It’s the time of year when we all start putting the summer toys away and begin watching the weather forecast like a hawk, waiting for the first big storm to start getting some turns in. With our renewed interest, we also might be taking out some new partners to the backcountry this season too, be it a new addition to your crew that may or may not be experienced, or perhaps you are the rookie and are joining a new group of people to get out and have some fun.

Picking backcountry partners is something you should be extremely selective about. These are people that potentially could save your life, or perhaps end it by making poor decisions. So how do we assess a new backcountry partner to make sure we will all be a good fit? Here are my four guidelines.

Preparedness

Ever toured with someone that took a long time getting ready before starting out? Say perhaps an hour? And every time since they have taken an hour to get ready at the trailhead? I have! We don’t go together anymore. I’m of the mindset that each day spent in the backcountry should be enjoyed to the max, and shivering while your partner figures out where their boot liner is in the back of their black hole of a backseat isn’t a great way to spend a frosty morning when you could be out earning turns.

Your new partner ideally shows up on time, ready to roll, only needing to put on boots, skins, and off you go. Getting shit together is for the night before. Your partner should also have the correct gear. A few things I check are good batteries in the beacon, good shovel (no lexan/plastic) food/water, layering, and anything you might need to travel the backcountry safely. If they can’t get their life together enough to be on time for a day out of powder laps, are you sure they can get it together to dig you out of an avalanche?

Also, is my partner up to date on the weather for the day? The avy conditions? Do they know how their gear works? Im not going to be able to help out the dude with brand new dynafit bindings, just like I don’t expect them to know how to operate my splitboard. Its good to know how to do that for your partner, but don’t expect a new partner to magically be able to fix your crap if it breaks.

And they have done some training or are knowledgeable about avalanche assessment right? Avy 1 and wilderness first aid go a long way to making a good team.

Go Somewhere Mellow For Your First Time Out

You are assessing each other to see if there is compatibility and chemistry there. And just like a good first date, you need to pick somewhere you can talk and focus on each other. That means saving the gnarly tours for another day and take your new friend somewhere super mellow and do some glade hopping. You can see if your fitness levels match, do a little beacon practice, navigation, etc. All the things you want to know your partner is capable of before getting into the shit together.

Know The Difference Between Being A Good Rider And A Good Tourer

Being a good snowboarder or skier doesn’t mean you will be a good splitboarder or backcountry skier. Splitboarders spend ninety percent of the day traveling uphill, assessing terrain for avalanche risks, watching for weather changes, making sure they are going the right way, looking out for their partners, and a lot of other little things. So little of splitboarding is the actual snowboarding part of it. Just because your friend is a ripper on the resort doesn’t mean much when you’re out in the wild together. Skinning especially trips a lot of splitboarders up. Knowing and being willing to improve all facets of the backcountry toolkit goes a long way in a good partner.

Look For The Right Personality

Humble, observant, willing to listen, but willing to speak up. And you should like each other!

A good partner is humble in the mountains. They know their limits, and know that nature doesn’t care about you. Its 100% up to the individual to make sure they travel safe in an unsafe environment.

A good partner is observant. They notice you didn’t bring enough food, so they share theirs. They notice you’re moving slow so they quietly suggest an easier itinerary for the day because they aren’t feeling it. They make sure you’re healthy and in good spirits. They see the clouds coming in and suggest moving off the summit. They beat you to the beacon check every morning.

A good partner understands that a good backcountry team requires communication. Everyone needs to have a say, and to be heard. Failure of communication leads to dangerous decision making.

And a good partner speaks up when you’re acting like an entitled jackass and are pushing everyone into something dangerous. Someone that will call out and expects to get called out on reckless risk assessment.

And finally, the best partner remembers to bring the beer for the apres party at the car.

Best of luck to you finding a good partner. It can take time to foster the camaraderie of a great backcountry group. It’s hard to find where everything aligns, but well worth the time invested.