Catamount Trail Assoc. offering two more weeks of backcountry skiing at Bolton Valley

Burlington, VT — The Catamount Trail Association wants to help you develop the skills and confidence necessary to get out and safely explore all of the amazing backcountry terrain available here in Vermont. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never been on skis, or are an accomplished downhill skier or boarder, the Catamount Trail Association Get Out & Backcountry Instructional Series can help you leave the lifts behind.

Starting a new sport or exploring a new activity can be quite daunting. The learning curve can be steep and things like finding equipment, deciphering lingo and finding appropriate activity venues can be extremely frustrating when you don’t know what you don’t know. Fortunately, the Catamount Trail Association Get Out & Backcountry Instructional Series is here to help.

Every Sunday in February the Catamount Trail Association, in conjunction with Bolton Valley Resort, is offering a variety of courses to help aspiring backcountry explorers develop the skills needed to get out on their own. We’ve worked hard to make sure there are options for every type of snow slider and have developed four different, highly focused tracks, designed to teach clearly defined sets of skills and competencies specific to the type of equipment being used.

The four different courses available during February are Introduction to Overland Touring, Intermediate Overland Touring, The Telemark Turn, and Introduction to Mountain Touring. Below is more information about each course. Don’t forget to sign up if you find a good fit. The first two weeks have gone very well, and there are only two more Sundays left to participate!

Introduction to Overland Touring

This introductory track is aimed at the new skier looking to try point-to-point backcountry touring on the Catamount Trail or other similar trails using lightweight, metal-edged, waxless skis.

Remaining Dates: Sunday, February 15, 2015

Intermediate Overland Touring

Our Intermediate Overland Touring track will take the form of a backcountry teaching tour where the group will explore easier backcountry trails in search of teachable moments. This course is designed to prepare participants to participate on any of the free Catamount Trail Introductory Tours.

Remaining Dates: Sunday, February 15, 2015; Sunday, February, 22, 2015
Introduction to the Telemark Turn

This track is for skiers looking to tackle increasingly challenging backcountry terrain, or those who want to spice up tours by being able to take better advantage of skiable downhill areas. This course will take place on easy downhill trails and will focus on demonstration, practice and evaluation of correct telemark technique.

Remaining Dates: Sunday, February 15, 2015

Introduction to Mountain Touring

This track is intended for expert level skiers and riders who are new to exploring the backcountry. Maybe you just purchased your first set of AT equipment or splitboard and are looking for some guidance on using it and playing safely and responsibly in the woods.

Remaining Dates: Sunday, February 22, 2015; Sunday, February 22, 2015 (splitboard specific course)