Looking to ride in the backcountry this winter? Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST1) is an introductory course geared towards recreationalists with little to no experience in avalanche terrain. It’s also suitable for those with some experience who are looking for more formalized training. AST1 is recommended for anyone venturing into avalanche terrain outside of ski area boundaries.
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BC Search and Rescue (SAR) Rope Rescue Technician 2 - Course and/or Assessment.
This course is for active members of recognized Search and Rescue (SAR) Groups in British Columbia. The application form must be signed by the Training Officer or member of the Management Team of your SAR Group.
TRIP INFO
Learning to multi pitch climb opens up a huge world to the rock climber allowing us to climb everything from multi pitch routes at the crag to big walls in the alpine. Your ACMG certified instructor will cover all the basics needed to start multi-pitch climbing on your own.
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BC Search and Rescue (SAR) Rope Rescue Technician 1 - Course and/or Assessment.
This course is for active members of recognized Search and Rescue (SAR) Groups in British Columbia. The application form must be signed by the Training Officer or member of the Management Team of your SAR Group.
TRIP INFO
It's All About the Weather! Everything we do in the outdoors relies more on one variable than any other: THE WEATHER.
Join meteorologist Matt Macdonald for a short training that will significantly up your weather game. In two, one hour, online sessions separated by a week for you to practice in between them, Matt will teach you a forecasting process that will improve your weather predicting capabilities many fold.
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Gain access by helicopter to remote alpine terrain and the best outdoor classroom around. Atmospheric views and a quick approach to snow, rock, and ice all summer long make this three-day course one of our most popular offerings. The skills learned on this course will allow you to safely tackle glaciated and snow-covered peaks and traverses on the island.
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Spend an enjoyable day with one of our instructors and gain experience moving through untracked terrain. This one-day beginner course provides tips and tricks needed for smooth travel in simple backcountry terrain. We'll cover basics such as gear selection and use to skinning technique and route selection.
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Learning to enact rock rescue is an essential skill for anyone who climbs, particularly multi-pitches. Dial these essential systems on our two day Rock Rescue course.
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Typically climbers take their first aid training and their rope rescue training as separate courses leaving a gap between the two around how they combine in real life situations. The reality of course is that many rescue scenarios will involve both technical rope rescue and first aid being intertwined into a sometimes complex situation. Preparing you to meet these challenges is the purpose of this course. Learn how to apply both rope rescue and first aid skills in the vertical environment - for the best outcomes for victims and while keeping both rescuers and victims safe throughout.
Participants will complete this course with many new and very useful skills but a recognized first aid certificate will not be issued.
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Gain access by helicopter to remote alpine terrain and the best outdoor classroom around on this special mountain skills course for women. Atmospheric views and a quick approach to snow, rock, and ice all summer long make this three-day course one of our most popular offerings. The skills learned on this course will allow you to safely tackle glaciated and snow-covered peaks and traverses.
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Looking to get into the mountains this winter? This two-day backcountry tour with one night of winter camping will get you started with the basics of gear choice, trip planning, winter camping, movement through mountain terrain in winter, avalanche awareness, map and terrain skills, and more. This course will help you take that first step into the winter backcountry.
TRIP INFO
Looking to explore the backcountry this winter? Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST1) is an introductory course geared towards recreationalists with little to no experience in avalanche terrain. It’s also suitable for those with some experience who are looking for more formalized training. AST1 is recommended for anyone venturing into avalanche terrain. Our snowshoe specific AST1 is for those who are not skiers or snowboarders or whose riding skills are not yet up to the standard required for our ski/board AST1.
TRIP INFO
Knowing how to ride well in natural conditions is essential to enjoyable and safe backcountry travel. Backcountry Performance is intended for riders at an intermediate level (or above) on-piste, who are looking to break free from the lifts or step their riding up a notch in the backcountry. This course offers two low-ratio sessions with a qualified ski or board instructor at Mount Washington, followed by a day in the backcountry with one of our ACMG-certified guides.
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Companions being fast and effective in avalanche rescue will make all the difference to a buried person's chance of survival in an avalanche. As a backcountry traveller just imagine being involved in a rescue and having to live with the thought afterwards of wishing you had practiced more.
Join us for a day focused on scenario based practice under the tutelage of an avalanche rescue expert to take your rescue skills to the next level. Enacting scenarios one after another with detailed debriefs will help you to hone in on the stuff that really makes a difference in an effective rescue. Do this course for your touring partners and yourself!
