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.
Backcountry Skier Personalities One could argue that a Rando Racer is not really a backcountry skier, and that the easiest way to take the fun out of backcountry skiing is to time it. But there’s been some bleed over between the rando race scene and the lightweight touring world, so here is the Rando Racer backcountry skier profile. Stay tuned… Read More
Surf, Slash, Slarve The latest board in the backcountry ski test quiver to get the most-favored status is the Ogso Corbets. Named after the famed Corbet’s Couloir that’s accessible from the Jackson Hole Ski Resort, it measures in at 110mm underfoot. It’s a dedicated backcountry powder ski with a nimble, surfy feel and even-tempered personality that makes for effortless powder… Read More
Voile HyperDrifter – Modern Powder Slashing for the Traditionalist Voile has long focused on wide powder ski designs. As a dedicated backcountry brand with the famed deep snow of the Wasatch as their testing grounds, it only makes sense. From the early Mountain Surf to the more contemporary Drifter and Charger models, they have been building skis that set the… Read More
Chest Harness or Pants Pocket – What’s the Best Place to Wear Your Avalanche Transceiver Standard protocol for wearing an avalanche transceiver has long been strapped to your chest in its harness. In the last handful of years, more and more skiers are moving to storing their beacons in a pants pocket. Using a pant pocket makes for convenient access… Read More
Salomon TV Freeski Collective 2020 Movie Trailer Each day is one day closer to getting on snow and skiing . . . Get ready to make the most of it when it gets here. Salomon TV has some motivation for you with their fall/winter 2020 Freeski Collective Movie Trailer
Climbing Skins Maintenance and Glue Refresh Tips Climbing skin glue doesn’t last forever. It gets dirty, becomes patchy and turns gooey. Skin glue problems can wreck an otherwise excellent day of skiing. But there are some climbing skin maintenance tips and tricks to help you avoid the full (dreaded) reglue project. Refresh Climbing Skin Glue – Iron Your Skins Retouching… Read More
Abandoned – A Film about Lost Ski Areas Abandoned is about a crew of backcountry skiers who set out to explore Colorado’s lost ski areas in hopes to find adventure amongst the ruins. Instead, they discover the truth behind what made these areas close their doors for good and illustrates what skiing used to be like before mega resorts and… Read More
Ski Mountaineering Harnesses As a skier first and a mountaineer second, it’s not often that I use a harness while ski touring. But when the going gets technical or crevassed, you don’t want to be left wishing you had a harness with you. Here are two great ski mountaineering harnesses that offer no excuse to leave them at home. They… Read More
It’s never too early to inspire your spring and summer volcano ski objectives. The DPS film crew travelled to Chile in search of mountain culture and skiing to brings us WALLMAPU. The Pehuenche people of present-day Chile speak Mapudungun: ‘the language of the land.’ This land, their universe, is known as Wallmapu. Two skiers enter into a breathtaking creation of… Read More
G3 Alpinist+ Climbing Skins – Glide Model I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: climbing skins are one of the most underrated pieces of gear we use. Yet without skins, we can’t do what we do: climb up to ski down. Having used nearly every type of climbing skin available over the years, I prefer skins with. a hybrid… Read More
Eco-Wax Ski Wax Last year we reviewed a product called SnowShed, a silicone-based spray for ski top sheets that helps reduce snow build-up while touring. The spray is environmentally friendly, sourced in the USA and it works to help keep your top sheets free of snow. This season, the company, now called mountainFLOW eco-wax, has expanded their line to include two… Read More
DPS Shadow Campaign – Ski Photographer DPS Skis presents the latest in their ski film series – Ski Photographer Drawn to the mountains in search of the ski bum lifestyle, Oskar Enander had no intention of ever becoming a ski photographer. Today, Oskar’s iconic and unique perspective is highly sought after in the ski world. And yet, he shoots very… Read More
Ski making may have evolved since the days of hand-hewn boards, but we are all motivated by the same sensation of sliding on snow. Here’s a quirky ski video that runs through the traditional wooden ski making process. Just remember that, “One wrong chop and it’s nothing but firewood . . .”
Ski Dreams – DPS Cinematic Volume V – The Abbey Getting closer to winter . . . DPS skis offers fresh fuel to stoke the ski dreams. Shadow Campaign Volume V – Episode I – The Abbey A lone skier arrives in town, only to find abysmally wet and soggy conditions. Seeking respite from the rain, he finds solace and redemption… Read More
Adventure Map – Rogers Pass Given GPS enabled phones and Google Earth, one might ask who needs a traditional folding map? Modern technology can be awesome, but paper maps are multi-purpose planning, navigation and entertainment tools. A good map of the area should be considered required equipment when visiting a new place. The Rogers Pass Adventure Map (winter version) offers a… Read More
