Backcountry Smarter : On-Snow Course Dates for next Season & Free Webinar Next Week!

New on-snow course dates for next season, 2026/27  plus a short live webinar next week on :

•  New hybrid ski touring equipment : how to mix and match

• Avalanche danger levels 1–5 : what they mean and how to use them to help you be safer off-piste and in the backcountry

We’re excited to announce the next Backcountry Smarter on-snow course dates for the coming winter season.

On-Snow Course Dates :

• Course 1 : 7–10 December 2026
• Course 2 : 11–14 January 2027
• Course 3 : 8–11 February 2027
• Course 4 : 8–11 March 2027

Location: Val d’Isère / Tignes, France

Each course combines:

• Technique with Mark Jones – control, line choice, efficiency and confidence in variable off-piste snow.
• Safety & Adventure with Henry Schniewind – the HAT Framework Method: terrain choices, avalanche risk reduction and companion rescue.
• Equipment understanding – how to match skis, boots and bindings for the type of skiing and touring you actually want to do.
• Pocket Guide training – practical memory aids to help you apply key safety points before, during and after your days on snow.

The goal is simple: to help you ski further, freer and safer – with more confidence, better decisions and a clearer understanding of how to manage real backcountry terrain.

Free Webinar Next Tuesday 5 May — 18:00 UK Time

To introduce the new course dates and answer questions, Henry and Mark will be running a short live Backcountry Smarter webinar next Tuesday at 18:00 UK time. The topic of this will be:

Backcountry Smarter: Hybrid Equipment + Avalanche Danger Levels
How modern ski touring gear is evolving — and how to use avalanche danger levels within a practical risk-management framework.

The format will be short and practical:

• 20 minutes from Mark on the evolution of hybrid ski touring equipment — and why matching boots, bindings and skis has become such an important issue.
• 20 minutes from Henry on avalanche danger levels 1–5 — how they fit into the HAT Framework Method, and how to use them as part of practical decision-making rather than as a stand-alone answer.
• Q & A session for your questions on the courses, equipment, technique or avalanche safety.

What our Participants Said Last Season :

Feedback from our first on-snow sessions was hugely encouraging:

“Amazing day! Thanks all.”
Christian Young

“A beautiful backcountry experience to practise our skills. Thanks so much Henry!”
Jaqui

“A fabulous week. Many thanks. I need a week to recover now!”
Nina

“A fantastic insight and deep dive into the whole off-piste experience — great company too.”
Jacqueline

These courses are not about extreme skiing or chasing steep couloirs. They are about finding good snow, improving real-world technique, understanding terrain, and building the judgement to make better decisions in the mountains.

Who Backcountry Smarter is For

Backcountry Smarter is aimed at skiers who already have some off-piste experience and want to become more consistent, confident and autonomous.

You should be comfortable skiing red runs, able to get down black runs in control, and have some experience linking turns in fresh or ungroomed snow – even if it is not always elegant yet!

Stronger skiers are also very welcome. We aim to match groups by level and objectives as much as possible.

Come along next Tuesday, ask questions, and find out whether Backcountry Smarter is the right next step for your off-piste and touring journey.