The Soulines Backcountry Event returns to Nelson, British Columbia March 2-4, 2018. Here are the details.
Those of us here at Kootenay Mountain Culture magazine are stoked to be supporting 2018’s Soulines event. Founded by tailguide snowboarder and Space Bear-sponsored rider Jason Gretzinger, Soulines is a 3-day base-camp style shindig designed to bring together backcountry enthusiasts that share a passion for big mountain riding, while providing safety and media crews to oversee them pushing their skills to the limit.
The event also includes three contests with over $6,000 worth of prizes; the Big Mountain Freeride contest; photo challenge; and the Space Bear Big Air video contest.
According to its mission statement, Soulines “brings together a group of like-minded winter backcountry enthusiasts and provides them with a venue to learn, grow and progress their avalanche awareness skills and riding abilities. The ‘Soul’ of backcountry snowboarding and skiing is our focus and we strive to connect each and every person involved with their passion of what it is to ride their Souline.”
In other words, it’s a great excuse to get together with like-minded people and shred the backcountry.
This year the Soulines Base Camp will be set up 14 kilometres off the highway nestled next to the Kokanee Glacier near Nelson, BC. There are three lakes all with broken sled trails into them and plenty of features on which to get your Soulines. The Base Camp will provide a First Aid tent, drying tent, cooking tent, BBQ’s as well as a fire pit and generators to light up the night and charge electronics. One hot meal per day is also provided for each participant.
All participants are required to bring their own methods of sleeping arrangements. It’s important to remember this isn’t a resort chalet and those involved need to be experienced in winter overnight camping. But the organizers say they do strive to make the experience as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
If all of this spikes your interest and you think you got what it takes to shred Soulines, you can find out more information and register at soulinesbackcountry.com.
