Few things in ski mountaineering are as exciting as dropping into a beautiful alpine couloir. Derived from the French word for “hallway,” couloirs are natural mountain corridors that offer some of the most aesthetic and exhilarating steep skiing in the North Cascades. With sustained fall-line turns, towering rock walls, and incredible alpine settings, skiing a classic couloir is an experience that’s hard to beat.

Our couloir skiing course is designed to introduce experienced backcountry skiers to steeper and more technical terrain in a thoughtful, progressive way. Learn how to assess couloir terrain, manage steep entrances, make efficient transitions, and use techniques such as belayed skiing or rappelling when appropriate. The goal is to build the skills, confidence, and judgment to take on bigger backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering objectives.

With hundreds of couloirs accessible from Seattle, Snoqualmie Pass, and throughout the North Cascades, we can choose the best objective for your ability, snow conditions, weather, and avalanche forecast. From approachable couloirs with fantastic skiing to technical lines requiring ropes and rappels, every day is different.

If you’ve ever looked up at a perfect ribbon of snow between two rock walls and thought, “I want to ski that,” this course is where it starts.

1:1 $650 per person

2:1 $375 per person

3:1 $250 per person

4:1 $200 per person