Women’s
Intro to Ski Mountaineering
2-Day Course
2025 Dates
$350
March 29 - 30, 2025
Trip Length
2 Days
Group Size
2-10
Destinations
Lassen National Park
Don’t see the dates you are looking for?
Semi-private dates available.
Step into the world of ski mountaineering with confidence!
Join Alpinistas Adventures for a women’s-only Intro to Ski Mountaineering course—a two-day immersive experience designed for expert resort skiers and experienced backcountry riders looking to take their skills to steeper, more technical terrain.
Led by professional female guides, this course is all about building confidence, learning essential mountaineering techniques, and having fun in a supportive environment. You’ll gain hands-on experience with ski crampons, bootpacking, and using an ice axe while learning terrain assessment, route planning, and decision-making in complex mountain environments.
Whether you're looking to summit peaks on skis, climb skiable couloirs or just refine your technical skills for bigger objectives, this course provides the perfect foundation—without the pressure of an intimidating, male-dominated space.
Who This Course is For:
✔ Women who are strong resort skiers/snowboarders (comfortable on black diamonds)
✔ Backcountry skiers/splitboarders with experience touring
✔ Those with a good fitness base and proper ski touring gear
What You’ll Learn:
🏔 Fundamentals of ski mountaineering – when to ski, when to bootpack, when to turn around
⛏ How to use ski crampons, an ice axe, and boot crampons for steeper terrain
📍 Route selection & terrain management – finding the best lines and safest approaches
⚠ Decision-making in complex terrain – avalanche risk, snow conditions, and group dynamics
🎿 Steep skiing techniques & confidence on firm or variable snow
Come ready to push your limits, meet an inspiring crew of like-minded women, and take your backcountry skills to the next level!
2-Day Intro to Ski Mountaineering Course
Go Beyond the Basics – Build Skills for Bigger Summits
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Who This Course is For:
✅ Women who have backcountry skiing or splitboarding experience and want to push for bigger terrain.
✅ Those who want more time to practice key ski mountaineering skills in real terrain.
✅ Backcountry skiiers aiming for bigger alpine objectives, such as Mt. Shasta, Rainier, or the Eastern Sierra.
✅ Anyone looking to improve fitness, movement efficiency, and technical skills on snow travel. -
Pre-Trip Group Call with your Guide
Meet at Lassen Volcanic National Park Entrance
We start at 8AM Promptly. Each day ends around 4PM.
Day 1: Building a Strong Foundation
Day 2: Applying Skills in the Mountains
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Fitness Level: Strong fitness recommended. Comfortable touring 2500’ elevation gain over 3-5 miles over 4-6 hours of overall time out and back. Expert ski level at minimum.
AIARE 1 requested, minimum avalanche awareness and rescue course work.
You should be training your fitness and strength leading up to this trip!
Gear: A full gear list is noted below and rentals are available. Participants should be comfortable carrying a backpack with 20lbs of gear.
We recommend that you stay well hydrated and fed prior to departure to assist in mitigating altitude sickness if you are coming from sea level.
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Included in your booking:
Professional AMGA/AIARE Guide
4:1 client to guide ratio with a max group size of 8 clients, 2 guides
Pre-trip group call to prepare for course
Crampons, helmet, axe, harness
Group safety gear & first aid kit
Permit fees
Special discount to shop at the Alpinistas store
Not included:
Food & beverages
Guide gratuities
Other required gear, see in below section (available for rent when checking out)
Personal items
Other Mountaineering Options with Alpinistas Adventures
Are you looking for the next step up from the basics? Head over to our Glacier Travel & Crevasse Rescue course that takes place on Mount Shasta. Is this course too intense for you? Check out our one day clinics in Tahoe.
Already got the training down and want a guided summit up Mt. Shasta? Join our women’s guided expedition up Avalanche Gulch or West Face.
Gear List
Layering is the key to staying comfortable while being active outdoors. The secret to achieving maximum comfort with minimum weight is to bring versatile layers that can be mixed and matched to create the right amount of insulation, ventilation, and weather protection.
When packing, try to bring only what you need. This not only makes your load lighter but also helps our amazing field staff.
If you've already booked your trip, don't worry! You’ll be getting emails with a detailed list of what you'll need to bring (plus tons of other helpful information).
