Private Intro to Backcountry Touring on Mt. Washington, NH
The same guided introduction to touring beyond the resort, on a weekday, for a group of one to six that you bring yourself.
What this is
Everything our Intro to Backcountry day is, arranged around you. Same guides, same route up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, same descent, same commitment to staying out of avalanche terrain. The difference is that it runs on a weekday, the group is people you already know, and the pace and the teaching are shaped around what your group actually wants.
People book this for a few reasons. A family wants to learn together. A group of friends wants a day without strangers. Somebody cannot make a weekend. Or somebody would simply rather learn without an audience, which is a completely reasonable thing to want and something we hear often.
How to arrange one
Email us with roughly when you are thinking, how many people, and what everyone can already ski or ride. We will tell you honestly whether a private day or one of our scheduled days is the better fit, and if it is a scheduled day we will say so.
What it costs
Pricing depends on group size, because a guided day is priced by the guide, not by the head. Email us and we will give you a straight number. Our subsidy applies here as it does everywhere else, so if cost is a barrier, say so.
What you need to be able to do
Everyone in the group needs to be comfortable and confident skiing or riding down black diamond terrain. The descent is real, in variable snow. If part of your group is not there yet, an on-resort day for $20 each is the right first step and we can often accommodate a group on one of those too.
Avalanche gear
Not required. This day stays out of avalanche terrain, exactly like our scheduled Intro days. If you want the education, that is avalanche education and AIARE.
Renting gear
You do not need to own touring gear. Mountain Sports Lab in North Conway rents a full touring setup for about $50 a day, and White Mountain Ski Co. rents backcountry equipment including splitboards for about the same. Reserve ahead, because both shops run out on good weekends. Tell us you need to rent when you register and we will point you at the right shop.