Ski mountaineering merges the technical systems of high-angle alpine climbing with glaciated winter descents. This list establishes the strict gear requirements needed to ascend and descend steep, glaciated volcanic faces safely. Standard backcountry touring gear must be paired with specialized technical hardware, including lightweight steel crampons, an alpine climbing harness, and specialized ski crampons adjusted to your specific binding framework.
You must have all the items on this list when you meet your guide, regardless of season or forecast. Please call us if you have any questions. Your guide will not let you take part in the activity if you don’t have appropriate gear. Please arrive at your meet-time dressed for the activity. There will be time for questions and adjustments. Some technical equipment can be rented from us and requires advanced notice.
There are many brand/model options of clothing and gear. The links below are examples of items that work well.
CLOTHING
- Long Underwear – Wool or synthetic. Men’s top Woman’s top Men’s bottom Woman’s bottom
- Lightweight Fleece Top – Men’s Woman’s
- Softshell Top – Men’s Woman’s
- Insulated Jacket – Men’s Woman’s
- Waterproof-breathable Pants or Bibs – Men’s Woman’s
- Waterproof-breathable Jacket – Hardshell jacket with a helmet-compatible hood. Men’s Woman’s
- Warm Socks – Wool or synthetic ski specific socks. Men’s Woman’s
- Medium-weight Gloves – Men’s Woman’s
- Heavy-weight Gloves – Waterproof and insulated. Men’s Woman’s
- Warm Hat – Wool or synthetic and fits under a helmet. Unisex
- Neck Warmer – Unisex
PERSONAL GEAR
- Ski Pack – 30 to 45 liter ski specific backpack. Ortovox Peak Pack
- Sun Hat – Light packable ball cap or brimmed hat. Ortovox trucker hat
- Sunglasses or Glacier Glasses – High quality sunglasses with dark lenses or photo-chromatic lenses. Julbo Mountain Glasses
- Ski Goggles – Low light or photo-chromatic lenses. Julbo Goggles
- Sun block & lip balm – SPF 15 or higher
- Water Bottles – Two 1-liter bottles required. No bladders allowed for risk of freezing and/or breaking. Nalgene
- Headlamp – Full charge or fresh batteries. Petzl headlamp
- Lunch and snacks for each day
SKI/SPLITBOARD GEAR
- Alpine touring skis or splitboard – please adjust your binding to your boots prior to the course. *Splitboards only allowed with hard boot setup on Mt Hood Summits Ski Descents
- Touring ski boots / snowboard boots *Soft snowboard boots not allowed on Mt Hood Summit Ski Descents
- Ski poles
- Climbing skins – Please cut your skins to match your skis prior to the trip.
- Helmet – rated for mountaineering and skiing. Solomon MTN Lab
- Ski crampons – Must be compatible with your touring binding and ski width. *Required for all ski mountaineering trips*
TECHNICAL GEAR FOR SKI MOUNTAINEERING – Items we Rent
- Avalanche transceiver – Ortovox Diract
- Avalanche Shovel – Modern metal avalanche shovel. Ortovox Shovel
- Avalanche probe – Ortovox Probe
- Crampons – 10 or 12-point, steel crampons. Petzl Vasak
- Ice Axe – 45 to 60cm long. Petzl Ride Axe
- Climbing Harness – Alpine-style. Petzl Altitude
- Ski Pack – 30 to 45 liter ski specific backpack. Ortovox Peak Pack
GEAR NEEDED FOR OVERNIGHT/CAMPING TRIPS:
- Headlamp – Petzl Headlamps
- Eating utensils – bowl, spoon, & cup
- Sleeping pad – Thermarest NeoAir
- Sleeping bag – down or synthetic (rated 0 to 20 degrees F)
- Good quality overnight pack – Ortovox Peak Pack No larger than 60 liter capacity. This pack should have ice axe and crampon attachments, should be a tall thin profile.