Backcountry Programs
Each is a fully guided program on Mt. Washington (NH) with professional instructors operating under a White Mountain National Forest permit. They focus on skills, safety, and building confidence in real backcountry terrain. They are best for people who have toured on resort and are ready for a next step into the backcountry. We run programs on Mt. Washington most Saturdays and Sundays from January through March.
Programs require advance registration and have limited capacity. Choose the program type that fits you best, then pick the location and date that work for your winter.
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Intro to Backcountry
Our Intro to Backcountry Program gives participants a structured, East Coast focused entry into traveling beyond the resort. You will learn essential skills like equipment use, uphill and downhill travel techniques, group communication, and how to make good decisions in backcountry terrain, all in an inclusive, welcoming environment.
In addition to the standard day, we also offer Women’s Intro to Backcountry and Queer Intro to Backcountry options for participants who prefer identity centered groups.
The course does not include avalanche education and does not enter avalanche terrain, so a beacon, shovel, and probe are not required.
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Intro to Ski / Snowboard Mountaineering
Our Advanced Backcountry Program gives participants a higher level, East Coast focused progression for traveling in more complex terrain.
You will build on prior touring experience with advanced uphill techniques, movement on steeper or firmer snow, introductions to mountaineering tools, and terrain and hazard awareness, all in the same inclusive, welcoming environment.
This course is intended for participants who are comfortable with basic touring and want to expand their skills into more demanding objectives.
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AIARE Level 1
Our AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course gives participants a structured introduction to avalanche safety, decision making, and travel in winter backcountry terrain, taught in the same inclusive, welcoming style as our other programs.
You will learn how avalanches form, how to recognize and manage terrain, how to plan a tour, and how to use rescue equipment with a team.
Offered once each year through our partnership with Northeast Mountaineering, this course is available exclusively to IST members and past participants at a reduced rate of $275 (regularly $550), making formal avalanche education more accessible to our community.
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Private Intro to Backcountry
Our Private Intro to Backcountry days give individuals and small groups a dedicated, skills focused entry into traveling beyond the resort, without having to join a public course.
Offered on weekdays for groups of 1–6, you will learn essential skills like equipment setup and use, uphill and downhill travel techniques, effective group communication, and how to make good decisions in backcountry terrain, all in an inclusive, welcoming environment, just like our public Intro to Backcountry days.
This course does not include avalanche education and does not enter avalanche terrain, so a beacon, shovel, and probe are not required.
