MSA GUIDE TRAINING ALPINE

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Definitions:
Teaching technique: Teaching technique is the method expected of professionals when teaching a particular skill.
Demonstration standard: This is the standard protocol laid out by professional guiding associations which has the guide demonstrate to students the appropriate technique when teaching a specific skill.
Guide technique: These are prescribed techniques and guidelines established by professional guiding associations.
Professional standard or Guide standard: This is the level of performance expected for a certain skill or aptitude by professional guiding associations based on different factors such as time, method, difficulty, etc.

Evening one 18:00 orientation meeting at Alpine Club House Canmore AB
Sign Waivers, introductions and course overview
Lesson 1 Mountain Leadership/Guiding Seminar & the Guides Meeting
Lesson 2 Transition from recreational to leadership/guiding mode- field book conditions & weather recording

Discuss:

• Ethics and tradition
• Environment and access .
• Risk management, safety and emergency procedures

Accelerated W.H.A.T. 1 day course
Day one 07:30 meeting at Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge- Guides room
Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea,
This portion of the course teaches advanced weather forecasting tools and use, conditions assessment, Trip planning, route plans, navigations plans and in-field conditions recording.
Weather Tutorial -Morning
Lesson 3 Mountain Weather phenomenon- orographic lift, convective cloud activity, humidity, pressure, elevation Lesson 3 Cross referencing Weather local forecast and Lesson 4 Local climate and weather patterns, storm tracks, prevailing winds, Chinook’s, Pineapple express, etc- Local weather forecasts use and cross reference
Weather ensemble products
Lesson 5 Satellite IR 500 Milli-bar Map
Lesson 6 Satellite IR Surface Pressure Map
Lesson 7 Satellite Animated Active Weather Fronts loop map
Lesson 8 Jet Stream map
Lesson 9 Freezing Level Map
Lesson 10 Weather Radar
Lesson 11 Summer Avalanche hazard considerations (day time warming)
Lesson 12 Formulating a professional weather forecast
Lesson 11 Avalanche Hazard considerations (avalanche and weather forecast)
Mountain Hazards Tutorial - Afternoon
Lesson 12 Recognizing and mitigating mountain hazards by sight, terrain photo’s- from an elevation, weather and climate perspective.
Lesson 13 Glaciers and associated hazards-serac’s, crevasses, snow bridges, snow plugs, bergschrund’s, rock strewn dry glaciers, moats.
Lesson 14 Evaluate local mountain conditions
Navigation Tutorial
Lesson 15 Topographical map review and its advanced use
Lesson 16 Recognizing mountain hazard from topographical map & route plan considerations
Lesson 17 Compass and its advanced use
Lesson 18 Outdoor session: Terrain to Map referencing and Resection (a.k.a. wrongly known as triangulation)
Lesson 19 Estimating distance and travel time by foot, climbing and in various terrain, conditions and weather.
Lesson 20 Map & Compass use- the Grid Reference & plotting a course- basic trip plan
Lesson 21 Topographic terrain cruxes- Cliffs, Gorges, Steep Slopes, Scree Slopes, Avalanche Slopes, Moraines, Alder Slopes, undulating terrain with difficult elevation gain/loss, High elevation and River crossings.
End of day 16:00
Evening Session: 17:30
Lesson 22 Bringing it all together; Mountain Objective: Weather, conditions & mountain hazards + Topo Map + route description & topo = Creating a Route Plan
Lesson 23 Exercises: Complete a Route plan utilizing the MSA W.H.A.T. curriculum method
Lesson 24 Evening guides meeting and next days plan
Lesson 25 The alpine guides/leader pack
Lesson 26 Mountain communication and evacuation procedures
End of session: 20:00

