Backcountry Magazine

They say all that’s lost is simply waiting to be discovered again.

Driven by the pursuit of the untracked, us backcountry skiers seem to have a unique proclivity for discovery, whether it’s a first descent or a freshly filled in, often-skied line.

For some, that pursuit of discovery has led to exploring the world’s melting glaciers, not simply to know their disappearing ski lines but to understand their place in the world’s water systems. For others, seeking the unknown yields enclaves of skiers and mountain culture long tucked away, like those of Kazakhstan’s Tien Shan and Altai mountain ranges or South Korea’s Ulluengdo island.

But the unknown doesn’t just exist in the form of new environments. It extends to changing paradigms and uncharted paths: How concussions are treated; how identity shapes the way people move through mountain professions.

And it’s all part of The Hidden Issue.