Can you learn to backcountry ski online?
It sounds ridiculous at first. Of course not, but...maybe?An activity like backcountry skiing requires a range of foundational movement, knowledge, and technical skills. Each element ultimately needs to be applied in the field for learning to truly take root. This takes time and often includes many mistakes and, sometimes, exposure to significant risk.
Online learning can not take the place of hands-on, field-based learning. But effective online learning, taught by highly experienced professionals, can supercharge field-based learning and provide a beneficial short-cut towards the hard earned knowledge and experience of the pros.
The best online courses for backcountry skiing (and splitboarding) are developed and taught by Mark Smiley on his Mountain Sense website. Of the 10+ courses that Mark has developed, there are four in particular that will be of special interest to readers of Backcountry Skiing Canada.
- Ski Mountaineering course
- Backcountry Splitboard Mountaineering course
- Avalanche Safety course
- Crevasse Rescue course
Each of these courses delivers high quality content in a format that allows learners to follow at their own pace and to pause, rewind, and return to key points at any time. This is especially helpful when considering skills like crevasse rescue which are critical tools for safe backcountry travel on glaciers but may not be something that is practiced very often.
The newest course of those four is a Backcountry Splitboard Mountaineering course. This course was developed and is taught by Mark in collaboration with Canadian splitboarders and ACMG Guides Adam Zok and Joey Vosburgh. The videos include content - obviosuly - specific to splitboarding and is designed to bring beginners and intermediate riders up to speed with equipment, touring technique, style, and transitions. Expert, experienced riders will benefit particularly from the technical sections which include learning how to use minimal gear to belay steep entrances, travel on glaciers, and creating snow anchors with anything.
The glut of information online can make it hard to know who to trust and where to go for reliable knowledge and education. The courses available through Mountain Sense are a great place to start.
Jerry Isaak is an Associate Teaching Professor and the program lead for ski touring in the Adventure Studies Department at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia. He is an AMGA certified Ski Guide and has guided backcountry ski adventures in Iceland, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, and throughout the United States and western Canada.