The Activity
Ski Mountaineering Classic Lines · Wasatch, Utah
Big lines. Long climbs. Real ski mountaineering.
Base camp: Salt Lake City. Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons are about a 35–45 minute drive from Salt Lake City International Airport, so this is a day trip from the city — easy to fit around a flight, a conference or a week at the resorts.
What you pay
Full day (8–12 hours) · per person and total for your group
| Group | Per person | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 guest | $600 | $600 |
| 2 guests | $400 | $800 |
Private guide, maximum 2 per guide. Inclusions and cancellation terms are in the Rates & Booking tab.
Mount Superior’s Southeast Face. Monte Cristo. The Wolverine Cirque couloirs. And many more classic steep lines throughout the Wasatch.
These are the objectives you look at from the road and think about skiing.
The day is more than the descent.
You may skin for hours, climb with skis on your pack, use crampons and an ice axe, move through exposed terrain, and sometimes use a rope before finally stepping into the line.
That is what makes this ski mountaineering.
A few classic Wasatch lines
The list of classic lines in the Wasatch is close to endless. These are a few that clients ask about most.
Mount Superior — Southeast Face
One of the defining ski lines above Little Cottonwood Canyon.
A substantial climb followed by a long, committing descent directly above the canyon.
Monte Cristo
Steep, technical terrain next to Superior, including classic lines such as the Directissimo.
A serious mountain objective that requires strong skiing and the right conditions.
Wolverine Cirque couloirs
A collection of steep couloirs and technical ski lines.
Different aspects and entrances give us several possibilities depending on snow, wind, and conditions.
And many more
These three are only a starting point. There are far more steep lines in the Wasatch than we could list here.
Tell us the one you have been looking at from the road, and we will tell you honestly what it takes and when it tends to come into condition.
The right line for the day
You can absolutely tell us what you want to ski.
But technical lines cannot be guaranteed months in advance.
Snow coverage, avalanche conditions, wind, temperature, visibility, and the strength of the team all matter.
Sometimes the line you arrive thinking about is exactly the right choice.
Sometimes another objective is better.
Making that decision well is part of ski mountaineering.
More than a ski day
Depending on the objective, your day may include:
- Long approaches
- Steep skinning
- Bootpacking
- Crampons and ice axe
- Rope systems
- Rappelling
- Exposed terrain
- Sustained steep skiing
The goal is not to collect laps.
It is to move through a significant mountain objective and ski it well.
Why local knowledge matters
WMG’s guides work in the Wasatch throughout the winter and watch the snowpack all season.
For these technical ski days, that matters.
Knowing how to ski a line is one thing.
Knowing when it makes sense to ski it is the real value.
Small teams
Maximum two clients per guide.
Small teams let us move efficiently, communicate clearly, and adapt quickly as conditions change.
Some technical objectives are better suited to one client and one guide. We will tell you when that is the case.
Haven’t skied with us yet?
For most of these objectives we want to ski with you first.
A private Backcountry Skiing and Splitboarding day is the usual starting point. It lets your guide see how you move and ski, and it is a good day in the mountains in its own right.
Have a line in mind?
Tell us what you have been thinking about.
Send us your skiing experience and the kind of objective you are looking for.
We will help you decide whether this is the right program and what kind of Wasatch day makes sense.
Operated and guided by Wasatch Mountain Guides (WMG). BBE is the referral and sales partner; reservations, payments and required forms are handled directly by WMG.
Questions before you book?
We answer every inquiry personally.
