levels.

Hut trips can also be combined with AIARE compliant avalanche curriculum to add formal education to your hut trip. For more information check out our AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course page.

 

Anna’s Cabin

Anna’s is a completely off-grid, backcountry hut located on the Continental Divide at an elevation of 11,700 ft. Surrounded by thousands of acres of San Isabel National Forest, there are no other structures for miles, and none in sight, for a very remote feeling retreat that’s only 1.8 miles from the highway and parking area. It’s a great base camp for backcountry adventures on the high Colorado trails. Wildlife sightings are very common. No electricity or running water – bring your own bottled water or melt snow on the woodburning stove. Indoor composting toilet facilities.

 

Booking / More Info

All ages 12 and up

Ready to sign up? We look forward guiding you on our Backcountry Hut Trips. Register with the accompanying calendar, call (970) 949-9111 or use our contact page to request more info.

BACKCOUNTRY HUT TRIPS – QUICK INFO

Get out this season and enjoy our Backcountry Hut Trips.

All ages 12 and up

DATES

  • Feb 19-20
  • March 5-6
  • March 19-20
  • April 2-3

DURATION

2 days/1 night
or
3 days/2 nights (call for booking info)

COST

Open Enrollment
$360 per person, per day.
Cost does not include Hut Rental.
Larger groups welcome! Please call 970-949-9111 for pricing and details.

LOCATION

Leadville, CO (Chalk Creek)

DIFFICULTY

Easy – Difficult

Policies

See our inclusion policy for special group requests. 

WHAT TO BRING

Each person in your party will need.

  • An AT (Alpine Touring), Telemark, or Splitboarding package.
  • Beacon/probe/shovel (rental available)
  • *No cotton – cotton does not wick moisture or insulate when wet.
  • Synthetic or wool long underwear bottom (thin)
  • Synthetic or wool long sleeve top (medium)
  • Mid layer top and bottom
  • Synthetic or wool socks
  • Winter jacket
  • Insulated “Puffy” Jacket
  • Snow pants
  • Warm gloves or mittens
  • Hat and neck gaiter or balaclava
  • Goggles or sunglasses
  • Small day pack
  • Water bottle (70-100 oz of liquid for 1.8-mile approach from parking lot)
  • Multi-day pack (40-70L)
  • Sleeping bag – recommended 0° to 40° for hut, weather dependent
  • Space blanket
  • Personal hygiene kit – toothbrush/toothpaste, hand towel, comb/brush, prescriptions. Feminine products, if applicable
  • Change of clean undergarments, per day
  • Headlamp with spare batteries
  • Hut slippers or down booties
  • Food: See “Food List”

SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS

  • One double “sleigh” bed on main floor
  • One queen bed
  • Two sets of bunk beds in upstairs loft (ladder climb required)

FOOD

Please communicate with us when booking about how you would like to proceed with food: If you specify that you would like us to work with a budget set by you, our guides can shop for and cook for you for the cost of the grocery bill. If you’d prefer to handle the food and cooking yourself, you certainly may, or you can use some of our ideas. In the past, lightweight, calorically-dense, low-sodium foods have served as good choices.

  • Breakfast
    • Oatmeal, topped with nuts and dried fruits
  • Snacks
    • Cheese sticks
    • Jerky or dried fruits
    • Granola bars
    • Trail mix
  • Lunch
    • Sandwiches
    • Tortillas with peanut butter and honey
  • Dinner
    • Quick rice meals using hot water
    • Pasta
    • Dehydrated meals (be aware of sodium if it’s a concern)
    • Tortillas with cheese
    • Pepperoni for stovetop pizzas
  • Beverages
    • Tea
    • Coffee (pour-over or instant)
    • Dried milk for cream.

Some of the items that are popular have been listed above, but please keep in mind that this is simply a list to use as a resource, and not meant to be comprehensive or a reference for necessities.

ALSO CONSIDER

  • Thermos
  • Hand warmers
  • Gaiters
  • Extra gloves
  • Camera
  • Shorts for the deck?
  • Word of warning: keep your pack as organized, compact and lightweight as possible. Not only will you be touring uphill on approach with your pack and all of its goods, you’ll be skiing back downhill on the way out with nearly the same weight.

TRIP INCLUDES

  • Land and use fees
  • Private guide
  • Instruction
  • Propane gas cook stove
  • Cold box
  • Kitchen utensils (pots, pans, etc.)
  • Oil lamps provided

Hut fees not included.

