Guided Trips with Andrew McLean

Local Wasatch Backcountry Skiing & Ski Mountaineering

Starting in 2019, I’ve been working with my friends over at The Backcountry Pros for local Wasatch guiding. They can be reached at info@thebackcountrypros.com or by phone at +1 801 631 4360.

Antarctica

The absolute, ultimate backcountry skiing trip of a lifetime.  The adventure starts in Ushuaia, Argentina which is all the way down at the tip of South America and has some excellent skiing as well.  From here, we board a 300′ ice reinforced cruise ship and cross the Drake Passage in comfort before arriving at the Antarctic Peninsula.  Once there, we take inflatable Zodiac boats ashore, spend the day skiing, and then transfer back to the main ship for an incredible moving feast as the boat relocates to a new place to ski the next day.  The penguins, whales, seals, birds and other wildlife make this trip like skiing in a zoo, or on another planet.  The dates vary a bit from year to year, but it is always right around the end of October or beginning of November and runs for approximately two weeks. For more information, contact me directly at amclean@xmission.com, or go to the Ice Axe Expeditions website.

Dave topping out…

Svalbard

At 79 degrees north, Svalbard offers up 24 hours of sunlight, sailboats, Polar Bears and incredible skiing.  The trip begins with a flight into Longyearbyen (LYR) which is the furthest north commercial airport in the world.  From here, we board a 65′ sailboat and set off for a week of skiing in the numerous channels and harbors along the northwest coast of the island.  Also known as Spitsbergen, this trip takes place in May and there are two consecutive weeks to choose from. For more information, contact me directly at amclean@xmission.com, or go to the Ice Axe Expeditions website.

Booting up a sustained ridge in Svalbard.