Best Months: May - July

At the headwaters of India's most sacred River lies the mighty Gangotri Glacier, deep in the heart of the mountainous Garhwal Himalaya. Surrounding the Gangotri Glacier are a crown of shining peaks such as Shivling, Thalay Sagar, and the enormous faces of Kedarnath and the Bhagirathi group. This area has drawn mountaineers from across the globe for years, with many returning home with tales of a lower angled, snow slope  which looked ideal for skiing. This, of course, is the NW face of Kedar Dome.

Getting to Kedar Dome is a trip in itself, with the typical route traveling through ashram filled Ganges Valley, Rishikesh and the pilgrimage trail up to Gangotri, on steep, forested banks of the Bhagirathi. From there, an easy walking trail winds up to Gaumukh, the holy source of the Ganges. Most skiing parties then climb the moraine past Tabovan (Shivling Basecamp) and further on to Khara Phattar, Kedar Dome's basecamp at 4800m. The touring route up the NW face normally sets Camp 1 at 5700m and Camp 2 at 6300m, with a quick summit day push. Acclimitised speed freaks can ascend and descend easily within a day and view Kedar as a quality warm-up to higher peaks of the Himalaya.

Late Spring is definitely the choice time for a skiing Kedar Dome with warmer, more predictable weather, and the chance of delightful corn snow being considerably high. Great skiing can be had for most of the 2000m descent. Fresh snowfall is simply scary as there's so much prime avalanche terrain, as well as complicating route finding. The views from Kedar Dome are spectacular with colossal granite faces framed by mighty glaciers filling the senses. Technically, a climbing permit is required for this peak, which is monitored by the Army, Police or IMF, which can cost $3000US and includes a Liaison Officer, however, reports are many of parties climbing without any papers and without incident.

The Central Asian republic of Tajikistan is a mountainous country with the High Pamirs dominating the eastern region. The highest of them all, in fact, the highest in the former Soviet Union is Peak Ismail Samani (Somoni), or what was once called, Pik Kommunisma. This impressively enormous mountain dwarfs everything around it, rising ominously above giant glaciers and a largely uninhabited land.

Peak Samani is often overlooked by adventurous ski mountaineers as there are other safer, easier and cheaper objectives in the 7000+m range, particularly, Peak Lenin in Kyrgyzstan, with its magnificent north face. A handful however, have skied from Samani's summit, following the standard climbers route up and down the Borodkin Spur. For most, the adventure begins by flying into the capital Dushanbe, then a slow bus ride to Jirgital (7hr) the following day. The popular way is to then board a helicopter to the Moskvina Basecamp at 4100m on the mountain's north side and avoid the 3 day approach. Skiers will typically spend a further 3 weeks on the mountain, acclimatizing on high camps or the southern slopes of Korzhenevskaya Peak (23310ft) across the valley, then climbing, then skiing from the Samanai summit all the way back to BC. Interestingly, there is a 200m vertical drop on the climb which stops a full unbroken ski descent.

The peak was first climbed in 1933 by Russian Yevgeniy Abalakov when it was named Stalin Peak, the highest peak in the Union. The first ski descent was made by Czech Jon Ladislav on short skis in 1987. Most ski attempts are made in June, July or August, the summer months, when conditions and weather are at their most favorable. Even when perfect snow and clear skies co-exist together, Peak Samani is still a difficult proposition. The route features steep snow slopes with high avalanche threat, numerous crevasse crossing and ice bulges, typical of high altitude peaks.

Best Months:  April - June

The highest peak in Western Europe simply abounds in superlatives - it is extremely visible, accessible, dramatic in setting and immediately beguiling as one enters the Chamonix Valley. It is an icon of mountain sports, the birthplace of modern mountaineering and one of the most impressive sights in the world of ski touring. The climbing history is long and voluminous, the first ascent was in 1786, but it wasn't until 1936 that the first winter descent was made. The building of the Aiguille du Midi cable in 1955 changed Mont Blanc and ski mountaineering like nothing before or since. Suddenly, skiers were placed 1000m below the summit atop a wild, alpine spire. Anyone with enough inclination could ascend through the tumbling glaciers and calving serac fields to the tallest summit for thousands of miles.

The numbers of dedicated ski tourers who tackle Mont Blanc each year are impressive, however, only a small percentage descend from the actual summit. Most abandon skis for crampons and ice-axes for the final summit ridge where precipitous drop offs dominate. Very few also attempt to ski during mid winter when snow and/or weather conditions can make it too hazardous. The most common ski ascent/descent route follows the Grands Mulets, a 2 day tour with an overnight stay in the Grand Mulets Refuge(3051m). This is still a dangerous route, with obvious crevasse and serac danger below the hut, but the crux is certainly the summit ridgeline, the Bosses Arete, which is usually icy and always steep.

