Aaron Diamond Header

Avalanches and Tour Planning

Tour planning, coupled with my own avalanche forecast, is my biggest risk mitigation tool. This process allows me the time to think without being encumbered by the distractions of backcountry travel: i.e. skiing is way too fun, 50mph winds, etc. With that said, tour planning takes time to learn how to do well, so make yourself comfortable. Let’s dive into …

Taking Your Dog Ski Touring

Taking Your Dog Backcountry Skiing

All photos courtesy of Brooke Jackson Watching 60 lbs of pure fluffy joy barrel down a snowy slope is an unforgettable skiing experience.  Since she was a puppy, my Field Retriever, Eva, has loved snow as much as any Powder Hound out there. As we drive up the mountain pass and hit the snow line, she begins whimpering in excitement …

Crusing La Grave

BIPOC Mountain Collective: Diversity in Backcountry Skiing & Riding

Backcountry brothers and sisters. Welcome to the Tele Mike V-Team Vlog. Today we’ll chop it up with the BIPOC Mountain Collective, Vibe Tribe, and Hip Hop artist MC Ric Riggler who pulled together their collective efforts to collaborate on a film project about backcountry skiing and riding in the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community. One may ponder, “Well …

Kuo Denali Rib

How to (finally) Plan Your Dream Ski Expedition.

V-Team ambassador Iain Kuo shares experience from previous ski expeditions to destinations around the globe that will help you execute in style, from the airport to the summit. Here are Iain’s pro tips to help you plan your dream ski expedition. If you’ve been dreaming of high peaks in remote places, thirsting to take your skis to another continent, planning …

Role of Skiing

The Mercurial Role of Skiing

From time to time, I think that it’s important to ask: What does skiing mean to you? For me, it is something that changes season by season and day by day.  In many ways, it comes down to another question: What do I need skiing to be? Last year, I was deep in a training cycle for a trip to the …

Steep Skiing

Embracing the Fear: A Tribute to Steep Skiing

All Photos Courtesy of Aidan Goldie-Ahumada What is it about steep skiing that has enthralled so many? As the Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda said, “Someday, somewhere – anywhere, unfailingly, you’ll find yourself, and that, and only that, can be the happiest or bitterest hour of your life.” Both the happiest and bitterest moments in my life, the ones where I …

GarryLowAngle

An Ode To Low-Angle Terrain

SKIING LOW-ANGLE TERRAIN IS STILL SKIING, AND SKIING IS THE BEST. PERIOD. Many avalanche classes and backcountry riding communities stress that “the decision to not go is never wrong,” or some other such quip that values the ability to ski another day over the risk of life or serious injury in the event of an avalanche. In a world where …

Late Night in La Grave

Ski trips shouldn’t just focus on the adventures that take place on the mountain. There is much more to skiing than sliding, gliding, and making turns on snow. During my escapes to adventure ski around the world, I astutely learned that some of the best adventures are experienced during the exploration of surrounding villages and their communities of soulful mountain …