Our spring steep and deep camp provides the aspiring steep skier/rider with the tools to access terrain they would have otherwise left untouched.

Working in low-ratio groups, our guides will cover skills such as; snow anchors, belaying/rappelling, steep snow climbing, and crevasse rescue. We will review and teach these skills in a safe setting, before applying them in bigger terrain features.  For this course we will spend three nights in the field, winter camping, with great skiing objectives nearby. If you’ve dreamed of organizing a ski descent of Mt. Rainier or traveling to AK to hit the dream lines, this course will prepare you.

Trip Details

We will meet at a predetermined location in either La Grande or Union at 7:30 am to have breakfast and review our plan for Day 1.  The drive to one of our chosen trailheads is only 30 minutes from La Grande.  Once at the trailhead, we begin a snowmobile tow for roughly 4-6 miles.  From the end of the snowmobile tow, we will shoulder our overnight loads and head into the Eagle Cap Wilderness to set up camp for 3 nights.  We will skin for 3-4 hours before setting up our backcountry tent village.

We require that all guests have an avalanche beacon, shovel & probe for our outings. 

Day 1:  

  • Skin for up to 4 hours to our backcountry camp
  • Winter camping, tent setup and maintenance
  • Using a backcountry stove to cook and make water
  • Staying warm and comfortable in the mountains
  • Prepping camp for severe weather
  • Snowpack assessment for steep skiing

Day 2: 

  • Snow school–ice axe and crampon use and self arrest
  • Rope work, knots, belaying and rappelling
  • Anchors
  • Travel a short distance to some nearby steep terrain to work on skills covered in morning
  • End of the day wrap up, crevasse rescue demo

Day 3:  

  • Entire day out skiing steep lines, assessing terrain for risk and proper technical application
  • Rope work for accessing steep lines on belay or rappel
  • Steep skiing techniques to stay in control and maintain adequate safety margin

Day 4: 

  • ½ day ski mountaineering objective
  • Start skiing back towards snowmobile
  • Ski/snowmobile back to trailhead

Difficulty: Good fitness, advanced downhill ski skills, and previous ski touring experience required:

Meeting Time: 7:30am local cafe

Requirements:

  • Approximately 20 days of previous ski touring experience
  • Able to ski tour at least 3000 vertical feet per day
  • Ability to ski slopes 35 degrees in steepness in difficult snow conditions

What we Provide:

  • Professional trained mountain guide
  • Mega Mids for sleeping
  • Ropes
  • Snowmobile tow

What You Need:

  • Food for 4 days total, 3 breakfasts, 3 dinners (see meal planning guide)
  • Ski crampons and boot crampons, ice axe, harness, belay device, helmet, carabiners
  • Alpine touring equipment – rubber-soled AT boots with walk mode required, Dynafit-style bindings strongly encouraged
  • Splitboarding equipment – hard boot, “Dyna-split” style set up strongly encouraged
  • Backcountry skiing clothing and equipment
  • Down booties
  • Sleeping bag
  • Review the full equipment list

March 20-23, 2024 (1 spot open)

March 27-30, 2024 (6 spots open)

$1500

Minimum 2 guests, max 6

Select persons, options, and pick a date

From: $1,500.00

503-329-6603

info@eaglecapmountainguides.com

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What our clients say about this trip

If you are looking for a knowledgeable, professional and friendly guide service look no further! I attended the ECMG’s Splitboard mountaineering camp with Victor as my guide. Victor was able to provide valuable knowledge, skills and experiences catered directly towards the group’s goals for the trip. I had an incredible experience and came away with the confidence and ability to start pursuing more backcountry riding. 5 star service all the way around!

We are accepting reservations for overnight and day skiing trips for 2025. Email info@eaglecapmountainguides.com if you are interested.

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