Resources

Splitboarding: The Answer to All of Life’s Problems (Except Avalanches) By Michael Bartley What is splitboarding? As skiing and snowboarding are growing in popularity, ski areas all over North America…

Backcountry Ski & Split Training By Elijah Christie and Zack McGill The best way to avoid injuries and continue backcountry skiing & riding (even as we age) is to train…

Travel Techniques for Backcountry Skiers & Riders By: Phil Straub Backcountry skiing or riding is, in many ways, a team sport. Sure, you can go it alone out there, but…

Backcountry Skiing & Riding Skinning Techniques By: Phil Straub Skinning is the most efficient way to travel across wild snow in the backcountry. People have been putting skins on their…

Ski Crampons for Backcountry Skiing and Riding By: Phil Straub Ski crampons for backcountry skiing help backcountry skiers and riders gain purchase on firm snow when skins alone don’t quite…

First Aid Kits for Backcountry Touring By: Alyssa Young When we step into the backcountry we assume heightened responsibility for taking care of ourselves and our group. When things go…

Backcountry Repair Kits for Skiers and Riders By: Zack McGill and Charlie Lane As a community, backcountry skiers and riders tend to focus on avalanche rescue more than anything else…

WHITEOUT NAVIGATION By: Zack McGill If you’re into mountain sports, learning the basics of whiteout navigation is essential for off-trail travel in the mountains. This is especially true if you…

Basic Backcountry Navigation By: Zack McGill I’m going to sound like an old curmudgeon saying this, but folks these days rely too heavily on technology to navigate in the backcountry.…

RESOURCES for Avalanche Educators By: Zack McGill First off, whether you are a new instructor about to instruct your first avalanche course or a seasoned course leader, thank you for…

The Backcountry Skiing & Riding Guide By: Zack McGill Welcome to the Backcountry Skiing Guide! This is a living document that consistently updates with the latest and greatest in the…

By: Zack McGill Roped travel on glaciers There are many considerations when determining how to set up your rope team for glacier travel.  How big of crevasses are you likely…

How to Perform Crevasse Rescue By: Zack McGill If you’re going to travel in glaciated terrain, you need to have crevasse rescue dialed.  This resource is a collection of videos,…

Strategic Shoveling for Avalanche Rescue By: Zack McGill When most folks think of avalanche rescue, they think of the beacon search. We get it. Avalanche Transceivers are sexy. It’s cool…

Single Burial Avalanche Rescue By: Zack McGill First off, the best way to avoid a rescue is to avoid the avalanche all together. Take an Avalanche Course to be proactive and avoid…

Human Factor in Backcountry Skiing and Riding By: Zack McGill The “human factor” is the blanket term used by most avalanche professionals to describe common heuristic traps backcountry travelers fall…

The Nine Avalanche Problems Explained By: Zack McGill As you probably know, not all avalanches are the same. They vary in size and destructive potential and even where and how…

How To Make Sure your Avalanche TRANSCEIVER is working By: Zack McGill Avalanche beacons (transceivers) nowadays are leaps and bounds better than the original analog beacons of old. Modern three…

Repair Kits for Backpacking & MOUntaineering BY: ZACK MCGILL Gear, no matter how well you take care of it, will eventually wear out and break at some point. If a…

Leave No Trace in the Alpine By: Zack McGill If you’re reading this, you hopefully already know some basic Leave no Trace (LNT) principles. If not, check out the Leave…

How to Pack a Pack for Multi-Day Mountaineering Objectives By: Zack McGill Learning how to pack for multi-day mountaineering objectives can seem daunting at first, but have no fear! This…

WHITEOUT NAVIGATION By: Zack McGill If you’re into mountain sports, learning the basics of whiteout navigation is essential for off-trail travel in the mountains. This is especially true if you…

Basic Backcountry Navigation By: Zack McGill I’m going to sound like an old curmudgeon saying this, but folks these days rely too heavily on technology to navigate in the backcountry.…

By: Zack McGill Roped travel on glaciers There are many considerations when determining how to set up your rope team for glacier travel.  How big of crevasses are you likely…

How to Perform Crevasse Rescue By: Zack McGill If you’re going to travel in glaciated terrain, you need to have crevasse rescue dialed.  This resource is a collection of videos,…

The Alpine Climbing Guide By: Zack McGill Alpine climbing, though centuries old, is a sport in constant flux as the tools, ethics, and environment itself change.  It’s a tough arena…

The Nine Avalanche Problems Explained By: Zack McGill As you probably know, not all avalanches are the same. They vary in size and destructive potential and even where and how…

Repair Kits for Backpacking & MOUntaineering BY: ZACK MCGILL Gear, no matter how well you take care of it, will eventually wear out and break at some point. If a…

One of the most common questions we get at Cascade Mountain Ascents (CMA) is what is a cooperative? Closely followed by how is CMA’s business structure different from other guide…

Snow Algae By Ellie Ryan Pink snow? Watermelon Snow? Snow Algae? Whatever you choose to call this microscopic organism, if you’ve spent time in the PNW alpine, you’ve likely stumbled…

Chris Greyell Memorial Scholarship “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments but what is woven into the lives of others.” THUCYDIDES The Chris Greyell Memorial…

Leave No Trace in the Alpine By: Zack McGill If you’re reading this, you hopefully already know some basic Leave no Trace (LNT) principles. If not, check out the Leave…

WHITEOUT NAVIGATION By: Zack McGill If you’re into mountain sports, learning the basics of whiteout navigation is essential for off-trail travel in the mountains. This is especially true if you…