Alpenglow Sports Mountain Winter Festival 2020

Breathe in the beauty of Lake Tahoe while learning how to safely and effectively traverse the mountain at the Alpenglow Sports Mountain Winter Festival this February 15-23, 2020! Get ready for 9 days of backcountry, snowshoe, splitboard, skate ski, and safety workshops and tours showcasing some of the best winter activities Lake Tahoe has to offer!

Beginner and Intermediate sports enthusiasts will benefit from over 75 individual workshops and tours in an education-based forum combined with fun and engaging community experience on the mountain. Additional events include Nordic racing, yoga, breathwork classes, mountain photography, a family-friendly astronomy snowshoe tour and an adults only mixology snowshoe crawl! Festival socializing kicks off at the Mountainfilm Festival at Squaw Valley on the first night and ramps up each night after at the happy hour tailgate talks.  

Most workshops and tours are FREE but require a deposit that will be refunded upon participation. Sign up now as participants are limited to 4 tours and be sure to join the Waiting List for any events that are currently full. Money from cancellations will be donated to the Tahoe Backcountry Alliance and to Protect Our Winters. The North Face is generously supporting the festival this year, along with local businesses and organizations such as the Tahoe Adventure Company and the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science.

Many workshops include a mix of classroom and field components so make sure to check online and bring the right gear with you! Backcountry workshops teach all about ski mountaineering, terrain management, beacon skills, and avalanche rescue practice. Follow these up with backcountry tours where you'll implement your new skills and learn how to effectively find a route, set up an uphill track, and stay properly hydrated. Splitboard tours range from beginner to advanced levels and provide instruction on mountain navigation, avalanche awareness, terrain management, route finding, safety considerations and how to make a skin track.

Snowshoe tours range from beginner to intermediate and focus on gear needs, best travel practices, risk assessment, and survival basics including first aid. Skate Ski Clinics highlight Nordic skiing and explain why it's so popular among certain athletes. The Alpenglow 20K Nordic Race gives participants 3 distances to choose from – 20km, 10km or 5km with the latter being a great option for anyone who hasn't tried it before.

Breathwork workshops are a new addition to the festival and include intentional breathing, meditation and cold exposure in the waters of Lake Tahoe. Mountain Festival Yoga welcomes all ability levels into a relaxed beginner's flow class, and the photography workshop shows you have to capture that perfect backcountry shot in no time.

The Mixology Snowshoe Crawl is a unique backcountry bartending experience with drink samples and instruction complete with a 1-2 mile snowshoe jaunt with each participant receiving a Klean Kanteen gift. Sign up for as many events as you can as they are a great way to hone your skills, increase your confidence and meet fellow sports enthusiasts who share the same passion!