Steve Andrews

Steve Andrews is a lifelong adventurer since before he could walk. A skier since age 2, snowboarder since 11, he began his guiding career in 2007. He has a passion for teaching people how to fish, and helping them discover their own power in the mountians. He started Alpine Islands to give people a different take on achieving mastery in the wild (hint: you're never a master of Mother Nature). He lives in Horseshoe Bay, British Columbia with his partner and two kids.

Pro Standard Grillmount Review: The One Angle To Rule Them All

I miss the days where snowboarding videos were a sit-down event. And this is a criticism of how we consume all media, not just snowboarding—but I pine for the pre-smartphone era of consumption. The days of having a stack of VHS tapes (and then DVDs) on top of a TV set that was the go-to […]

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a selection of glacier glasses on the snow that were the best in the review

The Best Glacier Glasses For Mountaineering and High-Alpine Protection

We use affiliate links to help pay the bills. We only recommend products we’ve tested in the field and actually enjoy. Read our Gear Review Policy for more info. Ultraviolet Light is a silent threat in the mountains. We spent plenty of our time and money trying to research the best baselayers, hardshell jackets, and

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The Best Hardshell Jackets For Backcountry Skiing Or Splitboarding

Choosing the right jacket for backcountry skiing or snowboarding is more than a fashion statement. Hopefully that’s the last thing on your mind. But when it comes down to it, a proper hardshell jacket can be a possible life-saver to keep you warm and dry in critical moments. Or at the very minimum it’ll keep

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a snowboarder rides through powder and gets lost in a cloud

Arc’Teryx Sabre Jacket Review: Is it Worth The Premium Pricetag?

The Arc’teryx Sabre jacket has become one of the world’s go-to gore-tex shells for resort skiing and snowboarding in the past few years. This year they have updated to using the new ePe fabric, which is free of the harmful PFAS “forever chemicals” that leech into our ecosystem. After testing the jacket for the past

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a close up shot of a snowboard boot entering the bindings using the FASE system

ThirtyTwo T32M FASE Snowboard Bindings Review

ThirtyTwo T32M FASE Bindings: First Impressions Specs: Quick-release highback, double-beam heelcup, fast ankle strap Pro Models: Pat Fava (featured here), Scott Stevens, Chris Bradshaw Best For: All-mountain shredding Overall Feel: Responsive, yet durable, with super fast ankle strap adjustments I’ll get it out of the way now that I’m a fan of ThirtyTwo. Over the

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a snow science researcher stands in a snowpack study pit

Current Whistler Backcountry Conditions: Jan 20, 2025

Updated Jan 21, 2025 Current Status: Much More Solid With a Creamy Top The Bottom Line: Significant, steady warming from the past 5-6 days mean a bit of instability has firmed up and south faces are a go with creamy, corny, semi-crusty and runnelled riding surface. My Recommendation: You can definitely step out into bigger

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Whistler Backcountry Conditions Update for Jan 15, 2026

Updated Jan 15, 2025 Current Status: “Hot Dog Days” & Assessment Mode The Bottom Line: Significant warming and a “rain-to-peak” event have created a complex and dangerous snowpack structure. We are currently seeing a classic “Upside Down” snowpack—heavy, cohesive slabs sitting on top of weaker, soft snow. My Recommendation: This is not the week to

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