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- Lockie - there seems to be no coverage of Snowcat Skiing.
Snowcat skiing (Cat skiing) is a form of mechanized backcountry skiing in which tracked snowcats are used to transport skiers and snowboarders into remote alpine regions. Snowcat skiing is similar to Heliskiing, providing ready access to little-skied slopes and "untracked" powder snow without the time, effort, experience and equipment required for ski touring or ski mountaineering.
Snowcat skiing is much less expensive than Heliskiing and is considered by many to provide a more relaxed skiing experience. Groups of 10 to 12 skiers and snowboarders, usually accompanied by two guides, are transported to mountain tops, high ridges and glaciers from which they descend in fresh snow, with one guide leading the way and the second guide bringing up the rear (the tailgunner).
Skiing terrain can vary from wide-open slopes to glades in old growth forests. Some operators offer a predominance of "tree skiing" while others may offer considerable terrain above the tree line. Guides will select terrain to best suit their clients
Cat skiing provides less skiing in a day than heliskiing, but enough to satisfy many expert and most intermediate skiers. Snowcat skiers can anticipate six to eight descents in a day, depending on the nature of the operation and the strength of the skiers. Descents can vary from about 800 vertical feet to over 2000 vertical feet.
Snowcat skiing operations based at a backcountry lodge offer a unique wilderness experience and usually more skiing in a day than operations based in a town or at a road head. The latter are less expensive, since full food and lodging may not be provided, but they require access time each day to travel into the backcountry. This may considerably shorten the lenght of the skiing day.
The attraction of backcountry skiing is a high likelihood of encountering fresh, untracked powder snow on slopes that have not been skied since the last snowfall. During the course of the day, guides will constantly move their group from slope to slope, so as to provide changing terrain and a fresh supply of unskied snow.
Backcountry snow and weather conditions are unpredictable and subject to rapid change. Guides are carefully trained to monitor snow and weather conditions so as to reduce the risk that is associated with all backcountry skiing. Light powder snow cannot be guaranteed, but experienced guides will often be able to find good skiing conditions when general conditions may be poor due to excessive exposure to sun or wind, which may cause the snow to become heavy or crusted and difficult to ski.
If no one else is working on such an article, I will spend some time on this. Lockie August 8, 2008
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