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MSA GUIDE TRAINING SKI
Register for course

Course Rundown

Accommodation

3 Days accommodation at Rogers Pass, Canmore accommodation not inlcuded

Food

Not Inlcluded

Course Cost:
$1125.00 for the course, $550 for the exam - prices are per person based on 6 participants
5% GST (Goods & Services Tax)

Duration:

7 day course followed by additional 3 day exam

Location:

Canmore/Rocky Mountains & Rogers Pass Selkirk Mountains

Guide to client ratio:

1 : 6

Fitness:

Peak fitness

Ability:

Advanced

Prerequisites:

First Aid course, AST 2, Type III Skier, MSA Crevasse Rescue or equivalent. Provide a resumé of 20 Ski tour day trips, 10 Ski mountaineering summits and 1 Ski tour traverse of 3 or more days.

Ages:

21 years old and up

Equipment:

No equipment is included

Transportation:

Provide your own or add $100.00 for the weeks transport.

Booking deadline:
n/a

MSA GUIDE TRAINING SKI

Course Description

A course specifically designed to train and certify aspiring ski guides, alpine club amateur backcountry ski leaders or advanced recreational backcountry skiers. Upon course completion candidates receive an MSA internationally recognized Backcountry Ski Master Certificate.

Aspiring Guides: Those seeking acceptance and certification into an IFMGA member countries Ski Guide training program to pursue a career in professional ski guiding such as Ski/Mountain Guide.

Alpine Club Amateur Ski Leaders: Those seeking to become alpine club leaders in order to lead alpine club recreational ski trips in safety and confidence.

Advanced Recreational Backcountry Skier: Those seeking the highest competency in skiing systems and application.

This is our most advanced and fast paced backcountry ski course, which modeled on actual official Ski Guiding training/exam courses. The training portion of the course meets or exceeds UIAA training standards, while all the skill sets, techniques and application of these are based on the standards set by the IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations). Be prepared for in-depth and intensive skills training days as well as demanding technical ski touring days. These are preceded by evening route planning sessions that focus on such things as local weather conditions, route plans and guides/leader meetings.

The assessment/exam portion of the course not only insures candidates meet the necessary standard to lead others backcountry skiing independently, safely and in confidence but has also been designed to replicate an actual professional level guide exam. This is highly beneficial to the candidates learning and development.

This training course is designed to help candidates obtain the full repertoire of advanced ski touring systems skills, leadership and guiding technique. Along with their proper and timely application and use. The advanced knowledge and skill sets gained from this are based on IFMGA skills, techniques and standards. This course is designed to meet, facilitate and prepare aspiring assistant ski guides at the IFMGA standard. Further more, the course is designed to meet the training standards as required by the UIAA for Alpine Club Amateur Backcountry Ski leaders. 10 days, several evening sessions, 60 lessons and 14 assessment categories make up the course. See itinerary.

The course is broken up into two separate segments- Seven training days and an exam of 3 assessment days. Instructors to participant ratio’s are low; six candidates to one Mountain guide.

Successful candidates will receive an official MSA Backcountry Ski Master certificate and a full evaluation. Those seeking IFMGA Ski/Mountain Guiding stream or Alpine Club Amateur Backcountry Ski Leader careers will additionally receive important MSA letters of recommendation from their instructors. These are for aiding in gaining acceptance to official IFMGA Alpine Guide training programs, acquiring employment or acquiring Amateur Backcountry Ski Trip Leader positions with Alpine Club trips. We also provide each guide candidate who took the course for guide training purposes with important feedback, a list of recommended objectives and tasks to be accomplished in order to either successfully be accepted to the Assistant Ski Guide training program or to pass the Assistant Ski Guide program exam.

Course Itinerary

View logistics - Course Equipment, Accommodation, Food and Transportation options view logistics
Equipment List - What to bring?, what not to bring? We can answer those questions view equipment list

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Day one (evening session only) 18:00 orientation meeting at the Guides room Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge or Alpine Club meeting room- TBA.
• Sign Waivers, Formal introductions, Safety discussion and equipment check.
• Discuss the weeks objectives.

Discuss:

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

Discuss the seasons snowpack.
• Lesson 1: Introduction to: Transition from Recreational to Professional
• Lesson 2: Introduction to Weather and Avalanche forecasting
• Look at Avalanche Bulletin and the Parks Canada ATES Scale, Weather Forecast, Maps and formulate next days plan.
• 20:00 end.

Day two 8:00 Guides room Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge or Alpine Club meeting room- TBA.
Skills Days:
• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea

** Lesson 33-60: Ski mountaineering; This covers a broad spectrum of 27 skills which are best introduced at the most opportune time by the instructor and thus can not be given a regimented structure.