Mountain skills and technique- snow & ice
Day two 7:00 meeting at Rocky Mountain Bagel Co. Downtown Canmore
Meeting: Coffee or tea, Revue, Q & A session, Days agenda, equipment checks
Drive to local area
Lesson 27 Safety Protocols for glacier travel
Lesson 28 Environment: Leave no trace and wildlife discussion.
Drive to local glacier: Car pooling recommended
Lesson 29 Situational awareness, Rope up point strategy (map & altimeter)
Lesson 30 Glacier geomorphology
Lesson 31 Anticipating Transitions
Lesson 32 Guide technique: Guiding/Leadership on glaciers- safe travel
Lesson 33 Guide technique: Taking coils and short roping steeper low angled ice
Lesson 34 Guide technique: Moving through crevassed terrain and mitigating serac hazard
Lesson 35 Teaching Technique: Snow and ice school- demonstration standard including:
Movement on snow with piolet cannes positions, kicking steps, cross step, rest step, proper use of mountaineering ice axe, chopping steps, piolet traction position, Self Arrest, crampon work on low angled ice, ice climbing, ice down climbing.
Lesson 36 Guide technique and Teaching Technique: Guide standard and demonstration standard; snow and ice mountaineering anchors: ice screws, t-slots, snow/ice bollards, snow pickets, ice axe anchors/belays, v-thread and improvised anchors
Lesson 37 demonstration standard direct haul crevasse rescue
Evaluation: Climb off- in crevasse ice climbing standard and the ice standard
End of field day: 17:00
Evening Session: 18:30 Guides room – Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge
Make up of any previous lessons
Lesson 38 The deliberate, conservative and rule based alpine guiding/leader approach & strategy
Lesson 39 Guide technique: Alpine Rock and short roping
Lesson 40 Alpine Rock guide/leader pack
Evening Guides Meeting

• Nutrition
• Physiology and injury prevention

Assignment: Next day trip and route plan

Mountain skills and technique- Alpine Rock
Day three 7:00 meeting Tim Hortons Canmore
Meeting: Coffee or tea, trip plan revue, Q & A session, Days agenda, equipment checks
Lesson 41 Piton Craft
Lesson 42 Terrain anchors and terrain belays
Lesson 43 Guide Technique- guide standards for anchors
Lesson 44 Teaching Technique- demonstration standard alpine anchors
Lesson 45 Guide Technique: Direct anchor belays and guide standard belaying
Lesson 46 Teaching Standard: Rope rescue
Lesson 47 Guide Technique: Standard rappelling and lowering technique
Lesson 48 Situational awareness and anticipating rock transitions
Lesson 49 Guide Technique; short roping
Lesson 50 Body belays
End of field session
Evening session:
Lesson 50 Liability & duty of care
Lesson 51 Professionalism
Lesson 52 Client care
Assignment: Next days route & trip plan

Mountain Skill and technique- Alpine Rock
Day four 7:00 meeting Tim Hortons Canmore
Meeting: Coffee or tea, Revue, Q & A session, Days agenda, equipment checks
Lesson 53 Safety protocol for alpine rock
Drive to local alpine rock ridge objective
Lesson 54 Client care- the approach and pacing
Lesson 55 Guide Technique: Alpine Ridges and short roping- counter balance, short pitching, hazard management
Lesson 56 Guide Technique: Alpine rock 4th – 5th class descent
Day debrief
End of field day
Evening Session:
Lesson 57 The big picture and understanding terrain
Lesson 58 Guiding/leadership decision making
Assignment: Lesson plan for mountain skill
P.M Guides meeting
Assignment: Next days trip plan

 

Mountain skills and technique- Overnight Mountaineering Objective
Day five 6:00 meeting Tim Hortons Canmore
Meeting: Coffee or tea, trip plan revue, Q & A session, Days agenda, equipment checks
Lesson 59 Guiding technique: Understanding and preserving flow
Lesson 60 Guiding/Leading practice on Medium alpine objective
Lesson 61 Guide Technique: Dealing with Bergschrunds
Go to hut, end of field day
Evening session
Lesson 62 Managing a full alpine guiding/leadership day in complex terrain
Guides meeting
Assignment: Next days trip plan

Guiding/Leadership snow & ice Mountaineering-
Day six- Alpine start
A.M guides meeting: Coffee or tea, trip plan revue, Q & A session, Days agenda, equipment checks
Lesson 64 Guide Technique: A mountaineering guiding/leadership day- emphasis on safety and efficiency- complex alpine objective to summit and down to valley
Day debrief
Evening Guides Meeting
Assignment: Next days trip plan

Guiding/Leadership Alpine Rock objective
Day seven – Alpine Start
A.M guides meeting: Coffee or tea, trip plan revue, Q & A session, Days agenda, equipment checks
Lesson 65 Guide Technique: An alpine rock guiding/leadership day- emphasis on safety and efficiency- complex alpine rock objective to summit and down to valley
Day debrief
Evening Guides Meeting
Lesson 66 The lesson plan
Assessment Exam Overview
Assignment: Lesson plan on guiding technique

