Big Mountain Skiing: What is Skiing Big Mountain Style & How To Do It

Big Mountain Skiing: What is Skiing Big Mountain Style & How To Do It

Big mountain skiing, ladies & gentlemen, is the next evolution of winter sports. Learn what it means to ski big mountain style & how to ski big mountain

A lot of people might wrinkle their foreheads at the term big mountain skiing. What does it mean? Is Big Mountain a place? Is it a kind of jumbo sport? Is it just the new slang for carving down a big powder bowl?

We, as human beings, are always looking to mount the insurmountable, to climb the un-climbable, and to defeat the invincible. It is in our very nature to want we can’t have, reaching and striving with every ounce of our bodies and souls towards an impossible goal.

In other words, we are hard-wired with the desire to do the impossible.

And sometimes, against all odds, we do it.

We have climbed the highest mountain, we have walked on the ocean floor, we have hiked the length of the Amazon River, and we have stepped on the surface of the moon.

It is no wonder then that we have become restless with official ski resorts and areas–places with mapped out, technically designed, and field tested runs and trails–and look to bigger challenges.

The style of big mountain is the next big reach for the impossible. It is the trailblazing of a wild mountainside. It is the journey from the peak of an uninhabited mountain to its natural base, or any of the uncharted spaces in between.

When you ski big mountain style, you’re pitting yourself against nature, one on one, and hopefully coming out on the other side not as the victor or the loser, but rather its companion.

But before you charter a helicopter or take a snow-mobile journey up the Cascades, the Rockies, or even the Alps, you need to prepare yourself.

Because, after all, skiing big mountain style is nothing like cutting down a black diamond at Jackson Hole.

It’s a completely different beast.

Big Mountain Skiing: The Right Equipment

The first step to getting prepared for big mountain style is to gather the right equipment.

You need skis that can get you down a 2,000 foot slope that falls at a 50 degree angle. Your average downhill pair just isn’t going to cut it.

Some of the best manufacturers of big mountain skis include:

• Dynastar
• Atomic
• K2
• Rossignol
• Volkl

And if you’re looking to do some big mountain snowboarding, take a look at what Burton has on the shelves.

Aside from skis, though, you need to make sure you have all the necessary equipment with you.

Big mountain skiing usually begins with a helicopter ride, and there aren’t any pro shops or cafeterias where it drops you off. This means that you should carry a lightweight pack with you that has a first aid kit, some survival needs, and a water bladder.

The rest of your equipment should also be able to protect you against extreme elements. Make sure you have the best in:

• Jacket
• Snow pants
• Goggles
• Hat
• Gloves

Big Mountain Skiing: The Best Places to Go

The best thing about skiing big mountain style is that there really is no set list of places that you can go. The very point of the activity is that you are making fresh tracks in big mountain powder. This means that you can go virtually anywhere.

However, there are some places that are much better for big mountain skiing than others. Give these destinations in the United States a closer look and see what you think:

• Valdez, Alaska
• Saddleback, Maine
• Ludlow, Vermont
• Franconia Notch, New Hampshire

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