VENTURE OUT 2026: From Strangers to Backcountry Friends
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
There’s always a moment at the beginning of something like this—when everyone is standing around, gear half on, half off, not quite sure what the next few days will hold. A mix of nerves, excitement, and that quiet question in the back of your mind: am I ready for this?
VENTURE OUT Femme Backcountry Festival 2026 started there.
New and familiar faces, people arriving from different places and different points in their backcountry journeys—but all showing up for the same reason. To learn something. To try something. To be part of something.
And then, almost without noticing, it all started to shift. Conversations got easier. The small talk turned into real talk. Laughter came quicker. What felt like a group of individuals at the start slowly became something more like a team—people looking out for each other, encouraging each other, celebrating the little wins that might’ve gone unnoticed anywhere else.
The snow was far from perfect, but we still challenged ourselves anyway. It looked like someone standing at the top of a line a little longer than usual, talking themselves into it. It looked like regrouping after a fall and deciding to go again. It looked like friends waiting at the bottom, cheering louder than necessary, just to make sure you knew you weren’t doing it alone.
And that’s where the magic really lived. Because it was never about riding the hardest line or having the cleanest turns. It was about showing up as you are, pushing just enough to surprise yourself, and having a whole group of people right there with you when you did.
Somewhere along the way, confidence started to build—but not in a loud, obvious way. It was quieter than that. It showed up in small decisions, in body language, in the way people started trusting themselves a little more with each run.
By the time the last day rolled around, it didn’t feel like the same group that showed up at the beginning. Not because everyone had suddenly become different riders—but because something had settled in. A sense of belonging. A sense of capability. A sense that this space—this community—was something real.
Off the snow, that feeling didn’t go anywhere.
It carried into long conversations, shared sauna/cold plunge sessions, and those in-between moments that somehow end up meaning the most. The kind where you realize you didn’t just meet people this weekend—you found people you’ll ride with again.
VENTURE OUT has always been about more than just getting better in the mountains.
It’s about creating a space where people feel comfortable trying, supported in failing, and celebrated in succeeding—no matter what that looks like.
And this year felt like that in every possible way.
Not just a weekend. Something bigger. Something that sticks.
And something we’re already looking forward to doing all over again next year. ✨
📸 Capturing the Moments
Please note: All official event photos are the property of VNTRbirds and are for personal use only. We encourage you to share them on social media or print them for fun, but no commercial use is allowed without permission. Please don’t edit the images and remember to tag your photographer – @ri_ganey and @VNTRbirds.
📷 Got photos or videos? Add them to the community album here: [LINK]
With Gratitude
Huge love to everyone who made this weekend possible — our volunteers, guides, photographer, and every single person who showed up with courage and joy.
And a giant thank you to the sponsors who powered the event: Kari Traa · Ski Like A Girl · RMU · Backcountry Ready · Best Day Brewing · Beacon Guide Books · Salida Mountain Sports · Coalition Snow · Breck Mountain Massage · Breckenridge Distillery · Sex Plants Rock & Roll · Tits Deep · Sunshine Sauna · Spark R&D · Mad Hippie · Evo Denver
The VENTURE OUT Femme Backcountry Festival takes place on the ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ Ute peoples. We recognize that these public lands are the traditional territories of Indigenous nations, and that our ability to recreate here is rooted in a history of displacement. With gratitude and respect, we commit to learning from and supporting the ongoing stewardship and sovereignty of Indigenous communities.
— The VNTRbirds Team 🪶