Exam
Day eight 8:00 meeting Summit Cafe Canmore
Meeting: Coffee or tea, trip plan revue, Q & A session, Days agenda, equipment checks
Assessment 1 Candidate led guide meeting
Drive to local glacier
Assessment 2 Glacier rope management
Assessment 3 Crevasse Rescue
Assessment 4 Snow school
Assessment 5 Step Cutting
Assessment 6 Short roping on ice
Assessment 7 Ice climbing- ascent/descent system
End of field assessment
Evening meeting; Next day objective
Assessment 8 candidate run p.m. guides meeting
Assignment: Next days trip plan

Days nine & ten assessments:
Assessment 9 Client care
Assessment 10 Risk & Hazard management
Assessment 11 Mountain Sense
Assessment 12 Technical Systems and application

Exam – complex mountaineering objective
Day Nine - Alpine start
Assessment - Candidate led guide meeting
Drive to objective
Assessment 13 Complex technical snow & ice mountaineering objective
Day debrief
End of assessment day
Assessment – Candidate led p.m. guide meeting
Assignment: Next days trip plan

Exam – Alpine rock objective
Day Ten - Alpine start
Assessment - Candidate led guide meeting
Drive to objective
Assessment 14 Technical alpine rock objective
Day debrief
End of assessment day
Assessment – Candidate led p.m. guide meeting

Exam – General & make-up/fine tuning day
Day Ten – 7:30 Rocky Mountain Bagel co. Canmore
Assessment - Candidate led guide meeting
Drive to venue
Review and make-up of any sub-standard grades
Climb an objective and/or skill make-up

Day debrief
End of assessment
Meeting: Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge

Personal liability and insurance
Training

Performance Evaluations
Mountain Master Certificate
MSA Letters or recommendation
Next step advice
Course closure
 

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Accommodation

Accommodation for the one-day hut trip is included. All other accommodation is not included. We do have accommodation options such as the Alpine Club house, which for all 10 days works out to $300.00 package deal with the course.

Should you require accommodation in Canmore, we have organized for your convenience excellent value accommodation packages with local providers: economy option at the Alpine Club of Canada Clubhouse, $300 package deal for the 10 days - has cooking & kitchen facilities. Superior option at the Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge $123 per night based on double occupancy and luxury options - prices range on luxury level. Please let us know if you need accommodation.
 

Food

Students are responsible for their own food.  Canmore has an excellent choice of supermarkets and restaurants to meet any budget. Many of the accommodation options we provide include a kitchen.

Transportation

Students are responsible for their own transportation. We encourage car- pooling and usually this works out very well. Transport for the week is available for an extra $150.00.
 

Equipment

At this level, participants should already own their own equipment. If you are missing anything in the equipment list please contact the course instructor so that we can make arrangements.
 

Clothing

• Warm toque/ hat
• Ball cap
• Wicking underlayer
• Mid layer fleece
• 1 warmer fleece
• Soft shell type outer layer top and pants 
• Spare socks, underwear
• Hard shell Jacket 
• Wind breaker pants
• Gaiters
• 2 pairs of summer climbing gloves

Equipment

• 35L - 50L backpack
• Head lamp
• Water bottle
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Hiking pole
• 1 Three season sleeping bag synthetic or down
• Bivy bag- optional
• 2 man tent- optional
• Guides tarp- optional
• Bowl and eating utensils can be borrowed from the hut for the one night bivouac- to be returned in good condition
• Helmet
• Harness
• Moutnain climbing boots
• Mountaineering  axe
• 1 technical ice axe
• Crampons
• 3 locking carabiners
• 1 belay device
• 1 double length sling
• 4 non-locking carabiner
• 2 X 5 meter prussic’s
• 1 X 1 meter prussic
• 1 ice screw
• Compass
• Map- Bugaboos
• First Aid Kit with blister kit-optional
• Write in the rain book and mechanical pencil

The following is brought by the instructors. Should students own protection equipment they are encouraged to bring a small alpine rack.

• 1 Programmable radio for each intructor
• 2 Ice Screws
• 5 cams from .4 to 2
• 1 set of stopper
• 10 alpine sl sling draws
• 2 double length slings
• Spare carabiners
• selection of pitons
• piton hammer
• Anchor Material- slings etc
• Rope
• V-Thread Hooker
• 1 small knife
• Rope:
• 1 light iso-butane stove (pocket rocket)
• Stove gas cannister for 1 bivouac
• 1 light cooking set

Food & Water

Please bring lots of high energy food and liquids that will sustain you each day.

Other
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