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June, 2021

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How did you find the right crew?

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twinkle_toes
Posts: 174 - Karma: 1,253
So last season I finally managed to save up enough to get my first AT setup.

Needless to say, I'm hooked. I dropped a fat chunk on a -18C sleeping bag, 38L pack, lighter skis, etc. to spend as much time in the bc as possible. I'm looking to do loads of hut trips, build jumps, and work towards being more valuable in the bc with my knowledge/skills so I can be a reliable partner if shit goes south.

Last season I managed to find a couple friends to tour with....

One friend was still learning to ski, but also new to the backcountry. So we weren't at the same skiing level. She also moved to Tofino which sucks.
Another friend ( a snowboarder that was learning to ski ) was decent on the downhill, and also down to build smaller jumps! (I'd eventually start pushing her to build some bigger ones lol) but she's moving to California.
I also had another partner who drove me crazy.... she wasn't a "morning person" and would sleep in, wake up at 11am, and take her sweet ass time getting ready. Meanwhile I was up at 6am ready to inhale my breakfast and hit the skin track asap. She also preferred to ski down on the skin track ??? Like wtf
Another friend and her boyfriend were a great pair to tour with, but they moved back to the Netherlands :(

I know it's only July but I'm already starting to get antsy over not having a sick crew to go out touring with when the snow starts to fall. I know it takes years to find the right people who are at a similar skill level, and understand/trust/push each other.

How did you find your crew? Any tips? Or is it just trial and error?
Jul 3 2021 3:09PM 1 0
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DingoSean
Posts: 23121 - Karma: 17,312
twinkle_toesSo last season I finally managed to save up enough to get my first AT setup.

Needless to say, I'm hooked. I dropped a fat chunk on a -18C sleeping bag, 38L pack, lighter skis, etc. to spend as much time in the bc as possible. I'm looking to do loads of hut trips, build jumps, and work towards being more valuable in the bc with my knowledge/skills so I can be a reliable partner if shit goes south.

Last season I managed to find a couple friends to tour with....

One friend was still learning to ski, but also new to the backcountry. So we weren't at the same skiing level. She also moved to Tofino which sucks.
Another friend ( a snowboarder that was learning to ski ) was decent on the downhill, and also down to build smaller jumps! (I'd eventually start pushing her to build some bigger ones lol) but she's moving to California.
I also had another partner who drove me crazy.... she wasn't a "morning person" and would sleep in, wake up at 11am, and take her sweet ass time getting ready. Meanwhile I was up at 6am ready to inhale my breakfast and hit the skin track asap. She also preferred to ski down on the skin track ??? Like wtf
Another friend and her boyfriend were a great pair to tour with, but they moved back to the Netherlands :(

I know it's only July but I'm already starting to get antsy over not having a sick crew to go out touring with when the snow starts to fall. I know it takes years to find the right people who are at a similar skill level, and understand/trust/push each other.

How did you find your crew? Any tips? Or is it just trial and error?


I have had a lot of different touring partners over the last decade or so of backcountry skiing... needless to say, partners are always going to come and go unless youre both settled into the same routine, really... I have rarely had the same crew from year to year - especially lately as circumstances seem to be ever changing with the whole big rona thing.

Really the best thing to do is get involved and try to meet new people in your local community who have the same goals as you do. I have met plenty of people via facebook groups, attending backcountry events, and, at least back when it was way more active a decade ago - here on NS.

Something that has actually worked well for me is going on solo-missions. Going to the trailhead of a relatively mellow slope on a low avalanche day, and skiing non-avy terrain. I have met folks on the skin track on plenty of occasions who ended up being touring partners just by doing this.
Jul 3 2021 5:13PM 2 0
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skiP.E.I.
Posts: 6117 - Karma: 8,160
"The Touring Partner Thread" on here has worked out for me.
Also just skiing at the home resort I have had people approach me and ask if I wanted to go touring after they watched me for a while.
Jul 15 2021 5:26PM 3 0
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