Snowbound

From cross-country tours to half-pipe clinics to snowshoe treks, there's a how-to-do-it camp for every winter sports junkie

You can get on board at Sugarbush. Brian Bahr/Allsport

By Iseult Devlin

You don't need a Ph.D. to frolic in the snow, but navigating the white stuff on board, ski or snowshoe does require some tutoring. The camps we rounded up include basic training as well as advanced courses—and some are absolutely free. So sign up now: School's in session.

Ski for Yourself! Cross-Country Camps
Learn to diagonal-stride or sharpen your racing skills at these four-day, women-only clinics in Waterville Valley, N.H.; Stowe, Vt.; and Mazama, Wash. In the mornings coaches concentrate on basic instruction and technique. Afternoons are reserved for workouts: Go for a 15-kilometer jaunt around the property or try something more mellow, like a massage or yoga session.
The deal: instruction, waxing clinics, yoga, lodging, meals, goody bags.
The price: $550-$1,050 (depending on location).
The info: 303-499-0436.

Tubbs/Reebok/PowerBar WinterFit
These snowshoe fitness programs combine gym time with on-snow action in nine cities around the country. Choose from workouts that focus on quad-strengthening, aerobic training or calorie burning as well as adventure courses—or do it all. Grab a manual and head out on your own or sign up for personal-trainer sessions or group classes.
The deal: snowshoe par courses in the gym and on the snow.
The price: $200-$250, eight-week two-hour gym-and-snow sessions; $5-$30, snow only.
The info: 800-882-2748.

Kim Reichhelm's Women's Ski Adventures
Take on the challenging terrain of Mount Crested Butte in Colorado, site of the last two Winter X Games, with extreme skier Kim Reichhelm. It's no boot camp, she says: Instead, you'll float through fresh powder and explore the backcountry at this weeklong camp.
The deal: small-group clinics, video analysis, product demos.
The price: $1,280; $900 (lodging not included).
The info: 888-444-8151.

L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery School Workshops
Explore the wide, white world of sports at one of these four\!day clinics in the private 15,000-acre wilderness at New Hampshire's Balsams resort. Each day learn something new: cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or backcountry skills such as map and compass reading.
The deal: instruction, lodging, meals, gear demonstrations.
The price: $560-$653 (double occupancy); $150, school only.
The info: 800-255-0600.

Burton Snowboards Women's Demo Tour
The tour makes 10 stops at resorts coast to coast, with half-pipe champion and Olympic bronze medalist Shannon Dunn. Beginners can try learn-to-ride programs at the daylong sessions, while advanced riders hit the park and half-pipe clinics.
The deal: tips from pro riders, demo-board tests (for every one demoed, Burton makes a donation to breast cancer research).
The price: free.
The info: 802-852-4500.

Snowbird Half-Pipe Clinics
If your goal is to become a rippin' pipe rider, Utah's Snowbird resort makes it easy (O.K., easier). With on-hill coaching and video analysis, technique is honed to injury-preventing perfection. Four three-day half-pipe camps are scheduled from January through late May. (Don't forget to bring your sunscreen.)
The deal: instruction, breakfast, video analysis, closing party.
The price: $295 (lodging not included).
The info: 801-933-2047.

Head/Subaru Women's Ski Clinics
Get pointers from 1994 Olympic super-giant slalom gold medalist Diann Roffe-Steinrotter or Women's Pro Ski Tour veteran Lisa Feinberg Densmore at 15 resorts. The daylong clinics offer instruction and demos of Head's new women's skis.
The deal: demos and lessons, plus Head and Subaru will make a donation to the National Breast Cancer Coalition on behalf of everyone who shows up.
The price: free.
The info: 800-432-3872.

Karhu Demo Days
Discover cross-country skiing and burn major calories while you're at it. In New Hampshire, Vermont and New York, Karhu trainers offer tips at demo booths or on the trail. At these day clinics you'll even test the new lightweight short and wide skis, designed to make backcountry skiing less of an arduous chore.
The deal: instruction and the chance to win prizes, from hats to ski vacations.
The price: trail-access fee (discounted through program), depending on area.
The info: 802-864-0005.

Ultimate Groove/Women in Motion
Go west, young woman, and try your hand—well, feet—at telemarking (free-heel downhill skiing) at any of five resorts in California, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. National telemark champion Heather Paul leads the weekend clinics, teaching technique with an emphasis on camaraderie and fun. You'll get a workout off the slopes as well, with yoga sessions and massage.
The deal: instruction, lift tickets, demo gear, meals, farewell party.
The price: about$300, depending on resort (lodging not included).
The info: 970-349-9214.

Women Only Snowboard Camps
At Sugarbush, in Vermont, you can learn to ride or, if you're already boardworthy, get tips on catching air in the half-pipe. Coaches stress progressing at your own pace, but with guest instructors like 1998 Olympian Betsy Shaw, you will progress.
The deal: new-board demos, video analysis, chances to win equipment and accessories.
The price: $729, three days.
The info: 800-552-5065.

 
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