Plan your trip
What type of skier or rider are you?
Your backcountry skiing ability is a combination of your fitness, your pace and your skiing or riding skills in backcountry conditions.
As you think about your ability and embark on your trip, don’t be disappointed if you find that your backcountry skiing skills, pace and fitness don’t match what you experience at your favourite resort – there is a very valid reason for that! Read on to learn more.
Backcountry skiing
Backcountry skiing – there are no marked runs, signage, manicured slopes or boundary ropes here. It’s what makes it so addicting and incredible to experience, but it’s also what warrants a little extra know-how.
We try our best to only take you to areas that suit your on-snow abilities, but the realities of skiing in the wilderness means some terrain features are unavoidable. So, even if you’re visiting one of our destinations known for more moderate terrain, expect to still encounter pockets of steep incline and more rugged landscape changes while you’re skiing.
Unlike a well-groomed resort run, a single backcountry skiing run might include sections of terrain and snow conditions that alternate between blue, black and double-black resort ratings. For example, a run may begin on a ridge with a short section of wind-crusted snow, then transition to the wide-open alpine with a moderate incline and perfect powder snow. Further down, that same run might funnel through trees, tracked or crusty snow, bumps, or a gulley on the way to the snowcat pick-up location.
Don’t be nervous – knowing exactly what to expect is powerful. When you know, you can feel better prepared, and you won’t be surprised when you’re out there. And trust us, navigating the more challenging turns is worth every single blissful moment of the perfectly floaty powder turns!
Your skiing & riding experience
Think about the types of runs you ski or ride during a typical day at your home resort. Ask yourself: what percentage of time do I spend on ‘blue’ rated runs versus ‘black diamond’ or ‘double-black diamond?’ How much time do I spend on groomers versus moguls, trees and glades? How do crud, crust, tracked powder, moguls and rugged terrain affect and change my skiing?
With that in mind, read the following descriptions and decide which one rings truest for you.
Relaxed
Experience
I have good to strong technique on groomed runs but little-to-no experience skiing/riding powder snow, off-piste at a resort or backcountry (ie: touring, heli-skiing or cat skiing).
Terrain
I ski/ride at a moderate to fast pace in easy and open terrain and on groomed runs. I slow down significantly in challenging or treed terrain and in tough snow conditions, often relying on traverses or slow, cautious turns to get down the slope.
Mindset
I have some fear and apprehension of treed terrain and challenging conditions but can get down the run at my own pace with multiple stops.
Breaks & flow
I like to ski shorter pitches at a relaxed pace with lots of breaks to rest.
Snowboarders
As a snowboarder, I am challenged by traverses and maintaining my speed in flat sections.
Good
Experience
I have good technique and I frequently ski/ride off-piste at a resort or backcountry (ie: touring, heli-skiing or cat skiing).
Terrain & pace
I ski/ride at a fast pace in easy to moderate terrain and on groomed runs. I slow down in challenging or treed terrain and in tough snow conditions, sometimes relying on slow, cautious turns or traverses, but still maintain a continuous pace without prolonged stops.
Mindset
I can feel a bit hesitant in treed terrain and challenging conditions but not enough to significantly interrupt my skiing or riding.
Breaks & flow
I like moderately long pitches with occasional breaks to rest.
Snowboarders
As a snowboarder, I find traverses and flat sections challenging but am still able to maintain a continuous pace.
Strong
Experience
I have strong technique and I frequently ski/ride off-piste at a resort or backcountry (ie: touring, heli-skiing or cat skiing).
Terrain & pace
I ski/ride at a fast pace and can navigate any alpine and treed terrain. I slow down slightly when snow conditions are challenging, but I’m able to maintain a continuous rhythm and pace.
Mindset
I approach challenging snow conditions with some caution, but I know I can manage them well.
Breaks & flow
I like long pitches with occasional breaks to rest.
Snowboarders
As a snowboarder, I don’t find traverses and flat sections that tough. I’m able to maintain a continuous pace.
Expert to pro
Experience
I have expert to outstanding technique and extensive off-piste or backcountry experience (ie: touring, heli-skiing or cat skiing).