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Over an action-packed three days, you’ll learn to manage risk on steep snow slopes and glaciers. If we have time, alpine rock techniques may also be covered. On the last day, we’ll put everything together as we journey to a nearby peak. The skills gained will open up a wide range of possible ascents in the Island alps, allowing you to take your hikes to the next level.
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This two-day course is an excellent entry-point into the world of trad and leading. Under the eye of a qualified instructor, you’ll learn the fundamentals to lead safely and efficiently on rock using removable protection. Instructors will focus on technical systems, and provide detailed feedback for ways to improve before progressing to new material.
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This one-day course is an excellent entry-point into the world of sport leading. Under the eye of a qualified instructor, you'll learn the fundamentals to lead safely and efficiently on rock using bolts for protection. Instructors will focus on technical systems and considerations and provide detailed feedback along the way.
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The Island Alps are unique in snowpack and topography, requiring backcountry travelers to be well-versed in route finding, navigation, rope management and avalanche hazard evaluation. On this five-day advanced course, we’ll teach the skills necessary to travel safely and efficiently through complex island winter terrain. Intimate group sizes allow us to maximize time spent learning, practicing, skiing and exploring.
TRIP INFO
Looking to explore the backcountry this winter? Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST1) is an introductory course geared towards recreationalists with little to no experience in avalanche terrain. It’s also suitable for those with some experience who are looking for more formalized training. AST1 is recommended for anyone venturing into avalanche terrain. Our snowshoe specific AST1 is for those who are not skiers or snowboarders or whose riding skills are not yet up to the standard required for our ski/board AST1.
TRIP INFO
Looking to ride in the backcountry this winter? Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST1) is an introductory course geared towards recreationalists with little to no experience in avalanche terrain. It’s also suitable for those with some experience who are looking for more formalized training. AST1 is recommended for anyone venturing into avalanche terrain outside of ski area boundaries. Each course provides a theory session and a practical field session.
TRIP INFO
Perfect for the budding mountaineer! Over four days, participants will gain the basic skills necessary to begin exploring a wide variety of mountain terrain. This course offers a time-efficient combination of our 3-Day Alpine Skills and Alpine Rock Skills courses, with a curriculum that covers techniques for both travel on rock, as well as snow and glacier.
TRIP INFO
Travelling in the Island Alps, or any mountain range for that matter, inevitably involves managing fourth and low-to-mid fifth-class terrain. On this two-day course, we'll cover the techniques that you need to move efficiently in alpine rock terrain, while also covering route-finding skills and other techniques necessary in these environments.
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Start your outdoor climbing journey with an introduction to technical systems and movement on rock. Over two days, we’ll hone skills necessary to safely climb on top rope outdoors. By the end of the course, we’ll have you moving more confidently and safely over rock, with solid rope systems in place.
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Join us for a fun-filled and educational weekend at Mount Washington. Spend two full days skiing and riding in the Mount Cain backcountry while learning about avalanche safety, decision-making, route planning and group dynamics. Leave with new skills, new friends, new touring partners and the confidence to plan your own trips.
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Refresh skills and tighten up safety systems with this one-day rock refresher course. Perfect for those who have some rock-climbing experience, or for those who wish to review rope system fundamentals prior to taking one of our mountaineering courses.
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Explore the snow-covered glaciers of the Spearhead Range as you learn the skills needed to safely navigate complex and crevassed terrain. This advanced 3-day course is tent-based and utilizes the lifts at Whistler-Blackcomb to quickly access alpine terrain. Enjoy some excellent riding along the way.
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A fun-filled day at the Comox Lake crags introducing you to the exciting sport of rock climbing. Learn to move fluidly on the rock as you climb, belay, and rappel (descend).
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An Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST1) course offered specifically for parents with their youth who share backcountry adventures together, want to speak the same language, and are serious about safety.
Learning the core skills of avalanche awareness alongside your youth offers the opportunity to develop and share risk assessment conversations together and continues the foundation for future learning opportunities together.
All youth under the age of 19 on this course must be accompanied by their legal guardian. All participants on course must meet the course prerequisites to participate (please read through our "AST1 requirements" page or be in touch with any questions.
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Dial in your technical systems for glacier travel and crevasse rescue with a day of focused training. This one-day course can accommodate different experience levels, acting as both an introduction or refresher.
