Introducing Inclusive Ski Touring’s Blog
Regardless of experience or skill, we all have stories from the mountains that are worth sharing. This blog is meant to enable the Inclusive Ski Touring community to honestly and openly share their experiences. Through storytelling, we hope to spark more community and provide a space for members, volunteers, and leaders to reflect, inspire, teach, and learn, without judgement.
Like everything we do, the blog will echo and support our mission to "create an inclusive and welcoming community that opens the world of uphill skiing and split-boarding to everyone." It will extend IST's "vibrant learning environment" and amplify the diverse voices that are, and wish to be, part of the ski touring and outdoor community.
Blog Guidelines
Blogs can come from anyone in the IST community — members, trip leaders, volunteers, board members, etc. Each blog post will be reviewed and edited for length and clarity by an IST blog curator. Posts are recommended to be between 250–500 words for on-resort and shorter trip reports, and up to 800 words for longer adventure or backcountry reports. Pictures are encouraged. Please see Photo Guidelines below.
Types of Blog Posts
IST Trip Reports: Brief summaries of IST trips, written by either a leader or participant, that include lessons learned, highlights, and personal/group achievements from the trip. Posts should also include a brief conditions report that will be helpful to others planning to tour at that location. An option to sign up to write the trip report could be included in trip registration.
Adventure Reports: Blog posts about touring and backcountry trips taken by IST members outside of IST programs. Posts should also include a brief conditions report that will be helpful to others planning to tour at that location.
Inclusivity Reports: Blog posts about building and finding diverse, inclusive communities in the mountains and outdoor recreation.
Why We Support IST: Blog posts from sponsors, partners, and members about why they support and value IST.
Skills & Resources: Educational posts on topics such as gear selection, training tips, layering, understanding avalanche safety, and resort uphill etiquette. These posts support newer members and complement the resources already available on the IST website.
Tone & Voice
Posts should reflect IST's welcoming spirit. Try to avoid technical jargon (and provide explanations if it can’t be avoided), gear-elitist language, and comparisons that might make others feel like their experience is lesser. All skill levels and backgrounds are part of this community, and posts should reflect that. Posts should not include content that contradicts or undermines IST's values around equity, inclusion, and belonging. The blog curator and IST leadership have discretion to request revisions or decline posts that conflict with the community's core principles.
Submission Process
Submit posts to zach@inclusiveskitouring.org and tmwitkin@gmail.com.
Contributors can expect to hear back from the blog curator within two weeks. The curator will follow up with any edits or feedback before a post goes live. Contributors will have a chance to review edits before publication.
Photo Guidelines
Photos are encouraged and help bring posts to life.
Only submit photos for which you have permission to publish. Anyone identifiable in a photo should have given their consent.
Include a brief caption for each photo (who, what, where).
By submitting photos, contributors grant IST the right to publish the images on the IST website and in related IST communications.
Safety Disclaimer
Trip reports and adventure posts may include route descriptions and conditions information. Conditions in the mountains change rapidly — always conduct your own research and safety assessment before heading out. IST is not responsible for decisions made based on information shared in blog posts.
Contributor Bios
Each post should include a 2–3 sentence contributor bio at the end. This is your chance to share a bit about who you are, your connection to IST, and what gets you out in the mountains. Bios help readers connect with the people behind the stories and celebrate the diverse voices in our community.
