Backcountry Education
Beyond Avalanche Safety Training
Because backcountry learning never stops.
Have you completed your AST 2, but still feel like you’d like more backcountry education? Don’t worry, we feel the same way too.
This course will fortify the skills you learned in your Avalanche Safety Training Level one and two. In a small group, (4-6 students) you will improve your decision making process, communication and terrain management skills. We’ll also cover advanced companion rescue, such as alternative transceiver search techniques, a multiple burial scenario and how to manage a backcountry rescue scenario.
You’ll get to take the wheel in big terrain and decide how to handle it. (Don’t worry an experienced ACMG guide will be right behind you.) Based on the conditions, the group will decide where to go and what to do. Planning tours and routes are a keystone part of this course.
Breaking trail with real-time instruction is a fundamental part of this course. This is a supportive learning environment designed to facilitate learning and communication amongst group members. AM and PM meetings will assure everyone has a chance to give their input for planning the day’s adventures.
- 6:1 Student to Guide Ratio
- 4 Full Field Days
- Different Locations Each Day
Price: $999
January 4-7, 2024
(This can be run as a shorter two day course for half the price. Please inquire for options.)
Ski Mountaineering / Splitboard Mountaineering Basecamp
April 23-28, 2024
Flying from Golden, BC to a remote location (To be Decided, based on conditions.) The camp will be set up in a venue that will provide excellent access to big, glaciated, north facing terrain—the key elements for an incredible spring ski and splitboard trip.
This camp is designed to operate as a course format, whereby participants will learn navigation, rope management, improve their decision making process, develop a stronger sense of terrain/group management and generally become more well rounded mountain travellers in big terrain.
This a small group trip with a 4:1 client to guide ratio.
-Heli flights included
-Two ACMG Guides
-Eight spaces available
Price $2500 +5%tax (Exact location will dictate price, the price will probably be less.)
Itinerary
April 22, 2023- Meet in Golden, BC. Welcome dinner and meet and greet your trip companions.
April 23- Fly into camp location, set up camp, avalanche safety briefing and warm up ski.
April 23-28-Ski objectives around the camp.
April 28- Breakdown camp and fly back to Golden.
Companion Rescue
Practice is being a good partner
This one day intensive course is designed to refresh your companion rescue skills and train you to deal with an injury or avalanche rescue in the backcountry.
In a small group setting, we will cover advanced transceiver search techniques, missing skier search techniques, tree well immersion extraction, advanced avalanche companion rescue techniques, rescue toboggans and helicopter landing zone considerations.
Cost: $175/person
Dates: November 18, 25, 2024
Crevasse Rescue and Glacier Travel
Want to spend more time on glaciers and how to do it safely? Learn from an experienced ACMG guide how to travel on glaciers, read terrain, rope up and rescue your friends in the event of a crevasse fall.
Course schedule:
Day 1- Glacier morphology, Crevasse rescue systems and snow anchors
Day 2- Glacier travel in Rogers Pass. We’ll get to practice putting the rope on and moving through glaciated terrain.
Location: Revelstoke/ Rogers Pass
Price: $350+GST
Max six participants
Dates:
December 2,3, December 9,10, December 16,17, 2023
Alternative dates are available upon request if you have a group of three or more.
Navigation
How to get to the goods
Would you like to explore new places, but don’t know where to start?
From Gaia, to Caltopo, to Google Earth and FATMAP it’s easy to get lost in the plethora of digital mapping apps and software. Analogue navigation with map and compass is a necessary, but often overlooked skill set. In this course, you’ll learn to build digital and analogue route plans, create your own maps and understand how the various products integrate.
We’ll also cover the fundamentals of analogue navigation.
Course Format
Two 1.5 hr Google Meetings
One Field Day
Max six students
Dates
November 11, 2023
Price
$250+ GST
Skin Track Management
How to put in a great skin track
We will spend two days in the backcountry learning and practicing how to put in safe and efficient skin tracks.
Course Focal Points
- Utilizing terrain to maximize flow and safety
- Group management techniques to minimize exposure to hazard
- Setting a consistent grade while maintaining climbing efficiency
- Kick turns
- Managing steep terrain and how to contour around it
- Bootpacks
- White out navigation
- Tips for hard snow
Course Dates and Price
December 16,17 2023, January 6,7 2024
$350 + GST
Max 4:1 ratio
Prerequisites
- AST 2, or equivalent experience
- Strong ski/splitboard movement skills
- Relative comfort in complex terrain
- The ability to break trail in deep snow.
Intro to Ski / Splitboard Mountaineering
Backcountry Education will take you higher.
This is a three day program designed for folks who are ready to take their skiing to the next level. We will spend two days learning the skills needed to access, and enter lines you’ve dreamt about riding. This will include the rope and gear management skills needed to build safe anchors, rappel, belay your partners and more. This course will have a 3:1 student to guide ratio.
WHAT TO BRING
- Backcountry ski or snowboard set up
- Advanced riding skills
- AST 1 (minimum)
- Adventure stoke
DATES AND RATES
- $725/pp.
- March 8-10, 2024, April 12-14, 2024
Custom dates are available.
Custom Backcountry Education Courses
Drop in to the knowledge you seek.
We cater to all levels of backcountry enthusiasts. If you have something in particular you’d like to learn, drop us a line. We’d be happy to create a custom course for your group.
Here are a few ideas:
- Crevasse Rescue and Glacier Travel
- Companion Rescue- Multiple burial scenarios. Patient care and extrication.
- Backcountry Tune-ups. Refresh your skills and learn something new at the same time.
- Winter Camping
- Traverse Planning, what to bring and what to eat.
- Avalanche Terrain Management
Cost
Starting at $150/person/day + GST
Book Today
Get in touch and start the journey.
