Useful links & resources for ski touring
Mountain Huts and Refuges
These National Alpine Club websites provide up-to-date information and contact details for their networks of mountain huts and refuges.
There is currently no mountain hut system in the USA or Alaska, though this may change. The Alaska Mountain and Wilderness Huts Association is looking to develop a hut system throughout the Alaskan backcountry
Weather Forecasts
Metcheck.com - We find that these are the most consistently accurate forecasting site for ski resorts in Europe and North America.
Snow-Forecast.com - Ideal if you need to find what the snow is like in any resort in the world. You can choose how high up the mountain you want a forecast for, decide on 2, 6 or 9 day forecast then sit back and get excited for that powder.
You will need to consult more detailed local forecasts before planning a ski tour. We will link to these as we find them.
Chamonix Meteo provides excellent forecasts for the Chamonix Valley area, and will also tell you how reliable they think their forecast is - something most neglect to mention!
Meteo France A basic understanding of French is enough for you to use the excellent mountain weather section, which also provides good avalanche bulletins
Avalanche Bulletins
France: Meteo France mountain forecasts
Switzerland: SLF.ch - The Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalnche Research is by far the most detailed information service.
Useful websites and forums
pistehors.com Pistehors.com is a great site for all things backcountry. It contains good information on gear and avalanche awareness. There is also an informative news feed to keep you updated about what’s happening in the sport.
piste-off.com is the website for skiers and snowboarders who have become 'disillusioned' with the commercialism and crowds at the big downhill resorts in Europe and North America. They provide information and contacts on ski mountaineering, ski touring, off-piste skiing and piste skiing at the worlds wilder and more off-beat ski resorts.
skimountaineer.com is the website of Amar Andalkar, a prolific ski mountaineer and climber. He provides detailed trip reports and online guidebooks to ski mountaineering all over the world, including 250+ volcanoes in the Pacific Ring of Fire, and the Cascade volcanoes of the Pacific North West.
skitour.fr is a french ski touring site. Lots of great resources, topos and snow info here, if you can read it!
camptocamp.org is a multi-language site dedicated to mountaineering, rock and ice climbing, ski-touring, snowshoeing and hiking. You'll find a guidebook with more than 17 000 routes described, outings describing recent conditions, articles, forums..The website is a collaborative endeavour managed by a not-for-profit organization focusing on free content.
snowheads.com - In their own words, these guys LOVE SNOW. LIVE SNOW. EAT SNOW. This tag line shows its worth in their highly informative forum website.
Books
Lito Tejeda Flores books on backcountry skiing we feel are the best out there. These are highly recommended by us.
We also rate Henry Branigan and Keith Jenns' book ‘ a complete guide to ski touring and ski mountaineering.' This has everything you will need to know about Ski Touring including visual references.
We've never picked up a bad Cicerone guide book. These books are highly informative as guides and also as a resource for safety on the mountain. (We are hoping to make Cicerone Guides available in our shop really soon).
Clubs and Associations
The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) is the UK representative body for climbers, walkers and mountaineers. Masses of information, advice and insurance options. Membership priviledges.
The Alpine Club is Britains only national club for Alpinists.
Austrian Alpine Club (UK branch) offers excellent mountain insurance for members, and discounted hut prices across the Alps, as well as other benefits.
Snowsport England is the governing body for all British snowsports. It contains lots of information about each snowsport including events and courses.
ISF, International Ski Federation is the site to learn about your snowsport on an international scene. It also gives a history of snowsports, starting in 6300BC on a lake in Russia.
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