Matt Ruta 
Some people are alpine start people. I am not one of them. So it was notable that I had woken up before my 2:30 AM alarm. It could have been the nervous excitement around the day’s objective, conversations over beta photos the previous night replaying in my head. I wondered, groggily, if maybe I’d been dreaming about serac fall. As my brain slowly spooled up, I changed my mind. The perpetrator behind… Read More
In the mountains, the strategy is always to stack the deck as much as possible in your favour. Control every variable you can and leave as little as possible to chance, fate, luck or whatever phrasing makes you feel the most comfortable with it. That’s the way the game is played. Watch the line – sometimes for years, build the skillset, dial in the plan, the gear. Implicit in that strategy is… Read More
I think I owe Ski Trab an apology. I’ve never been a big fan of hybrid bindings and I assumed that trend would continue with the TR1. I thought it was probably too heavy and I was pretty sure it would be a hassle to use. I assumed that I wouldn’t be able to notice enough of a difference between it and my beloved Titan Vario 2.0. They sent it to me… Read More
I’ve long admired the resumes and skills of guys like Andrew McNab, Marcus Waring and Ali Haeri. These are names that appear over and over in the Rockies and beyond, whether as first descentionists in mountaineering literature, guides accompanying well known pros and productions or just whispers around a campfire or at a ski town dive bar. So when all three of them invited me along on a trip into the Kinbasket… Read More
Several attempts and no success. That’s been the story of Pope’s peak and I over the years as I tried in vain to ski north couloir from the summit. The first time, Joel and I cleared the ice crux before heavy sloughing chased us back into the safety of the valley. The second time, we didn’t even make it up the fan before a surprise squall turned the slough taps on full… Read More
Consumer 3D projection mapping was a revelation that happened to coincide with my entry into serious backcountry skiing. So it’s always been a big part of my process. Sure, of course topo maps work fine and you should know how to read them. But seeing the world displayed more or less as it is, with the ability to fly around and look at features from multiple perspectives is a total game changer…. Read More
After a wintery May and a cold June, the melt was finally, disappointingly, coming. With perhaps the last window of perfect conditions for the spring threatening to close, I booked the morning off work and rallied on up to the Icefields Center for a 4AM meetup with Mikey. He wanted to ski the Skyladder, or what’s left of it, and I just wanted to go skiing. I did have a bit of… Read More
Most of the time, I let conditions dictate the lines I ski. Well, all the time if I’m being honest. There’s no way around the fact that the mountains are in charge. What I mean is that I usually take stock of conditions, then go through my catalogue of ideas to find the ones that fit. It’s easier to enjoy the mountains that way. I find I spend a lot less time… Read More
There’s nothing quite like a backyard mission, is there? After a big linkup attempt in the pass was thwarted by surprise permit area closures, Mikey and I were itching to ski something with… fewer external dependencies. The Dogtooth range fit the bill nicely, and came with the added benefit of a short commute and more sleep. Win win. Skiing from the highest point of perhaps the most visually arresting peak around town… Read More
I could not have timed leaving BC better this winter. I spent a good chunk of time in Europe racing skimo world cups and during that period I’m pretty sure it snowed once at home. Folks did not seem impressed. Fortunately, that one snowfall accounted for about a meter, just before I got home – which really spruced things up. After the inevitable massive avalanche cycle ensued, we got a really nice… Read More
Matt Ruta 