Adventure Magazine Issue 220

Playing Safe
Words and Images by Aspiring Guides
After months of restricted outdoor access, we can all attest to
what a precious commodity time in the mountains is-- all the
more reason to ensure that it is time well spent. You might
have spent Lockdown stocking up on the latest gear, or have
the ability to carve it up like a pro, but planning a successful
backcountry ski trip is about taking a holistic approach. Here
are six tips to help you prepare for a season of safe and
memorable (in the right ways) backcountry touring.
• Use a variety of sources when planning
your route. Topographic maps are a good
source of information and can be useful for
approximations of slope steepness, but they
don’t necessarily contain enough information
to determine whether a route is feasible or not.
Vertical spacing between contour lines often
means that a lot of detail is lost, so use these
maps alongside other sources of information
that will fill in the gaps. These could be photos
or videos from the location, or check out online
visualisation tools such as Fatmap®.
Ski touring on Black Peak means epic views over Lake Wanaka.
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