Mont Blanc towers 3800m over the Chamonix Valley to the north, and with clear skies it is easy to see why this area is a mecca for skiing and climbing. Ski touring takes on its own unique personality here, where hiking and skiing are inseparable. Crowds of skiers with harnesses and ropes can be found throughout the valley as well as in most lift lines. Of course, the planets most famous ski traverse, the 'Haute Route' begins in the shadow of Mont Blanc and it comes as no surprise to learn of the plethora of incredible tours emanating in most directions.

The Grand Mulets Route typically begins with a cable car ride to the Aiguille Du Mide mid-station at 2233m. From there, one traverses across several smaller glaciers to gain the tumbling Jonction icefall and the steeper slopes below the G.Mulets Refuge. With warmer temperatures over the past decade(s), this route is becoming more treacherous, with less solid crevasse bridging and more difficult and exposed glacial travel. From the G.M Refuge, tourers depart during the night (1-2am) for the long ascent and descent ahead. The route climbs via the Grand Montees up to the Grand Plateau and the Col du Dome. Once on the broad col, the Vallot refuge is a short climb to the left where most leave a ski depot. The last remaining climb follows the steep and narrow Bosses Arete and Crest to the summit which is usually well defined by foot traffic.

The standard descent route for most ski tourers follows the ascent route from summit, to the Vallot Hut, grab skis and descend down past the G.M. Hut, across the Plan Glacier to the Aiguille mid station. This is a fine descent, covering almost 1600m of vertical with a skin track to follow. Other choices such as 'The Corridor' or the regular North Face allow turns from the summit and require greater ability or soft conditions. Some even ski to the valley floor, an awesome run of almost 3800m vertical, equal to the great Himalayan descents.

The mountains of the Bernese Alps are a true epicenter of ski touring in Europe. Few regions can compare in scale and magnitude to this 120km long mountain group, with such an abundant collection of high peaks (8 over 4000m), and the longest glaciers in the Alps. With such breathtaking grandeur, easy access and exits, astonishing hut system and loaded with phenomenal ski descents, its little wonder that the Bernese Haute Route is amongst the top ski traverses on the planet.

Bordered to the south and west by the deep Rhone Valley, and to the east by Grimsel Pass, the Bernese Alps offers a variety of popular ski traverses and a lifetime worth of skiing. The High Traverse presented here is a logical, linear tour, traveling west to east for 8-10 days, and essentially, the length of the range. Few tourers attempt the full traverse, preferring the shorter, more alpinism focussed tours of the northern and western Bernese. However, with some long travel days and avoiding unskiable summits, a full traverse is a realistic undertaking. The best months for a traverse are March - May, but check hut availability later in the season.

The tour typically begins in Les Diablerets, with a cable car ride to Sex Rouge, which eliminates a huge climb on the first day, on to the Gelten Hut. Second day traverses amongst the highest peaks of the Western Bernese Alps to Wildstrubel Hut. The third day climbs high then descends the long Uschene Valley to the small village of Kandersteg. The fourth day starts with a short taxi ride to Selden, then a long climb to Muttorn Hut. The fifth tours to Fafleralp. The sixth day takes you in the hub of the Bernese, up and through to the impressive Konkordia Hut. From the Konkordia, two of the greatest descents in the range, Mittaghorn and the Trugberg can be acheived but requiring at least a further day. For those intent of finishing fast, the seventh day traverses from Konkordia  to the Oberaajoch Hut. The eighth and final day is highlighted by the long descent to the Grimsel Pass, or the short and more dramatic finish at Munster or Reckingen in the Rhone Valley.

Crossing California's Sierra Nevada would rate amongst the finest ski tours on the planet. Everything is there in abundance, outstanding scenery, challenging climbs and traverses, memorable ski descents, and in Spring, some of the most favorable conditions you're likely to encounter. The most famous of the trans-Sierra tours is the Sierra High Route, typically a 6 days crossing from east to west.

The tour begins in the high desert at Symmes Creek, just north of Mt Whitney, and climbs quickly into alpine. The route then follows the natural boundary between Sequoia and Kings Canyon, staying high above 3000m for most of the tour, and finally dropping into giant sequoias on the west side, usually at Wolvertine Ski Area.

Traversing the Sierra's on skis dates back as far as 1931, when Otto Steiner left Wolverton in Sequoia N.P. alone, and skied up over the crest with even an ascent of Mt. Whitney, remarkably, in 3 days. The High Route as we know it today, however, dates back to 1975, when D.Beck, N. Hartzel and B. Couly made the journey from the east side.

The High Route becomes a most sought after tour in May, usually the best month, when the Sierra serves up the most delicious corn on the continent. Nights are still cold at high altitude, but the weather can be almost balmy on some slopes, with days of clear weather and stable snowpack. Obviously, the tour is so classic that dedicated souls make the crossing in mid-winter, despite epic trail-breaking and avie hazards, but such is the draw of this tour that its popularity grows with each year.

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