You must be an ADVANCED/EXPERT skier/snowboarder with significant backcountry touring experience and riding powder. You must be in good physical shape, be able to and have skied in all conditions (including whiteout, wind, very cold). You must be able to ski/ride in control on all types of terrain and should be very comfortable on equivalent black and double black slopes. Ideally you should have some avalanche safety training. Avalanche beacon, shovel and probe are mandatory equipment and you should be familiar with how to use them. For skiers an all mountain ski  in the 95mm-110mm range that is not too heavy will provide ample float and still tour well.

Yes! Avalanche beacon, shovel and probe are required to participate in this trip and you should be familiar with how they function. We do have avalanche safety equipment available for rent. We will do some avalanche safety training and companion rescue. Avalanche airbags may also be a good idea but are not required.

A pack that is about 30-40 liters is perfect. Basically it should be a “day and a half” size to carry all your essentials for a day of skiing plus some extras. A stuff sack can be used to bring in extra gear and can be strapped to your pack.

The Wallowas have more of a continental than maritime snowpack and the weather can be quite cold. You can expect average temps in the 10-25 degrees Fahrenheit range.

The Norway Yurt is located in a designated wilderness area and is double decker 20ft yurt. The first floor contains the kitchen and dining area. The second floor has 11 sleeping platforms with twin size platforms arranged as two side by side, and one lofted above. The yurt is rustic but comfortable and is heated by two gas stoves. Sleeping bags and pads are provided.

Please contact us to let us know about your dietary restrictions to see if you can be accommodated.

If you need to cancel a trip that you have already booked and it is at least 90 days before the start of the trip your deposit is half refundable.  Final payment for the trip is due 60 days before the start of the trip.  Cancellations between 30 and 59 days before the of start of trip that cannot be filled are 50% refundable, if your spot is filled then it is 75% refundable.  Cancellations less than 30 days are non-refundable (100% of booking cost).  For this reason, we recommend you consider purchasing travelers insurance, (try World Nomads) which will cover the cost of your trip in extenuating circumstances.

Gratuities for guides are not included in the price of you trip and are much appreciated. Tipping is at your discretion. Normally average tips for excellent service are around 10%-20% of the trip cost. Tips are pooled together and shared equally among the guides.

The snowmobile will pull in 4 skiers at a time using a rope. You will have to hold on the rope with your skis on and enjoy the water-ski like experience of being towed in!

You should be in good ski touring shape. We recommend at least an hour of aerobic activity 3 times a week during the 3 months leading up to the trip. Leg exercises such as squats and lunges are great and doing stadium or stair stepper exercises can really help on the skin track.