Win a trip to Kirkwood, experience first ever guided tour of the famed Cirque

Click here to enter the contest now

Want a chance to win a trip to Kirkwood this season and experience the first ever Expedition Kirkwood guided tour of the Cirque? Upload a photo of yourself skiing a steep line or a photo of a steep line you’ve skied, along with a brief explanation as to why you’re qualified to ski Kirkwood’s steepest terrain on Kirkwood’s Facebook page.

Contest entry window ends on January 31, 2013. A panel of judges made up of Expedition Kirkwood AMGA guides and Freeskier staff will select the overall winner. The winner will receive the trip of a lifetime February 27 – March 3, 3013. The prize includes airfare from any major airport in the US, lodging, a 3-day AIARE Level 1 avalanche certification clinic, lift tickets and an Expedition Kirkwood tour of the Cirque, if they prove worthy.

JJ Schiller shot by Amy Jimmerson_MSI

What’s the big deal about the Cirque, you ask? Kirkwood’s most fabled terrain has been off-limits since the ‘80s. Ever since, only patrollers and Freeride World Tour competitors have been allowed to ski the Cirque, a cliff-riddled, avalanche prone, 1,200-vertical-foot zone at the top of Thimble Peak.

“The Cirque is a skier’s dream,” says 2011/12 Freeride World Tour winner and Kirkwood local, Josh Daiek. “It has everything you’d ever want—steeps, chutes, hucks and more. There are a lot of dangerous areas, and people need to know their limits.”

Left: Ashley Maxfield shot by Amy Jimmerson_MSI

Routes include complex, exposed chutes and couloirs. Tours will be led by AMGA certified guides. Underscoring the seriousness of the terrain, Kirkwood will require an AIARE Level 1 Education.

“People are going to think that because it’s within a resort, rescue is right around the corner,” says Copeland. “That’s a misconception. In a sense rescue is there, but you are your own rescue party. We want everyone to be responsible for themselves and to be able to provide assistance if necessary.”

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the winner. Enter now. Winner will be chosen on February 6, 2013.