Backcountry Skis

This is the touring gear we’re drooling over this season

These lightweight skis don’t just power up the skintrack. They’re bonafide downhill performers.

Looking for the perfect backcountry ski for deep days and big missions? Start here.

We tested more than 100 pairs of skis. These 10 were the best in test.

IFMGA guide Jed Porter walks us through the gear in his ski-mountaineering kit for North America’s highest peak

You’ll have a new challenge and it will give you a new way to see your local hill

The all-new Salomon QST Echo 106 is a lighter weight QST 106 designed for uphill slogs and downhill joy rides

Tips from a used-gear professional on how to buy a solid setup

Finally, an Enforcer designed to adventure beyond the ropes

If you have your sights set on long backcountry tours even during low tide, this ski may be just the ticket

These skis let you bring the playfulness of your resort skiing to the backcountry

Looking for a jack-of-all-trades in the backcountry? Look no further

Featuring a slim waist and lightweight construction, this backcountry ski is for those who need quick sticks to tackle big, technical terrain

If you gravitate towards a damp, stiff ski for backcountry adventures, this is your stick

This year’s most exciting new backcountry ski charges like a downhill ski

A backcountry stick for those who gravitate towards directional skis

When it’s soft and light in the backcountry, reach for these playful planks

Allow us to introduce you to this stealthy backcountry player

A ski made for the technical backcountry lines of the Rockies

It’s not the lightest backcountry option out there, but if you’re plowing through backcountry crud, this is the ski you want underfoot

This fast and light backcountry ski doesn’t skimp on downhill performance

Glen Plake’s first ever signature model is a backcountry tool that skis like Glen Pake

It’s not a backcountry powder plank, but it sure is quick in steep, technical terrain

This quick and reliable backcountry ski for ladies gets the job done on all but the deepest of days

A lightweight free-touring ski with a moderate waist, the Escaper W 97 Nano is a versatile backcountry ski for ladies who charge no matter the conditions

We challenge you to find a more playful and responsive backcountry ski than this

Because they’ve saved me more than a few times—and they can do the same for you

Instructor Ann Schorling explains how to shred like a pro after a big snowfall

We only have room for two pairs in our print issue, but there are many more skis worthy of your attention

A transceiver, shovel, and probe have long been considered nonnegotiable. Airbags should be, too.

A group of biologists are trying to protect a threatened herd in the iconic Wyoming range, but their plan includes closing recreational areas that many aren‘t happy about losing

Punch your ticket to all-mountain adventures

As long as you aren’t weight sensitive, it’s now possible for one rig to serve all your in-bounds, sidecountry, and backcountry needs. This is that rig.

The access gate atop the Ninety-Nine 90 chairlift offered some of the easiest access to sidecountry terrain, which the resort argued was a big part of the problem

Leaders of the nonprofit Indigenous Women Outdoors describe how learning about the traditional territories where they ski and snowboard enhances their time outside and connects them with their ancestors

A hard carrying case is being issued to solve potential issues with DSP beacons switching modes accidentally

Skiers Lexi duPont and Drew Tabke seek out ski lines from the air

Mountain guide Mark Smiley released a digital snow safety course. Here’s how it stacks up to the real thing.

We’ve been testing skis for decades. These are our all-time favorites for groomers, backcountry bowls, and everything in between.

For a small weight penalty, the new system offers tech-pin efficiency and pro-level descending. Outside spent the past 11 months testing it.

Volatile weather has created dangerous conditions for backcountry skiers and set up the West for a bad water year. With climate change exacerbating the situation, it’s time to start assuming the worst for our winters and making plans to adapt. 

Light and strong have long been the holy grail of ski-design qualities—but have we taken them too far?

Here's what you need to know if you're in the market to buy this season

Pro skiers Drew Petersen and Mali Noyes give a crash course in common touring gear

Get out there—it'll be worth it

In 2017, big-mountain professional skier Tobin Seagal set off a large avalanche in the mountains of Pemberton, British Columbia

The beginner-oriented model from Atomic features a heel riser that automatically equalizes with the slope angle

Most skiers click out of their bindings to kick back for a cold one when the lifts stop swinging for the day—but not these guys

The 'Send and Return' series highlights the importance of snow safety while exploring Montana's backcountry ski lines

Necessities for traveling out of bounds

This season’s sticks are light, edgy, and versatile

The traverse connecting Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains in British Columbia is a renowned backcountry ski zone that's at risk

'Vision Quest' features skier Dylan Siggers​​​​​​​ on a backcountry trip in the powder haven of Golden, British Columbia

Deep snow surrounding the Mica heli-skiing lodge proves just too much for Cody Townsend, and Elyse Saugstad is left to shred without him

Beacon, check. Shovel, check. Hawaiian shirt, check.

Red Mountain Alpine Lodge is elevating the backcountry experience in the U.S.

Big-mountain skier Greg Hill has committed to skiing 100 summits using only his electric vehicle to get there

Our favorite models for everything from frontside groomers to sidecountry pow

From camber and rocker to groomers versus pow, it's easy to get lost in the vocabulary of buying your first set of skis

Education is the best investment you can make while learning to backcountry ski

Snorkel in hand, a Polish photographer plumbs endless powder accumulations in the Hokkaido backcountry

It’s time we made America’s prime backcountry skiing and snowboarding terrain safer and more accessible. First step: bombing slopes in the way-out-of-bounds.

Stop paying the shop for a simple task that you can do at home

From the Road West Traveled, ‘Abandoned’ highlights the diminishing amount of ski resorts in Colorado

Deep in the Monashee Mountains of British Columbia, there’s a backcountry lodge called the Blanket Glacier Chalet

Whether you ski more powder or hardpack, these planks have the chops to perform on any mountain, any day

These former ski resorts are great places to backcountry ski and snowboard

Have you ever thought, ‘Mom, how could you say that?’ well, this film is littered with those moments.

We break down the jargon and tell you what you really need to understand

Skiing apparel company Norrona sent three of its ambassadors to ski in the Lyngen Alps of Norway.

‘All In’ from Matchstick Productions will feature 8 skiers - 4 women and 4 men- charging lines throughout dozens of locations. 

Zig Zag is this year’s film from Level 1 Productions and follows professional skiers as they chase iconic lines.

'Every Few Winters' is a film from apparel company Pertex that showcases the harsh beauty of ski touring in Scotland. 

'Your Winters Need You' highlights skier Caroline Gleich’s relationship with the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

Here's what one of the nation's strongest ski mountaineers chooses for both resort and backcountry missions

A crew of skiers heads out to the hills around Chamonix, France for some night laps in this film Nocta II from Black Crows and Yucca Films.