Register now: ski Winter School workshops at Cardigan Lodge!

[Casy Calver]

Registration is now open for the AMC-NH Chapter's two Winter School weekends, January 26-28 and February 23-25! Each weekend we offer two sections of skiing workshops: light backcountry (aka cross-country/nordic) and downhill alpine touring/telemark. 

Register here for January 26-28.

Register here for February 23-25. 

These workshops are the perfect place to take your resort skiing skills into the backcountry, or to hone your backcountry skiing. Food. lodging, and instruction are all included. 

See below for descriptions of the two skiing sections. Feel free to share this with friends who might be interested. These weekends always fill up, so register early. 

See you on the snow!

Casy

Resort-to-light backcountry: cross-country/nordic
Build your nordic skiing skills on rolling, ungroomed terrain, and learn to travel outside of the resort safely on skis.

Ever wondered what it would feel like to ski through those beautiful open woods by the brook, but you have always been hesitant venturing off the beaten path because you have an acute sense of self-preservation? Then you are the perfect candidate for this course! We will take your survival instinct and hone it; teaching you how to safely cross-country ski outside the resort, and yet satisfy your child-like curiosity.
You will learn how to navigate uneven terrain and ungroomed snow on your nordic skis, starting with the basics of how to stop and turn on flat ground and gentle slopes, and progressing to steeper and rolling terrain over the course of the weekend. We will also review the wilderness skills and tools you need to be safe and self-sufficient outside of the resort.
Prerequisites: Participants do not need prior backcountry skiing experience, but they should already be comfortable skiing up and down gentle hills on groomed snow, on their nordic equipment.
Equipment: Metal-edged cross-country/nordic skis with scales or wax and NNN-BC or 3-pin bindings, or similar. Climbing skins or kicker skins may be useful, but are not required. 
Expect to be outdoors playing in the snow on skis for 3-4 hours each day and ski 2-4 miles. Be prepared to ski with a day pack.

Resort-to-backcountry: downhill/alpine touring & telemark
Take your alpine or telemark skills from the resort to the backcountry! We will teach you the skiing and basic wilderness skills you need to tour the backcountry safely (and have fun!).

Are you an intermediate or advanced alpine or telemark skier, who is tired of expensive lift tickets and long lines at resorts? Maybe you have been curious to try “backcountry skiing,” but you weren’t sure how to start. If so, you belong in this course!
We will take those downhill skills you have honed in the resort, and help you translate them to the backcountry. You will learn how to navigate ungroomed snow, trees, and other natural obstacles on your alpine touring (AT) or telemark skis, how to use your climbing skins, and techniques for traveling in the wilderness safely and self-sufficiently. Over the course of the weekend, we will progressively tackle more challenging terrain and teach backcountry-specific skiing techniques. The meaning of survival skiing will be thoroughly explored!
Prerequisites: Participants don’t need previous backcountry skiing experience, but they should already be comfortable skiing blue downhill runs at resorts on alpine or tele. 
We'll be outdoors for about 5 hours each day skiing and learning on various terrain with your full day pack. Equipment: backcountry or tele and back country boots or tele boots to match your skis. Climbing skins are required.