Welcome to the home of the backcountry skiing blog from Off-Piste Magazine. Here we post backcountry ski gear reviews, feature stories and avalanche safety advice, plus ski news, events and more.
Every gram counts when you spend the day earning your turns on a skin track. The Helly Hansen Odin Ultimate Jacket strikes a nice balance between lightweight minimalism, pro-level storm coverage and breathability that keeps pace with trail breaking and extended climbs. As the industry pushes to eliminate PFAS from waterproof, breathable outerwear, Helly Hansen developed LIFA INFINITY™, a professional-grade… Read More
Terrain choices and weather patterns shift daily, and your layers need to adapt. The Arc’teryx Rush jacket and pants are the GORE-TEX shells purpose-built for all things backcountry. Made with full weather protection and dedicated touring wear in mind, they let you adapt to whatever the day brings over long tours, storm days and spring missions alike. Arc’teryx Rush Jacket… Read More
In 2019, the Spearhead Huts Society successfully opened the Kees and Claire Memorial Hut, the first of three planned huts on the legendary Spearhead Traverse. The next step in their vision is the Macbeth Hut. At the approximate midpoint of the Spearhead Traverse, Macbeth will be the second of the three huts. Located on Mount Macbeth, the hut will offer… Read More
Stream the Winter Wildlands Backcountry Film Festival For more than 20 years, Winter Wildlands Alliance has produced the Backcountry Film Festival to celebrate the spirit of human-powered adventure through powerful stories that connect us to wild places, to one another and to the movement to keep winter wild. The festival has traveled the globe, raising millions of dollars to strengthen… Read More
A Ski Pack for Skiers Simple, organized design doesn’t have to mean bare-bones minimalism. The women’s Gregory Targhee 24 packs a range of features into a simple, thoughtful design that offers good organization and easy access to essential day touring gear. The Targhee has been a fixture in the Gregory backpack line for many years, and the latest edition is… Read More
Skier Gift Ideas Make your gift search easy. Check out our curated list of gift ideas for backcountry skiers. We’re talking real gear picks by real people. And it’s all stuff we actually use and endorse. Black Diamond Tour Pro Ski Gloves – $130 Ski gloves are not as glamorous as a new down puffy or a pair of skis,… Read More
Blown-In is a semi-regular look at the latest ski and outdoor industry news, featuring a collection of press releases, new products, and interesting stuff circulating on the interweb that catches our attention. This edition of Blown-In features Everest ski descents, an epic bike-to-climb adventure, a women-centric ski film tour and the latest NOAA winter weather forecast. Girl Winter Ski Film… Read More
Winter Snow Forecast 2025-26 – La Niña Chances on the Rise Greetings, weather nerds. The winter snow forecast predictions are starting to take shape. The NOAA Climate Prediction Center is calling for the development of weak La Niña conditions this winter. While the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) was neutral through the end of August 2025, with near-average sea surface temperatures… Read More
Black Mountain Productions Presents Moving Line Black Mountain Productions’ first documentary short, Moving Line, tells the story of the first crossing of Colorado by ski. In 1978, three adventurous skiers embarked on an extraordinary journey, starting in Durango, CO, and skiing a continuous line across the entire state, finishing near the Wyoming border. Moving Line explores the incredible 490-mile trek… Read More
Blown-In — A semi-regular look at the latest ski and outdoor industry news bits is a collection of press releases, new products, and interesting stuff circulating on the interweb that catches our attention. This edition of Blown-In features recent ski movie drops, winter 2025-26 weather outlook and Olympic skimo. TGR Ski Movie Drop – Pressure Drop TGR’s latest ski film,… Read More
Bikepacking Route Craft 101 “All that is gold does not glitter. Not all those who wander are lost.” — JR Tolkien. Gandolf’s words to Frodo as the Hobbit departs in search of Aragorn are equally sage advice for those looking to learn the art of creating bikepacking and adventure gravel routes. Route craft requires equal parts map reading skills, curiosity… Read More
April showers may bring May flowers, but March is when I start itching to ride more. March has its fair share of showers, so getting out means wearing rain gear. I will go out on a limb and suggest that no one really wants to ride their bike in the rain. It’s more something that happens because you ride a… Read More
No matter how well your ski boots fit, taking them off at the end of the day always feels good. We all have our fave shoes to slip into after a day in our ski boots. Blundstones, Bogs, Sorels, or even comfy sneakers work, but I recently discovered a new favorite après-ski boot — XTRATUF Deck Boots, specifically the fleece-lined… Read More
Blown-In — A semi-regular look at the latest ski and outdoor industry news bits is a collection of press releases, new products, and interesting stuff circulating on the interweb that catches our attention. This edition of Blown-In features recent avalanche activity, Black Diamond gets subpoenaed, the Hilaree Nelson Education Scholarship and the Rocky Talkie Search and Rescue Scholarship Award. Elevated… Read More
Tour Better – Tips for Better Ski Touring Backcountry skiing is a balance of adventure, fitness and skills. The more you tour, the better your systems and the smoother the day. I surveyed a few ski pals for their favorite backcountry skiing tips and tricks. From planning and layering to gear maintenance and must-have items, here are our top 10… Read More
