Our Programs
Inclusive Ski Touring programs are designed to make uphill travel easy to try, affordable, and welcoming. Whether you are clipping into touring gear for the first time or looking for a community to tour with all winter, this is where to start.
Our On Resort Programs take place at partner mountains and are volunteer led, low cost, and beginner friendly. Each program is built to lower barriers, support both new and returning participants, and help you connect with an inclusive uphill community.
Our Backcountry Programs are a guided next step for people who want to travel beyond the resort. These days happen on Mt. Washington with professional instructors and focus on skills, safety, and confidence.
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.
On Resort Programs
Each program moves at a supportive group pace so no one is rushed or left behind, and uses subsidized costs to keep participation accessible. Sessions are centered on support, celebration, and building an inclusive uphill community in a welcoming environment.
Participants must be comfortable descending blue terrain at the host mountain.
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Open to All Program's
Our Open to All Program creates an inclusive, empowering space for anyone who wants to learn uphill travel or simply tour with a supportive community.
Offered at multiple partner mountains, this program will run at Mt. Abram (ME), Dartmouth Skiway (NH), Cranmore (NH), Bromley (VT), with a potential Colorado pilot location.
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Women's Programs
Our Women’s Program creates an inclusive, empowering space for women and non-binary individuals to learn touring and connect with others who share their identities and experiences.
Offered at multiple partner mountains, this program will run at Mt. Abram (ME), Dartmouth Skiway (NH), and Cranmore (NH)
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BIPOC Programs
Our BIPOC Program creates an inclusive, empowering space for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to learn touring and connect with others who share their identities and experiences.
Offered at Mt. Abram (ME), these sessions are intentionally centered on belonging, representation, and access in a welcoming, community focused setting.
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Queer Programs
Our Queer Program creates an inclusive, affirming space for LGBTQ+ participants to learn touring and connect with others who share their identities and experiences.
Offered at Mt. Abram (ME), these sessions are centered on belonging, visibility, and joy in the outdoors, and are led by facilitators who prioritize safety, respect, and a welcoming community experience.
Backcountry Programs
Each is a fully guided program with professional instructors operating under a White Mountain National Forest permit. It is best for people who have toured on resort and are ready for a next step into the backcountry. Participants must be comfortable descending black diamond terrain.
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Intro to Backcountry Program
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.
The course does not include avalanche education and does not enter avalanche terrain, so a beacon, shovel, and probe are not required. 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.
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Advanced Backcountry Program
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.
Offered at multiple partner mountains, this program will run at Mt. Abram (ME), Dartmouth Skiway (NH), and Cranmore (NH)
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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, 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.
