Tech Tips

How travel has changed and things to keep in mind for anyone shredding abroad this winter! Written By Phantom Team Rider and Founder/Director of 40 Tribes, Ryan Koupal Remember this time last year? Public places were a little bit freaky. Dinner parties weren't a thing. Après beers were had in the parking lot, not at the bar. Humans were generally avoiding their fellow humans. No one wanted to or could board an airplane. Borders were closed. As the owner of a guiding company that operates exclusively internationally, it pangs me to remember. But while the 2020/21 season was a complete...

  Written by Eric Layton  Phantom Team Rider  Professional Guide 40 Tribes Triple Point Expeditions Eagle Pass Heliski Splitboard Guides International    Lately quite a few people have asked me what my favorite piece of backcountry equipment is or better yet, why do I  ride with ski poles in my hands. The answer is simple, they work! Not just for the obvious reasons, but yes, they do  help a tremendous amount with getting through the flats or undulating terrain and I wouldn't be caught in the  backcountry without them. A buddy and fellow guide recently said that riding with poles...

Written by: Joey Vosburgh  Phantom Team RiderACMG Guide Selkirk Tangiers Heli Touring Selkirk Mountain Experience Interpreting snow observations can seem like a big mystery. There are clues everywhere, but you need to figure out what they mean. It can seem overwhelming and confusing to interpret the results of your investigation, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. Here are a few things I focus on when collecting snowpack information to try to answer the critical question: will this slope avalanche?  Surface Hoar Reactivity Avalanche My investigation starts before I leave the house. I’ll check the weather stations available online to...

Being an Alpinist and IFMGA Mountain Guide on a Splitboard         Complete with a Splitboard Mountaineering Gear List By Robert Smith IFMGA Mountain Guide  Phantom Team Rider   My first day of snowboarding was in 1989 when I was 6 years old. I grew up in Southern California with parents, an older brother and cousins who were all obsessed with surfing and skateboarding. So, naturally when snowboarding was invented, my entire family immediately became hooked on another form of sliding at high speed on a board. My snowboarding roots began at Snow Summit in Southern California. The...