Vail Backcountry Skiing

All ages 12 and up

Vail, Colorado is a top international skiing destination with world-renowned skiing, in and out-of-bounds, or Vail Backcountry Skiing). Our backcountry skiing trips allow for an unparalleled experience of the Rocky Mountains, where pristine bowls and fresh lines await. Ascend through alpine meadows, enjoy breathtaking scenery and glide down untracked lines in the peaceful quiet of Colorado’s backcountry.

Apex Mountain School’s backcountry ski guides will share hidden powder stashes, as well as backcountry travel and snow analysis tips to help build your backcountry travel skills. Our guides know the local terrain better than anyone else and are excited to share their vast experience skiing and riding in the Colorado backcountry with you. Step into your bindings and experience the unique thrill of riding untracked terrain in a wild backcountry setting with Apex Mountain School.

Booking / More Info

All ages 12 and up

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

VAIL BACKCOUNTRY SKIING – QUICK INFO

Enjoy the best powder with a Vail Backcountry Ski trip.

All ages 12 and up

DATES

Available daily

DURATION

6-7 hours

LOCATION

Vail, CO (Meadow Mountain, Spraddle Creek)
Leadville, CO (Fremont Pass)

DIFFICULTY

Easy – Difficult

Policies

See our inclusion policy for special group requests.

WHAT TO BRING

Each person in your party will need:

An All terrain (AT), Telemark, or Splitboard touring package.
Beacon/Probe/Shovel (rental available) No Plastic Shovels Please
1-2 water bottles or thermos
Lunch, and high energy snacks such as nut bars, cookies, chocolate
Headwear – Visor or Cap, Hat or Helmet, Googles, Sunglasses
Balaclava or neck gaiter
One pair of gloves, one pair of mittens for cold days
Synthetic or wool base layer
Mid Weight base layer fleece or sweater
Puffy Jacket
Shell Jacket
Synthetic or wool long johns
Ski pants with zippered vents OR mid weight fleece layer and shell pants
Synthetic or wool socks optimum weight for your boot fit
Sunscreen
Pack (26-30 Liters) that can accommodate, shovel, probe, skins, 1-2 water bottles or thermos, lunch, snacks, extra clothing when climbing, goggles…

ALSO CONSIDER

Hand warmers
Hot liquid
Gaiters
Liner socks
Adjustable Poles
Small day pack
Extra gloves
Lip balm
Sunscreen
Water bottle insulator
Camera

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.