Terrain & pace
I ski/ride at a fast, aggressive pace and can confidently navigate any alpine and treed terrain. On my worst day, I may slow down a bit in the most challenging snow conditions but mostly maintain a strong and fluid pace.
Mindset
I thrive and shine in challenging terrain and snow conditions. In fact, I often seek out tree skiing – the steeper the better!
Breaks & flow
I like non-stop runs all day long with minimal breaks to rest.
Not quite ready
You might not yet be ready to try heli-skiing if the following statements resonate with you. If that’s the case, don’t dismiss the possibility of one day experiencing the best powder turns of your life! Talk with our team and we can make recommendations for how to work towards a trip..
Experience
I have good technique on easy groomed runs but no experience skiing/riding powder snow, off-piste or backcountry (ie: touring, heli-skiing or cat skiing).
Terrain
When faced with treed or challenging terrain, I find it difficult to link consecutive turns down the fall line. At a resort, I might occasionally try a black diamond run, but I definitely don’t venture down double-black runs.
Mindset
I feel intimidated by the thought of treed terrain and challenging conditions. I try to avoid this type of terrain in my day-to-day skiing/riding.
Breaks & flow
I need a very relaxed pace with plenty of breaks.
Snowboarders
As a snowboarder, I’m not yet able to do traverses or maintain my speed in flat sections.
Why do you need to know this?
When you book your snowcat skiing trip with Eskimo, we’ll ask you to self-evaluate what type of a skier/rider you are. This will help us book you at the best group possible. The more accurately you’re able to self-assess your on-snow abilities, the more you (and others in your group) will be able to relax and enjoy. It is a vacation, after all!
Who will be in my group?
We decide the group you’ll ski or ride in based on a complex handful of factors — it’s part math, part safety, and part ability and fitness.
Know that we always have your best interests in mind when creating your group!
As much as possible, we strive to place you in a group with other skiers/riders who have similar on-snow abilities and pace. We will also make every effort for friends and family to ski together, but we can never guarantee it. Why? Even if your on-snow abilities are rated similarly, there are other factors that influence grouping decisions. If you do end up in a different group than your family or friends, that just means double the stories to regale each other with over après bevvies.
If you have concerns about your group while you’re on your trip, please chat about it with your guide or the area manager at the earliest opportunity. If we’re able to adjust we will try to do so, and if we’re not, we’d love the opportunity to explain why. We want you to have the best trip possible.
Fitness
Whether you’re a backcountry skiing veteran or have just booked your first trip, the best thing you can do to get the most out of your Eskimo experience is to start a fitness regime today.
We’re not looking for you to be an Olympic athlete, but you do need some fitness endurance. Most Eskimo trips are 3-7 days long, so you should be physically fit enough to comfortably ski/ride for consecutive days. Your muscles should be up to this task, and your cardio fitness means you can sustain a consistent pace – whether it’s more relaxed or fast – with some breaks.
The best way to experience backcountry skiing is to avoid going couch-to-snowcat skiing with no prep.
Ready?
Ask our team and book your trip.
Eskimo Freeride lorem ipsum
In early 90’s bunch of high school kids cruised vast Sarplanina Mountains in search of deep snow adventure. One of such adventure took us to unexplored part of the mountain where we had to build an igloo to spend the night.
Fifteen years later this was an inspiration to start the first snowcat operation in Europe, and name it “Eskimo”. After cruising World Mountains from Canada to Kamchatka and down to New Zealand we figured our childhood mountain offers perfect terrains for snowcat freeriding. We took a snowcat that’s best for the job, built a specific freeriding cabin and had a year of specialized training with experienced US and Canadian experts in avalanche avalanche safety, guiding and rescue procedures for mechanized operations. Since 2008 freeriders from around the world come to enjoy freeriding, culture and gastronomy of Macedonia, from students to business people and pro riders.
After gaining good experience, we concluded for good professional operation we need to have two machines. So now we have a second snowcat with cabin that offers not only more technical reliability, but equips us to reach much more terrains and pump more verticals on those perfect bluebird days.
Come to enjoy what we consider to be the best European mountains. We’ll take you to the peaks of exotic mountains with breathtaking scenery to ride an average of more then 4000 m vertical a day.