Join me for 7 nights at Snowfall Lodge for both your AST 2 and a Glacier Travel Course!
During this course, we will spend most of our time ski touring and learning along the way. I try to have the students leading as much as possible while I supervise our exposure to hazards and search for learning opportunities.
Location - Snowfall Lodge (Selkirk Mountains)
Snowfall Lodge is a remote heli-accessed lodge nestled in the Battle Range, South West of Rogers Pass in the Selkirk Mountains. It has a deep snowpack with granitic peaks and glaciers to explore. You will get a LOT more out of this course location compared with Rogers Pass, because once we arrive, there will be 7 days with no driving, no valley bottom slogs, and no tracks to follow.
Itinerary
Day 1: Meet in Beaton and fly into Snowfall Lodge, Avalanche Rescue Practice and AST 2 classroom session.
Days 2-7: Complete AST 2 and Glacier Travel Course while skiing!
Day 8: Fly from Snowfall Lodge to Beaton and say goodbye
Guide/Instructor
This course will be taught by myself and fellow IFMGA Mountain Guide Pierre Hungr if we have enough people for a second group.
Prerequisites
- Strong ski/snowboard skills to manage navigating crevasses and steep trees.
- Good fitness to access glaciated terrain.
- At least 20 days experience ski touring.
- AST 1 or equivalent training and experience.
Skills you will learn?
Glacier Travel
- How and when to use rope(s)
- Anticipating crevasses
- "Reading" glaciers
- Recognizing crevasses in poor light
- Travelling on a glacier in a white-out
- Snow anchors
- Arresting a crevasse fall
- Crevasse rescue techniques
Avalanches
- LOTS about decision making and how to avoid avalanches. Please see more details here
Dates and Price
December 12th to 19th 2021 7 nights 6:1 ratio $2495 + 5% GST (5-6 per group) FULL
This course is full. Please send me an email if you'd like to be put on a waiting list.
E-Transfer is the preferred method of payment, otherwise please contact me for alternate payment. Please make sure you have read through my booking conditions before making a payment.
Included
- Accomodation and food at Snowfall Lodge
- Return Helicopter flight to Snowfall Lodge from Beaton
- 7 days of guiding/instruction at 6:1 ratio with IFMGA Mountain Guides
- AST 2 Course
- Glacier Travel Course
- Ropes
Excluded
- Travel to and from the staging area in Beaton
- Personal glacier travel equipment
- Accommodation in Revelstoke
Equipment list
- Shovel
- Probe
- Transceiver (3-antenna)
- Ski Touring Skis or plitboard
- Skins
- Personal repair kit specific to your equipment
- Ski touring boots/snowboarding boots
- Ski poles
- Headlamp
- Goggles
- Sunglasses
- Personal first aid supplies
- Toque
- Minimum 1L water bottle or Thermos
- Gore-tex (or equivalent) jacket
- Gore-tex (or equivalent) pants
- Puffy jacket
- Warm layers for upper and lower body adequate for below freezing temperatures and wind
- Thick gloves
- Spare gloves
- Lightweight harness (if possible otherwise climbing harness will work)
- 3 locking carabiners
- 4 non-locking carabiners
- 240cm sewn sling (or 5m of webbing)
- 5m x 6mm accessory cord
- Personal prussik
- Micro-traxion (optional)
- Tibloc (optional)
- Ice screw (between 12-22cm)
- 40L backpack
- Avaluator 2 (can be shared with another participant)
- Decision Making in Avalanche Terrain fieldbook (Recommended, can be purchased from www.avalanche.ca)
- Face Mask (COVID)