PINKHAM NOTCH, New Hampshire — New this season, Wildcat Mountain is hosting backcountry telemark ski clinics. These are two-day clinics for participants who are comfortable free-heel skiing on most intermediate terrain under varied conditions.

On the first day, participants will refine their telemark technique in a small group lesson with Wildcat’s most experienced instructors. Instruction will focus on negotiating ungroomed snow, strategies for tree skiing, and other advanced tactics to deal with the variable snow conditions found in the backcountry. On the second day, participants will join Eastern Mountain Sports Climbing School Guides and learn about backcountry skiing on Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast. Participants will learn about using climbing skins, avalanche transceivers, trip planning, route finding, and much more during a tour on one of our local backcountry ski trails.

“We’re in the center of backcountry skiing in New Hampshire, here at Wildcat,” says Jeff Lea, one of Wildcat’s Telemark Instructors. “Because of our location next to Mt. Washington and Tuckerman Ravine, and the fact that we have such highly qualified instructors on our staff, we have been considering offering clinics for quite some time. We’re very excited about being able to offer these clinics, right here in Pinkham Notch.” Jeff Lea is a PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors Assocation) Certified Level Three Telemark Instructor. Wildcat has at least six PSIA Certified Telemark Instructors on staff, four of them Level Three, including Martha Leich, Paul Robert, and Tom Brady. Glen Brown and Bob Foppiano are also PSIA Certified Telemark Instuctors.

Wildcat’s Backcountry Telemark Clinics are currently scheduled for the following weekends: Feb. 10 & 11, March 3 & 4, March 31 & April 1, 2007. The cost of the two-day clinic is $249. For more information, and to register, please contact Wildcat’s Guest Services Desk at 1-888-SKI WILD X217.