Contents
Before You Start
A tour demands more preparation than a resort day. A first tour starts days before you put on your skins.
This guide assumes you can ski or snowboard confidently on red runs and have basic fitness. If you are a complete beginner on skis, get comfortable on piste first. If you have never used touring equipment, consider a guided introduction day with a mountain guide.
Step 1: Assess Your Fitness
Ski touring is an endurance sport. A typical first tour involves 500-800 metres of elevation gain over 2-4 hours of skinning, followed by the descent.
If you can hike uphill for 2-3 hours at a moderate pace without stopping, you are fit enough for a beginner tour. If not, spend a few weeks doing cardio (running, cycling, stair climbing) before your first tour. Arriving exhausted at the top makes for dangerous decision-making on the way down.
Start with shorter tours (400-600 m of elevation gain) and work up. Turning around early is part of it.
Step 2: Choose Appropriate Terrain
Your first tour should be on moderate terrain with a known skin track. Look for routes with these characteristics:
Elevation gain: 500-800 metres. Slope angle on descent: under 30°, below typical release angles, and not under steeper slopes. Terrain: open slopes with good visibility, no cliff bands or major terrain traps. Access: well-known starting point with reliable parking.
Many ski resorts have designated touring routes that follow groomed or well-travelled paths. These are excellent for a first experience because the terrain is familiar and help is nearby.
Use BEYOND to look at possible routes in 3D before committing. Check slope angles, identify the skin track, and understand the terrain features you will encounter. Working it out at your desk leaves more attention for the snow and the group once you are on the mountain.
Step 3: Check Conditions
Check the avalanche bulletin the evening before and again on the morning of your tour. The bulletin tells you the danger level, which aspects and elevations are most affected, and which avalanche problems exist.
For your first tour, aim for danger level 1 (Low) or 2 (Moderate). At these levels, you can plan a tour that stays below 30°, out from under steeper slopes, and off the aspects and elevations the bulletin names. Do not go on your first tour at danger level 3 or above.
Check the weather forecast. Visibility matters: whiteout conditions make navigation difficult and hazard assessment impossible. Wind affects snow transport and creates wind slabs on lee slopes. Precipitation during or before your tour changes the snowpack.
For a detailed guide on interpreting the bulletin, read our how to read an avalanche bulletin guide.
Step 4: Plan Your Route
A good route plan includes:
Starting point and parking. Skin track description (which side of the valley, through forest or open terrain). Summit or turnaround point. Descent line. Estimated time (ascent and descent). Turnaround time (the latest time you will start descending, regardless of where you are).
Write down your plan and share it with someone who is not coming. Include your expected return time and a phone number. If you do not return, this information helps rescue services find you.
Identify decision points along the route where you can reassess conditions. If the snow, weather, or group energy does not match your plan, you need to be ready to change your route or turn back.
Step 5: Gear Check
The night before, lay out all your gear and run through the checklist. Check your transceiver's batteries, and charge your phone and GPS watch. Pack food and water. Check the weather forecast one more time.
Essential gear: transceiver, probe, shovel, touring skis or splitboard with skins, appropriate clothing layers, map, phone, food, and water. For a complete gear list, see our backcountry gear essentials guide.
In the morning, do a transceiver group check before leaving the car. One person switches to search mode; the others stay on send and walk past one at a time, so you know every device works.
Step 6: On the Mountain
Start early. The best snow conditions are usually in the morning before solar radiation affects the snowpack. An early start also gives you a time buffer if the tour takes longer than expected.
Set a steady pace on the ascent. You should be able to hold a conversation. If you are gasping, slow down. Drink regularly and eat small amounts every hour. Dehydration and low blood sugar impair decision-making.
Stop at natural rest points (flat areas, ridge crests) to check conditions and regroup. Look at the snow surface: recent wind loading, cracks, or whoompfing sounds are warning signs. If you see any of these signs, reassess your route.
Step 7: The Descent
Before descending, take a moment to assess the slope. Look for signs of instability from above: recent avalanche activity, wind loading, convex rolls. If the slope is steeper than expected or conditions have changed since your planning, use an alternative descent.
Descend one person at a time on any slope that could avalanche. The first person down tests the snow while others watch from a sheltered spot out of the runout. Regroup at islands of safety: areas protected by terrain features like ridges or rock outcrops.
Ski or ride conservatively. You are tired from the ascent. Backcountry snow is variable: hardpack, wind crust, powder, and ice can alternate within a single run. Control your speed and stay in terrain you are comfortable with.
Group Management
A group of 3-4 people works for a first tour. With two, one person does the whole rescue. More than 5 makes coordination difficult.
Designate a leader but make decisions collectively. Anyone in the group can call a stop or suggest turning back, and this should be respected without question.
Stay together. In poor visibility or complex terrain, maintain visual contact. On the descent, agree on regrouping points before dropping in.
If someone in the group is struggling physically, adapt the plan. An exhausted partner cannot make good decisions and is a liability on technical terrain. Shortening the tour is always an option.
Common First-Tour Mistakes
Going too big. A 1500m tour with a 40-degree descent is not a first tour. Start small, learn the systems, build experience.
Ignoring the bulletin. "It looks fine" is not a risk assessment. Read the bulletin, understand the problems, and plan accordingly.
Overdressing for the ascent. You will overheat. Start cold and layer up at stops.
No turnaround time. Set a hard deadline for starting your descent.
Not practicing rescue. Knowing you have a transceiver is useless if you cannot find a burial in 5 minutes. Practice in a park before you need it for real.