Trip Description
The Sawtooth Haute Route is a classic alpine experience. Nine days spent traversing high passes and rugged alpine cirques require a combination of ski touring, mountaineering and wilderness travel skills, creating a Total Ski experience in one of the most spectacular mountain ranges imaginable. The Sawtooth Haute Route is a bright jewel in any skier's crown – truly the trip of a lifetime!
Terrain and Route
Rugged, strongly glaciated alpine features give the Sawtooth Range their name. While glaciers no longer exist, the scenery is stunning. The 55 mile, nine day route travels down the spine of the range from north to south. We ski through timber-line cirque basins with frozen lakes and over high corniced crests framed by sheer granite faces and towers. While the ingress and egress routes follow forested glacial valleys, the majority of the expedition will be spent above tree line in alpine cirques and basins. Participants should expect a range of snow conditions, from perfect spring corn to powder as we ski the magnificent crest of the range. There are nine ascents on the route, with the crest elevations varying from 9 - 9,800 feet. A typical day on the Haute Route involves traversing from one camp to another over a high pass. Once the new camp is established, we have the opportunity to climb and ski a nearby peak. There are numerous ski decent possibilities along the entire route.
Weather and Conditions
The weather variations on the Haute Route can be extreme. Expect days of strong sun fit for bathing suits and days where January temperatures and blizzard conditions may persist. All nights will be below freezing.
Prerequisites
The Haute Route requires advanced skiing ability and good physical conditioning. Participants will be expected to carry moderately heavy packs (30-40 lbs) over rugged terrain.
2010 Dates and Rates
April 17-25
$1350
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