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Join us for a fun-filled and educational weekend at Mount Washington. Spend two full days skiing and riding in the Mount Washington backcountry while learning about avalanche safety, decision-making, route planning and group dynamics. Leave with new skills, new friends, new touring partners and the confidence to plan your own trips.
TRIP INFO
Looking to get out sledding in the backcountry this winter? Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST1) is an introductory course geared towards recreationalists with little to no experience in avalanche terrain. It’s also suitable for those with some experience who are looking for more formalized training. AST1 is recommended for anyone venturing into avalanche terrain. Each course provides a theory session and a practical field session. Students are provided with take-home reference materials and tools which provide clear and effective learning progressions, emphasizing important knowledge and skills.
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Join us for three intensive days of learning and practice. Set against a spectacular backdrop of the Tantalus Range, we’ll use a helicopter to swiftly access the area. Each day, we’ll enjoy short approaches from your base camp to some of the finest alpine climbing in the southern coast range.
This intermediate course is perfect for those with basic mountaineering experience looking to take their skills to the next level.
Taking the step from AST1 to touring in the backcountry can be daunting. AST+ bridges the gap from theory to practice as students move towards planning and executing personal trips in backcountry terrain. Delivered over one evening and a field day, AST+ provides a structured pre-trip planning session, followed by a practical day in the field. Students will gain knowledge about local terrain, and put skills into practice along the way.
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Custom single day Rock Rescue course - presented in partnership with GOATS (Gayest Of All The Senders) and taught by a queer and trans ACMG certified guide. This outdoor rock climbing course is designed to empower and support the 2SLGBTQ+ community by providing the skills and knowledge needed to safely and confidently enact a rock rescue.
TRIP INFO
This outdoor rock climbing experience is designed to empower and support the 2SLGBTQ+
community by providing the skills and knowledge needed to safely and confidently climb top
rope outdoors.
Led by experienced instructors in partnership with GOATS (Gayest Of All The
Senders), this one-day course will cover essential techniques such as movement skills,
belaying, and experiential rappelling.
Moving through the mountains inevitably requires us to think on our feet and expect the unexpected. On this one-day course, we will cover the techniques and considerations to manage tricky bits of technical terrain so often found even on “hiking” trips in the island alps. This course is well suited to those people who have done some mountain travel and have found themselves in terrain where a quick anchor or a rappel might be needed to get through the terrain.
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Taking the step from AST1 to touring in the backcountry can be daunting. AST+ bridges the gap from theory to practice as students move towards planning and executing personal trips in backcountry terrain. Delivered over one evening and a field day, AST+ provides a structured pre-trip planning session, followed by a practical day in the field. Students will gain knowledge about local terrain, and put skills into practice along the way.
TRIP INFO
This outdoor rock climbing course is designed to empower and support the 2SLGBTQ+
community by providing the skills and knowledge needed to safely and confidently set up and
clean top rope anchors outdoors.
Led by an experienced queer and trans instructor in
partnership with GOATS (Gayest Of All The Senders), this one-day course will cover essential
techniques such as anchor building, gear selection, and more.
Climbing steep snow is an essential mountaineering skill for many of the involved peaks and hiking traverses in the Island Alps. On this course, learn snow climbing fundamentals to prepare for travel on steep snow where there is a need to manage a slip and fall risk. Minimal approach times to training areas help us maximize your time, providing opportunities for repeated scenarios under the expert eye of an ACMG Guide. This one-day course is great for anyone who likes to learn in bite-sized segments, or those with time constraints. We can accommodate different experience levels and deliver this as both an introduction and/or refresher.
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As our adventures lure us into more complex avalanche terrain, it’s important to delve deeper into snow science and move beyond the internalized rule-based models learned in AST1. Avalanche Skills Training Level 2, an intermediate level course, provides the observational and practical tools to incorporate the experiential decision-making processes necessary for more nuanced terrain. Over the span of four days, our professional ACMG Guides and avalanche forecasters will teach advanced snow assessment and the finer points of decision-making. Along the way, we’ll cover group management considerations as well as advanced travel and rescue techniques.
TRIP INFO
As our adventures lure us into more complex avalanche terrain, it’s important to delve
deeper into snow science and move beyond the internalized rule-based models learned
in AST1. This Avalanche Skills Training Level 2 at Mount Cain is an intermediate level course and provides the observational and practical tools to incorporate the experiential decision-making processes necessary for more nuanced terrain. Over the span of four days, our professional ACMG Guides and avalanche forecasters will teach advanced snow assessment and the finer points of decision-making.
