ACC Gazette Section Stories: Columbia Mountains
The Inaugural SPLIT//SKI Festival
A celebration of the backcountry community’s shared passion for exploration, safety, and stewardship.
Story by Kirsten Silfvenius, photos by Back Deck Studios.
The backcountry community of Revelstoke came together for a weekend of education, connection, and celebration at the first-ever SPLIT//SKI Festival, hosted by the Columbia Mountains Section. With a focus on stewardship, safety, and stoke, the festival brought splitboarders and skiers together for a great program of film screenings, educational talks, community networking, and backcountry skills training.
The festival began with ACMG guide and author Greg Hill hosting the Friday evening Arc’teryx Film Night. The event featured a screening of the ski touring and avalanche control movie The Pass, along with an engaging presentation by professional skier and Girls Do Ski Director Leah Evans. Attendees filled the venue, eager to take in the films and discussions that highlighted the adventure, risk, and passion that define backcountry skiing and splitboarding.
Saturday night’s Community Night at the Revelstoke Community & Aquatic Centre was a hub of activity, drawing attendees for a mix of education, networking, and entertainment. The tradeshow and raffle featured big brands and local vendors, exciting prizes, and a fun Bingo social mingling activity that encouraged festival-goers to make new connections.
Other social activities on Saturday included a She-Touring Social led by Jade Berrill celebrating women in backcountry sports, a snowpack panel discussion led by Adam Zok, Ben Yeager, and ACMG guide Marty Schaffer, and mini talks on backcountry safety and careers. The evening was intended to include, inspire and educate the skiing and splitboarding community and was hugely successful.
To help participants find like-minded touring partners, festival organizers hosted an In-Bounds Touring Partner Group Meetup at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. This stress-free environment allowed attendees to connect in-bounds.
With a successful inaugural event, SPLIT//SKI Festival has set the stage for an annual tradition in Revelstoke. Plans are already in motion for 2026, with dates set for January 9-11, 2026. Those interested in staying informed can join the festival mailing list.
A huge thank you to all the volunteers who helped make the event happen, as well as the partners and sponsors, including Arc’teryx, Avalanche Canada, Karakoram, Free Spirit Sports, Society Snow & Skate, and Revy Outdoors. Their support helped bring this incredible weekend to life.
The SPLIT//SKI Festival proved to be a much needed gathering for the splitboarding and ski touring community, reinforcing the importance of safety, stewardship, and connection in the backcountry. See you next year in Revelstoke!
Split//Ski Festival Returns
January 9-11
We’re returning for our second year! Save the day for a community night at the Legion featuring a mingling activity, educational talks, and a State of the Snowpack address featuring guides from CAPOW. On Saturday, the event at Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre returns with guests and films from Arc’teryx. Sign up for backcountry events throughout the weekend hosted by event partners CAPOW and Girls Do Ski.
Regional ACC Sections are the Alpine Club of Canada’s strength. Membership in an ACC Section enables members to participate in numerous summer and winter mountaineering, rock climbing, and skiing activities, coordinated by experienced amateur leaders in their local area. The majority of activities offered by sections are either free or are offered on a break-even basis to their members. Through ACC Section trips you’ll learn all the basics you need to travel safely in the mountains, while meeting new friends to enjoy your experiences with.
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