WINTER LIFESTYLE: BACKCOUNTRY SKIING
RANDONNÉE SKIING ON BERTHOUD PASS COLORADO
By Kristen Lodge / Photos by Carter Photographics

Randonnée skiing is free-heel touring on downhill skis. Randonnée bindings detach at the heel for cross-country and uphill skiing then lock in place for alpine skiing on the descent. Also called ski mountaineering or alpine touring, Randonnée mixes cross-country, free-heeled motion for climbing with alpine technique for the descent.

Blue skies, warm temperatures, two expert skiers guiding a newbie – a perfect combination for a backcountry adventure in Colorado at 11,000 feet. Better late than never.

I’m finally going to ski on Berthoud Pass. I’ve driven over it, flown over it, but have never skied on it. I’m afraid of being in an avalanche, but today I will overcome this fear by focusing on the views of the rugged mountain peaks and untracked fresh powder. For twenty years I’ve been skiing and snowshoeing in the mountains. Today is the first day venturing into the true backcountry on Randonnée skis. Today I ski Berthoud Pass.

I stop at Ice Box Mountain Sports to get my gear and meet my skiing partners. I find Jean Vives and Tim Carter sitting on old car seats in the store talking to Ice Box Mountain Sports owner, Scott Anderson, about conditions on Berthoud Pass. Anderson gives my size 11 feet a funny look while bringing out my Randonnée alpine boots (I get that a lot.) His store fills the needs of backcountry skiers: telemark, Randonnée and all cross county disciplines. He has lived in Fraser for 21 years and grew up skiing at Winter Park, competing in mogul skiing and starting backcountry skiing when he needed a break from the resort experience. Anderson says, “There are so many possibilities out there in the backcountry. It’s about serenity.”

Tim and Jean review the equipment I need and help pack my backpack. The essential gear for this day trip: shovel, beacon, poles, water bottle, food, cell phone, shovel with interval wood saw and lighter, and whistle. Tim makes sure my beacon is working and shows me how to wear it; close to my skin, not above the layers.

Jean Vives lives in Fraser and has more than 30 years of backcountry skiing and mountaineering experience. He has a Ph.D in physical education with a specialty in exercise physiology from the University of Northern Colorado, and has a book published on Randonnée skiing. A former co-director of Aspen Alpine Guides and past member of Aspen Mountain Rescue, he even designed the Colorado Haute Route from Vail to Winter Park – 63 miles with over 43,000 feet of ascent/descent.

I’m in good hands.

We park at Current Creek and gear up. It is a perfect Colorado winter day with a clear blue sky, an occasional white fluffy cloud, and no wind. I’m a bit nervous about avalanches and double check to make sure my beacon works. Tim and Jean confirm that the avalanche danger is low and it makes me feel better. We start up Peter Rabbit Trail to the Peter Rabbit Hut gliding through soft snow on a perfectly cut trail.

The first 30 minutes feel much like cross country skiing. Once in a while I can see the cliffs above us and I wonder if we are going that high, and if I’m going to jump off them like in the Warren Miller films.

Tim are Jean tell me stories about their adventures while we climb. Their backcountry hut trips sound so fun. I start planning ski touring trips in my mind as I practice my form up the hill. Camaraderie is one of the best features of this trip. I try to join the conversation but it’s hard to form complete sentences because I’m breathing so hard. Jean and Tim ski often and don’t have any problem breathing and talking. I keep my head down as the uphill becomes steeper. I’m a great listener on the uphill. I stop to catch my breath and look around. We are getting higher and the hills from this perspective appear so pure and untrammeled.

There are three height levels that are changeable on the Randonnée binding. Tim stops to help me adjust the setting on the bindings to the highest level as we approach the first steep hill. It feels like I’m wearing high heels until the climb begins then it feels completely natural. The heel elevator reduces the angle of the climb by giving a higher resting position for the foot and reduces calf and thigh fatigue. When I get to the flatter areas I lift my heel off the binding and lower the height level.

We arrive at the Peter Rabbit Hut. The building is rustic and has a coat of arms on the front door. I half expect someone to come out of the hut and offer us a drink. The cabin has a woodburning stove and sleeping bags are in the bunks.

I drink water and eat a granola bar. I can’t wait to keep going. I can see a minor peak and it looks like a rough path to it. I have no idea what I’m in for. For all I know we could just climb, and climb and by the time we get to the top, I’m too tired. Or the mountain could be just around the corner and it’s a piece of cake.

As it turns out, it’s a little of both. My last lesson by Jean is about pole planting. I am planting closer to the front of the ski but the most efficient way to move forward is to plant the poles straight down at the side of the bindings. As I get better from Jean’s coaching, there are still times I just can’t make it up a steep slope, and the group decides to traverse the slope instead of skiing straight up.

We reach the top of a ridge with 360-degree views of mountains. I cannot believe I’m here … in the backcountry … skiing! “Take off the skins,” Tim and Jean yell to me. My skins come off, my boots locked in, and I’m ready for some powder. Tim jumps around trying to get his legs ready for the downhill and off he goes over the edge. I’m afraid to look. I hear him whoo hoo’ing and peak over the lip to watch him. He skis like a pro with ease, stops, and looks up at us with a big smile. I wave, check that my beacon is operational and push off. I’m skiing in powder up to my thighs. It’s awesome.

My skis know exactly what to do and I cannot believe I’m doing this. It’s just like skiing at a resort minus the people. I ski up to Tim. “Let’s do it again.”

Jean comes down last with perfect alpine turns. I hope that is what I look like skiing but pretty sure it’s not. We put our skins on and climb back up and do the run one more time. We ski back down to the hut and arrive at the parking lot much too soon. I don’t want this day to end. The combination of tranquility in the backcountry, storytelling on the climb with new friends, and perfect weather conditions makes this trip unforgettable.

I now have a new favorite sport, and I need to find a space, for my new gear next to my bike, downhill skis, backpack, tent …

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