How to make a smooth leap from desk to dream backcountry trip

Between clearing your desk and being cleared for take-off, there’s a lot that needs to be done in the packing and preparation department before setting off on a big – or even a little – ski touring or backcountry trip.
You probably think you’re the only one who agonises over what to pack, what to take just in case and what to leave behind. Right? Well, here’s a confession: it doesn’t matter how much of this you do, it never gets easier and you never get more confident in the details.
Want to reach summits like this? Heed our wordsAs a trainee guide I had a mentor who said you don’t get any better at choosing the right kit; you just get better at suffering in silence and not letting on. I also have a colleague who admitted that if he won the lottery he wouldn’t give up guiding – but he’d pay someone to pack his rucksack!
So, assuming you are heading for a Saturday flight and working until the end of the week, here’s my whistlestop countdown of all the events that need to happen in the days before you go, so that you’re ready to hit the floor running when you get to the mountains.
Now’s the time for a reality check. This could be your last chance to shop, so work out what kit you need and be sure that everything you have is in working order. Get your gear out of the loft and check it over. And make sure you do it in time to sort, mend or replace anything before the weekend is out and the shops are shut.
While you’re at it:
Get your daily fix of pre-trip excitement by doing something useful and informative, such as:
View the Thursday before departure as the final deadline, not the Friday. This will help avoid the crippling last-minute rush that always spoils all your fun and leaves you run-down and vulnerable to bugs (and shouting):
Trust me, I see so many people screw up their valuable touring trip by arriving tired and in chaos. Sure, this is just a week’s skiing we are talking about – not an ascent of Everest – but if you set off feeling run-down you will pick up something grim on the plane, just when your body needs to be making red blood cells for altitude, rather than white ones to shift a cold.
Check the forecast for the week ahead. How high, how hot, which layers, what weather is coming? Then tweak that tidy pile of kit to give yourself the right layers.
Now pack to make life easy, but without losing valuable kit at check-in. So keep all the sharp items ready to re-pack into your day or hut-to-hut pack – but keep them in your hold luggage for travelling. If you have gas cylinders, make sure you have some documentation, or at least a plan for how they need to travel.
Yeah – we’re on the way! There’s nothing we can do now, so chill and enjoy the travelling. And make sure you stay hydrated (jeepers, I’m starting to sound like your mum)!
Land, travel, gather and re-pack everything ready for your first day’s skiing or skinning. I like to pack my bag for the following morning as soon as possible. Otherwise I have a habit of heading out and finding myself in the bar with the dancing bear with very little clue of what needs to happen next.
That’s it, we’ve nailed it – we’re on tour!