Learn Skills
Start enjoying Spring and Summer skiing! For one thing, buttery soft summer ski turns are the best way to get down the mountain. For another, Mount Hood has some of the best most accessible glacier skiing and ski mountaineering terrain of any place in the lower 48 states. That’s the reason ski teams from around the world come to train on the summer slopes below the Palmer chairlift. In our Ski Mountaineering Clinic participants will be exposed to all the fundamental skills of skiing in big mountain terrain. From efficient skinning and booting, to crampon and ice axe technique, as well as basics of roped travel, and steep skiing technique. Skills will be learned and practiced in the context of a ski tour in alpine terrain, generally above treeline.
Earn Your Turns
Our program takes you above the lift, where features like Illumination Saddle, the White River Headwall, the West Crater Rim, and the Reid Glacier are transformed into ski runs. Glacier skiing provides an experience on parts of the mountain you haven’t seen up close on many climbing trips. First thing in the morning, we’ll take the Magic Mile and the Palmer chairlifts to 8,500. Then we’ll slap on our skins and get some elevation gain for our warm-up lap. We’ll feel out the snow conditions, assess the weather, and head for our main objective for the day.
Big Mountain Free Riding
Your guide will help you hone a range of skills, from basic use of skins and avalanche equipment to advanced glacier-travel, and steep skiing concepts. Your guide will tailor the program and terrain choices to your skills and interests. This course is a great introduction to advanced ski touring in alpline terrain, and can challenge skiers of all levels.
This program is meant to help you build the skill set to make the jump from winter ski touring into spring and summer ski mountaineering terrain that requires more technical climbing skills.
In the ski mountaineering clinic you will learn crampon and ice axe techniques, and practice roped travel. You’ll also learn efficient techniques for skinning on steep slopes, and when and how to boot up instead. All of these skills are – of course – topped off with some skiing down the glaciated flanks of Mount Hood.
If the lifts are running, we’ll take the Palmer Chairlift up to 8500 feet, and tour to a location where we can teach the climbing skills. The day will capped off by a long ski descent back to Timberline Lodge.
This clinic is for skiers who want to learn the skills required to go ski mountaineering. It is a great foundation on which to build personal experience. Many skiers will click right back in the next day for a ski descent of Mount Hood with one of our guides.