During times of Covid-19 concern please bring:
Face mask, Hand Sanitizer, Rubber Gloves (if desired)

OPTIONS

ALPINE TOURING SKIS

Alpine Touring Skis allow backcountry skiers to ascend uphill with heels free, in walking mode with skins, and shorter boots make for ease of backcountry travel. Transitioning into downhill mode is as simple as removing your ascension skins and locking your heels down. The downhill ski technique is very similar to traditional downhill skiing at a ski area. This set-up, known commonly as AT skiing, offers an excellent opportunity for resort skiers to experience the backcountry.

SPLITBOARDS

Splitboards are snowboards that are halved down the middle. They can be used as ascension skis during uphill travel, accompanied by skins, and rejoined as a single unit for descent. Splitboards offer the resort rider an efficient transition to backcountry riding.

TELEMARK SKIS

Telemark Skis operate with a “free heel” system (no heel attachments exist for uphill or downhill travel) that allows you to ascend in walking mode with skins, as well as to descend in telemark mode, with the uphill knee bent slightly during turns. This option is available to skiers with telemark experience, and to skiers that wish to transition into telemarking. Flexible plastic boots and a fixed toe binding make walking more natural than AT skis.

Andrew Kirchhoff
Andrew Kirchhoff
July 1, 2022.
My teen sons and I had an amazing time rappelling with Bob in Vail! Apex provided everything we needed and accommodated our last minute booking. Thank you Apex!!
PARTYBOMBS
PARTYBOMBS
June 29, 2022.
Myself and my family had a awesome time repelling. Thanks to Bob we had fun while staying safe. I would recommend for anyone seeking a thrilling experience.
Colin Kirchhoff
Colin Kirchhoff
June 29, 2022.
Bob was a fantastic guide! Despite never repelling before, Bob never failed to make us feel safe and confident enough to have fun. 10/10 experience. Thank you so much!
Beth Ann Rosica
Beth Ann Rosica
June 28, 2022.
We had an amazing day climbing with Bob! We had 4 kids between 13 and 15, and Bob coached all of them to the top! He was patient and encouraging and kept everyone safe! I highly recommend Apex for a climbing experience! The kids are hooked on climbing and loved the adventure!
Jack Saussy
Jack Saussy
June 27, 2022.
My family had a great day climbing with Bob. He was very knowledgeable about the routes and equipment and turned our half day of climbing into a lesson. I plan to get my own shoes and join a gym at home because of this great experience, I highly recommend Apex Mountain School!
Jamie Schmid
Jamie Schmid
February 7, 2022.
We had such a blast ice climbing with our guide Jesse! He was so helpful and motivating and never made us feel like we were terrible at climbing even though it was our first time haha and he was so patient with all my picture taking and getting great shots! Would 1,000% recommend!
Joe Mahoney
Joe Mahoney
January 18, 2022.
Took my AIARE 1 through APEX. It was hard to decide with so many options out there. Look no further, APEX is exactly what you're looking for. I walked away with the exact knowledge I was hoping to get, and more. Josh V was our instructor and is extremely knowledgeable, had great answers to all of our questions and was just great to hang out with in the backcountry. Can't recommend these guys enough.
Shannon M.
Shannon M.
December 6, 2021.
Recently took the Level 1 AIARE Course with Apex and had a great experience. All of the instructors were extremely knowledgeable and passionate about snow safety and answered all questions in great detail to ensure the students learned as much as possible in the 3 day course. It was a very hands on experience and we were even able to do lots of field work despite the low snow conditions right now. Will definitely come back for another course, and looking forward to more backcountry travel with all the new info learned!
kurt albertson
kurt albertson
November 24, 2021.
Apex Mountain School is a wonderful outdoor educational and guide service! Recently took the level one AIARE and Avalanche Rescue course through Apex. Our instructors Andy and Mike were highly professional, knowledgeable and very engaging instructors that were very passionate about snow safety and teaching others about best practices to enjoy their experiences safely in the backcountry. Would highly recommend anyone regardless of experience to take a course with Apex. Looking forward to continuing my outdoor experiences with Apex in the future via additional educational courses as well as the opportunity for private guided trips. Excellent people and a great experience!!!
Tom Watson
Tom Watson
November 23, 2021.
I took the AIARE 1 course with Apex Mountain school and it was truly an amazing experience. Andy was a outstanding instructor, he fostered a culture in the group that encouraged participation, teamwork, learning and fun! The knowledge and tools learned in the course were second to none. We were fortunate to have a small group of 5, and this allowed for a lot of questions, learn by doing, and overall really fun time. I cannot recommend Apex Mountain School enough.
Vail Backcountry