Switchback Travel | Outdoor Gear, Photography & Adventure

Ski Gear Guides

We pick the best ski gear for the 2019-2020 season, from new all-mountain skis and goggles to the coziest jackets and baselayers

See Our Picks
The Best Ski Resorts in Colorado

From challenging, expert-level terrain to gentle groomers, below we break down Colorado's top ski resorts

See Our Picks
The Best All-Mountain Skis

For versatile skis that can take on conditions from hardpack to powder, we pick the year’s top all-mountain models

See Our Picks
Review: Patagonia Macro Puff

We take Patagonia’s new lofty synthetic jacket into the North Cascades

See The Review
The Best Ski Helmets

From teched out and ventilated to simple budget options that still get the job done, we break down the best ski helmets on the market

See Our Top Picks
Look Up, Stand Still, Breathe

An interview with Quinn Brett on the risk of climbing, fear, and the long road to recovery

Read The Interview
Free Range Equipment

A young backpack designer from Bend, Oregon uses his small business to support artists, host pop-up events, and create community

See The Article
The Best Winter Boots

From casual walking to winter hiking and work in sub-zero temperatures, we break down the year’s top winter boots

See Our Picks
Review: Smith I/O Mag

We put Smith’s premium snow goggles to the test throughout a variable winter in the Pacific Northwest

See The Review

Adventure Travel

A Guide to the Grand Canyon’s Escalante Route

Adventure in the Grand Canyon is most often associated with rafting the Colorado River. But while there’s much to be seen from the canyon floor, the vast and undulating walls of The Big Ditch hold...

Among Giants: Climbing and Packrafting the Alaska Range

“No!” I groan, a wince breaking across my face. I’m in the middle of a swiftly flowing river, but my raft sits immobile as water rushes past me on both sides...

Colorado is one of the most iconic ski destinations in the Unites States. Every year, millions of skiers flock to the slopes to bask in the epic mountain terrain, abundant snowfall, and claimed 300+ days of sunshine (we haven’t counted, but that seems...

Bikepacking Mongolia’s Khangai Mountains

“Do you think that rain is coming our way?” We pedal under the bright sun, constantly glancing nervously over our shoulders as if being chased by a predator...

New Zealand's Ball Pass Crossing

I wake at the crack of dawn. Only the faint outline of Aoraki/Mount Cook is visible from my bunk, but its sheer volume is enough to pull me from my sleeping bag. I eagerly nudge Brian awake and we tiptoe outside...

On Location: El Chaltén

We wake at 6am to the faint jingle of Lorna’s watch muffled by her sleeping bag. My body creaks as I pull my sore arms from my sides, grab my headlamp, and light the JetBoil that I had carefully placed outside our tent the night before...

Trekking Mongolia's Altai Mountains

Don’t undo your bootlaces until you have seen the river. As we sit in dusty, windswept Ulgii, one of Mongolia’s westernmost cities, and await our delayed flight back to the capital city of Ulaanbaatar...

Ausangate Trek: High-Altitude Trekking in Peru

Peru’s Ausangate Trek is epic, and we aren’t throwing that term around lightly. The region is loaded with glacier-capped peaks that reach over 20,000 feet in elevation, yet despite good infrastructure...

10 Great Day Hikes from Seattle

From the peaks of the Cascades, across the coastal rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula, to towering volcanoes like Mt. Rainier, hiking Washington’s diverse landscapes...

A Guide to the Grand Canyon’s Escalante Route

Among Giants: Climbing and Packrafting the Alaska Range

“No!” I groan, a wince breaking across my face. I’m in the middle of a swiftly flowing river, but my raft sits immobile as water rushes past me on both sides...