Whistler Backcountry Skiing and Splitboarding
Overview
Enjoy awesome backcountry skiing or splitboarding near the Whistler Blackcomb ski area with the safety of a professional, local guide. Start the morning on the gondola to access the backcountry, then leave those lift lines behind. Fresh powder and gorgeous views are within your reach! This is a must-do activity on your Whistler vacation!
Inclusions
- Professional ski guide
- Small group tour
What to expect
Itinerary
The day starts by riding the gondola up the mountain. From there we ski or ride and begin skinning out to the backcountry. Then we spend the day touring with short breaks for water and food.
The day starts by riding the gondola up the mountain. From there we ski or ride and begin skinning out to the backcountry. Then we spend the day touring with short breaks for water and food.
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Minimum of 2 guests are required to run the tour.
- Tours are subject to avalanche conditions. If canceled due to extreme conditions, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund.
- Not for beginner/green-run skiers or snowboarders. Strong intermediate skills in all snow conditions are required.
- Good fitness is required. Not recommended for participants with heart conditions or other serious medical conditions.
- Dress appropriately for a full winter day in the backcountry in varying conditions.
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Face masks required for travelers in public areas
- Face masks required for guides in public areas
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
- Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 2 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
Solocamino
January 2022
Took the AST 1 course and enjoyed it very much! Super informative and Corey the instructor did a great job at it!
Took the AST 1 course and enjoyed it very much! Super informative and Corey the instructor did a great job at it!WorldRoamer20
March 2021
Hi All, I came to MSAA as a new backcountry adventurer. I have been skiing since i was 2 years old (mainly on the east coast) and wanted to expand my skillsets into this new world. From the beginning, MSAA was extremely helpful by giving me insights and pointing towards the best courses for my go...
Hi All, I came to MSAA as a new backcountry adventurer. I have been skiing since i was 2 years old (mainly on the east coast) and wanted to expand my skillsets into this new world. From the beginning, MSAA was extremely helpful by giving me insights and pointing towards the best courses for my goals. I spoke with both Olie and Kat who were very helpful in helping me understand where to best spend my time. I would highly recommend either of them for guidance on how to develop your skills for many adventures including backcountry for beginners and those more advanced. I eventually settled on doing MSAA's academy program called Build the Base, which gave me 3 complete days in the wild learning and exploring. For where I was I think it was perfect. Intro to Back Country I went out with Nolan, who right off the bat was super welcoming, accommodating and interested in helping me learn. We started off by going over some of the basics and evaluating Avalanche Canada to get a little bit of context. I think this was the perfect amount of prep to really start thinking about the terrain in different ways. Nolan also made the day enjoyable by ensuring we got some runs in and some considerable amount of climbing. As in shape as I thought I was, Nolan was barely sweating. I highly recommend him for any adventure at any level. AST1 Next up, I was hopped into the classroom and started digging away at the fundamentals of avalanches that really changed everything for me. Rob was the teacher and from the moment we walked into the classroom he was extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and passionate about both the material and our safety. I cannot stress enough how important it is to build out the foundation in order to ensure safety out in the wild. Rob, ensured we absorbed enough material and had what we need to continue learning outside of the classroom. After my two days here, I was able to speak more of the lingo and really get hooked on snow science. Once again, I would highly recommend Rob as an instructor, can't go wrong! Foundation Clinic Finally, I met up with Nolan again and this time I think my experience was more productive. Having had a taste of the snow and a deeper classroom experience, I had the tools ready to work with Nolan on evaluating the snow, conditions, terrain, and weather on a much deeper level. Once Nolan saw that my knowledge gap was filled, he started pushing more advanced questions ensuring I got the most out of my time. Combine this with his utter passion for skiing and we had an incredible day. I would say probably one of my favorite days of skiing at Whistler even though the avalanche conditions were high. I felt safe and in control and was able to really put my new found skills to the test. Thanks Nolan. Once again, I would highly recommend Nolan for any class or adventures you may be looking at. Overall, my whole experience was incredibly pleasant with everyone I interacted with at MSAA. Everyone took part in ensuring I had the best experience and this is why for any future backcountry adventures I will choose MSAA. I hope this review helps any future adventurers!jppotters
February 2019
Amazing 2 day course covering a great intro to avalanche safety. Shout outs to Randy and Josh who were both amazing guides. A great experience from start to finish. Professional, informed and well delivered. Thank you MSAA for an amazing 2 days.
Amazing 2 day course covering a great intro to avalanche safety. Shout outs to Randy and Josh who were both amazing guides. A great experience from start to finish. Professional, informed and well delivered. Thank you MSAA for an amazing 2 days.J7436PRdeanh
January 2019
My friends and I just completed our AST1 course with MSA, our guide Rob was awesome. He was super knowledgeable and relayed the information in an easy to understand way. I highly recommend MSA and Rob for anyone who wishes to learn more about the backcountry, avalanches and snowpack assessing.
My friends and I just completed our AST1 course with MSA, our guide Rob was awesome. He was super knowledgeable and relayed the information in an easy to understand way. I highly recommend MSA and Rob for anyone who wishes to learn more about the backcountry, avalanches and snowpack assessing.Andrew W
January 2019
I just wanted to say a massive thank you to the team at Mountain Skills Academy for providing my group and I with an incredible two days, full of information and fun on our AST1 course. It was an incredible experience and everyone had an amazing time, we all learnt tons of essential skills and in...
I just wanted to say a massive thank you to the team at Mountain Skills Academy for providing my group and I with an incredible two days, full of information and fun on our AST1 course. It was an incredible experience and everyone had an amazing time, we all learnt tons of essential skills and intend to keep expanding our knowledge base! The entire team provided amazing customer service including and not limited to quick responses to all emails, flexible dates and and were more than happy to cater for some unexpected changes along the way. A massive thank you to our guide/instructor James, he was by far the best guide/instructor I have been able to learn from, very knowledgeable and easy to understand. He took extra time out of his day to teach us some key touring tips and tricks such as how to perform kick turns correctly which was awesome. We all will definitely be recommending Mountain Skills Academy to our friends and everyone looking to expanding their mountain knowledgeSam L
January 2018
Awesome experience. The weather was on our side and the conditions were just perfect with waist deep powder. Our guide was great and brought us safely to incredible terrain. Couldn't have been better.
Awesome experience. The weather was on our side and the conditions were just perfect with waist deep powder. Our guide was great and brought us safely to incredible terrain. Couldn't have been better.