Magazines -- Gear Guide

Backcountry Magazine Gear Guide

The Gear Guide is the starting point for gear research. It describes the current year’s A.T.  bindings, boots and skis. Purchase the Guide in the Fall at outdoors shops or as part of a subscription; back issues can be purchased on backcountrymagazine.com for $10 each or on Ebay. If possible purchase up to five years of back issues to use as a reference when buying used gear.

Instruction

Adirondack Backcountry Ski Festival

Backcountry Magazine and The Mountaineer shop co-sponsor the Ski Festival annually in early March offering demos of A.T. gear and guided backcountry ski trips in the Lake Placid, NY-region of the Adirondack Park. (mountaineer.com)

Mt. Washington Backcountry Ski Festival is held annually in late March/early April and offers demos of A.T. gear, instruction and guided backcountry ski trips on Mount Washington and nearby peaks. (skimountwashington.com)

Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), NH Chapter -- Annual Winter Hiking, Skiing & Leadership Workshop

The two annual workshops (held in January and February) offer a variety of winter outdoors instruction including backcountry skiing; the AMC does not provide or rent equipment and A.T. gear must be rented elsewhere. (outdoors.org)

Books

Best Backcountry Skiing in the Northeast by David Goodman

This book is the Bible of backcountry skiing in the northeast. The book lists 50 backcountry ski tours – the majority of which are true backcountry alpine slopes and trails (with vertical drops of 1,000 to 3,000 feet).

Presidential Skiing: A Guide to Backcountry Skiing in New Hampshire's Presidential Range by Kurt Niiler.

This excellent book is written primarily for extreme skiers who regularly ski Tuckerman Ravine or other super steep lines. Offers more than 50 descriptions of the various skiable chutes, gullies and ravines in NH's White Mountains.

Allen & Mike's Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book by Allen O'Bannon and Mike Clelland

Book is chock full of useful backcountry skiing tips -- from gear to safety to winter camping -- with hundreds of entertaining illustrations.

Ski Trips

The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) sponsors more than two dozen alpine backcountry ski trips each winter for telemark skiers, A.T. skiers and backcountry snowboarders. Most trips are sponsored by the NH Chapter, but other chapters also offer trips. Trips are free and AMC membership is not required; trips vary in difficulty and participants must have backcountry ski and hiking experience.

Starting in the Fall, search for backcountry ski trips on outdoors.org

Tips for Buying Bindings

Unlike alpine bindings which may be used by an adult of any boot size, A.T. bindings come in two or three different sizes. When purchasing bindings, make sure your boot's sole size is compatible with the binding size.

A.T. Rental & Used Gear Shops

As Alpine Touring has exploded in popularity over the past few years many outdoors shops in ski towns have started renting A.T gear - and a few sell their used rental equipment.

Both of the below shops sell A.T. gear on consignment - in store - not online and equipment is inspected prior to being listed.  Most shops sell limited used A.T. gear; one shop -- Outdoor Gear Exchange -- offers vast quantities of used A.T. equipment.