Hi all. I skied Vallee Blanche at Chamonix last year and it was the most incredible experience of my life. It only required a nerve-wracking 20-minute hike down a narrow ledge, though, to get to the start point. I don’t think I can hike uphill very much, (tho I’m planning to do more cardio!) so I’m interested in other ways to get off piste. I live for powder! I’ve heard that’s called Slack Country. Is anyone familiar?
Hey there! Welcome. I hadn't heard the term so I researched it. Not sure I want to get onboard with the Slack Country moniker.
Spouse and I have been a backcountry Nordic skier for years - typically on lower angle terrain (not avalanche prone). The last 7 years, we've been skiing out of a nordic center that covers about 20% of the bottom one of the highest peaks in our area. We use fat skis (Voilé Vectors) with fish scale traction pattern, telemark bindings, and 3-buckle telemark boots. While the upper mountain is definitely avalanche prone, we rarely have avalanches come inbounds and we know what trails are prone to slides. We wait 48 hrs after a heavy dump to let the snowpack settle. When skiing that area, we typically wear a beacon, probe, shovel. We are prepared for self-rescue and survival in our sizeable backpacks.
This rolling and switchbacked terrain requires being able to herringbone and sidestep steeper pitches. The bindings have 2 bales that flip up for long steeper ascents. Because it's most shorter steeps, skins are not much fun because you can't glide the fun interim downhill pitches and taking skins off and is a PIA. This peak attracts a good number of traditional backcountry skiers who do one long ascent. We get nearly the same and typically more vertical just spread out over more miles. Doesn't feel like slacking to me. But it's really ok with me if no one else discovers this.
Then there's our home alpine resort, Powder Mtn the one in Utah), which is just across the valley. As a rare inverted resort with the lodges and parking at the top and set within a series of tabletop mountains (and some classic peaks), we used to be able to park and skin or Nordic ski pre- and post-season. The BEST ever. That's off the table now. New owners took half the mountain private.
Powder has had a long and storied history of inbounds, but not lift serviced terrain. Buses still circulate on the road to pick up skiers from Powder Country and Woody's World. While a lift was installed last year to LIghtning Ridge (formerly catskiing terrain) skiers/riders can still bootpack or skin up to James Peak or even go off the backside. Getting out was herculean. We used to Nordic BC from the parking lot to where the catskiing operation dropped skiers off and where the lift now dumps ya. That uphill skiing is off the table now, too.
We have full season passes, but uphill traffic is being curtailed. So get it while you can, where ever you can. It is so raw, so uncrowded, and a true adventure. For us, having an intimate understanding of the common avalanche points is invaluable. Even inbounds on a now 12,500 acre resort, it's gonna take a lot of time to find us. Avi mitigation can't cover it all.