Are you looking to reduce your carbon footprint or save some money? Check out our shop at Alpinistas and the Re-Cover department for gently used gear online.
Get ready to conquer the outdoors, Alpinistas! We can't wait to see you on the trail.
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Ski/Splitboard & relevant boots / touring gear
Avy probe, beacon & shovel
Ski/split crampons, if you have them
Boot crampons, if you have them
Day Hiking Backpack capable of carrying up to 20lbs
Technical jacket, pants or bibs that are water resistant
Base Layer Tops and Bottoms (Lightweight, Synthetic or Wool)
Midlayer options
Waterproof/Water Resistant Gloves
Beanie
Hiking Socks (Synthetic or Wool)
Sunblock, sunglasses and lip balm with SPF
Water (1.5-2.5 liters) or Hydration System
Electrolytes, snacks, lunch for the day
Personal Bathroom Kit: Toilet Paper, Ziplock Bags, Personal Wipes, Hand Cleaner - Pack it all out.
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This will be nice for you to have:
Fleece/Wool or Lightweight Gloves
Gaiters
Hat, Bandana or Buff for Sun Protection
Hot beverage in thermos
Extra socks
Have questions about the gear list?
Give us a call at 775-230-7125 or send us a chat or email.
Your Backcountry Guides
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Dani R.
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Joanne B.
Helpful for booking
What to expect after you book your reservation
After you book your reservation, you will receive a confirmation email. Over the following weeks as you start to get closer to your event date, you will receive additional emails confirming packing lists, itinerary details and other important or helpful supplemental information such as video course, start time and driving directions. The week of the event, you should be ready to go and you will receive a final email introducing your guides, providing you with their contact information and other last minute notes.
Your event does require a certain minimum number of participants to run. Don’t worry though, our group size is naturally quite small to keep it special and relaxing experience so the minimum booking requirement is also lower than other guide services.
Where does this course take place?
Lassen Volcanic National Park. Specific trailhead/meeting points will be determined closer to the event start date as we need to factor in snowpack and terrain criteria for safe travel. The winter weather and snow conditions vary from day to day and we strive to operate in extremely safe terrain.
Is there affordable lodging nearby?
We love staying at the Highlands Ranch Resort in Mill Creek, CA. You have the option of their pricier accommodations at the lodge side or across the street they have more affordable rooms. The alternative is car camping (sleeping in your car) at the Lassen trailhead.
What is the closest airport?
Redding, CA (50 miles away)
Reno-Tahoe, NV (110 miles away)
Booking airfare?
If you are flying in for this trip, please contact us before booking airfare to make sure that your trip is confirmed. We require a minimum number of participants to operate.
General weather expectations
Mountaineering trips take place in the snow. Lassen daytime temperatures can range vastly during the winter and spring season. You may encounter freezing temperatures in the early morning or very warm temperatures during the day. We highly recommend wearing layers to accommodate changing temperatures.
Travel Insurance
We highly recommend travel insurance to protect your trip in the event unforeseeable circumstances, road conditions or illness comes up that interferes with your ability to join the trip.
“Dear women adventurers of all skill levels, you need to take a trip with Alpinistas! I just returned from the Cold Weather Skills workshop in Yosemite and I've learned more in three days than I have in all my years of hiking and camping. It's so rare to find guiding experiences that are fun, connect you with likeminded folks, AND equip you with a ton of new skills.”
— Ashley
“I had the absolute best experience on a rock climbing trip with Joanne! Every part of the weekend was fantastic - the camping experience was wonderful, the guides were knowledgeable and kept everyone safe, and the climbing was so much fun! I'm looking forward to future trips with Alpinistas, and love the work they are doing in making outdoor education more accessible to women!”
- Rebecca
What People Are Saying about Alpinistas
“The women I met that weekend were so amazing for their love of the outdoors, their curiosity, and their tenacious spirits. I learned so much from our skilled guides who made us feel safe to ask any and all questions regardless of how silly they might be. Thank you Alpinistas for a truly amazing weekend! I can’t wait for the next adventure 🏕️”
— Katarina
“I joined a Cold Weather course and winter camping weekend with them in Yosemite and absolutely love it! The guides are passionate about what they are teaching us, they are so supportive, and the event was organized so well.”
- Ashley-Marie