Snow & ice School, rope handling, ice axe use, self arrest, cornice tests, short roping, taking coils, ski anchors, rock anchors, ice anchors.
Ascent technique and strategy: oblique approach, kick turns, step chopping, boot packing, ski on pack, slope assessment…
Descent technique and strategy: Downhill leadership, flat light, white-out, snow stability test (cornice test, ski cutting, etc), efficient yo-yo technique…

• Lesson 3: Introduction to the Guides Meeting- (Mechanized Ski Industry standard)
• Review latest weather, current conditions and environmental concerns
• Lesson 4: The Ski Guides/Leader Pack
• Drive: Drive to Local area- Car Pool
• Safety discussion and equipment check
• Lesson 5:. Situational awareness and Safety: Risk & Hazard management protocols- Ski Guiding/Leadership
• Lesson 6: Advanced Companion Rescue review and practice- 4 buried beacon, close and deep burial scenarios.
• Crevasse Rescue Review and Practice: Introduction to Professional level: Self evacuation ascending out of crevasse and two man team crevace rescue.
• Drive back to Canmore
• Assignment: Handout on Trip planning and next days trip plan assignment

Nutrition
Physiology and injury prevention

End of day

Day three 7:00 meeting at Rocky Mountain Bagel Co.
• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea
• Guides Meeting
• Review trip plan & equipment check
• Drive to Ski Location
• Situational awareness and Safety: Risk & Hazard management protocols- Ski Guiding/Leadership
• Lesson 7: Introduction to Mountain Sense
• Introduction to Uphill Guiding/Leadership Movement & Client Care: Route Finding, Track setting & Pace
• Lesson 8: Introduction to Guiding/Leadership Risk Management
• Lesson 9: Introduction to Downhill Guiding/Leadership Movement & Client Care: Route Finding, Track setting & Pace
• Movement Skills evaluation and Demo
• Lesson 10: Introduction to Role playing- Candidates assume leads: Guiding/Leadership application role playing and leading
• Drive back to Canmore
• Guides Meeting- next days objective
• Assignment: Next Days Trip Plan and guide meeting assignments

Day four 7:00 meeting at Summit Café- Canmore
• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea
• Guides Meeting
• Review trip plan & equipment check
• Drive to Ski Location
• Situational awareness and Safety: Risk & Hazard management protocols- Ski Guiding/Leadership
• Candidates assume leads: Guiding/Leadership application
• Lesson 11: Introduction to Guiding/Leadership Terrain Assessment
• Lesson 12: Introduction to Guiding/Leadership Navigation
• Lesson 13: Introduction to Guiding/Leadership weather & snowpack recording
• From here on Guides demo guiding/leadership skills at opportune moments while candidates assume leads practicing Guiding/Leadership application
• Focus for the rest of the course is on the following categories known as Guide/Leadership Skills:
ß Transition from Recreational to Professional
ß Trip Planning & Navigation
ß Technical Systems & Rescue
ß Client Care
ß Risk Management
ß Movement Skills
ß Terrain Assessment
ß Guiding/Leadership Application
ß Mountain Sense
• Drive back to Canmore
• Guides Meeting- next days objective
• Assignment: Next Days Trip Plan and guide meeting assignments

Day five 6:30 meeting at Summit Café- Canmore
• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea
• Guides Meeting
• Review trip plan & equipment check
• Drive to Rogers Pass- meet at Visitor Center 10:15
• Situational awareness and Safety: Risk & Hazard management protocols- Ski Guiding/Leadership
• Lesson 14: Assessing foreign snowpack and avalanche stability/hazard
• Guide/Leadership training
• Mission: Guide/Leadership area conditions information gathering
• Candidate Guiding/Leadership skill application
• Lesson 15: Professional level Navigation exercise with Map, compass
• 16:00 check into Glacier Park Lodge
• 18:00 Guides Meeting
• Lesson 16: Introduction to professional level Weather & Avalanche forecasting
• Lesson 17: Introduction to professional level Trip Planning & Hazard recognition/management
• Lesson 18: Professional level route plan
• 21:00 end of session

Day Six 6:30 Hotel Lobby
• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea
• Guides Meeting
• Review trip plan & equipment check
• Drive or ski to days objective
• Situational awareness and Safety: Risk & Hazard management protocols- Ski Guiding/Leadership
• Lesson 19: Introduction to Guide/Leader Ski Mountaineering Skills
• Candidates Guiding/Leadership ski mountaineering skills application
• Back to Hotel 16:00
• 18:00 Guides Meeting
• Lesson 20: Professional level whiteout navigation plan
• 21:00 end of session

Day Seven 6:00 Hotel Lobby
• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea
• Guides Meeting
• Review trip plan & equipment check
• Drive or ski to days objective
• Situational awareness and Safety: Risk & Hazard management protocols- Ski Guiding/Leadership
• Lesson 21: A guiding/leadership day- candidates lead and secure a complex objective: High Glacier or Summit.
• Back to Hotel 16:00
• 18:00 Guides Meeting
• Lesson 22: Day debrief and session on professional Guiding/Leadership
• Next Days Trip Plan
• Lesson 23: GPS route plan
• 21:00 end of session

Exam
Day eight 7:00 meeting at Rogers Pass Info center
Meeting: Coffee or tea, trip plan revue, Q & A session, Days agenda, equipment checks

Assessment 1 Candidate led guide meeting
Drive to local glacier
Lesson 23: Professional level Navigation exercise GPS
Assessment of the following categories:

Transition from Recreational to Professional
Trip Planning & Navigation
Technical Systems & Rescue
Client Care
Risk Management
Movement Skills
Terrain Assessment
Guiding/Leadership Application
Mountain Sense

End of field assessment
Evening meeting; Next day objective
Assessment candidate run p.m. guides meeting
Assignment: Next days trip plan

Exam
Day nine 6:00 meeting at Rogers Pass Hotel Lobbey
Meeting: Coffee or tea, trip plan revue, Q & A session, Days agenda, equipment checks
Assessment 1 Candidate led guide meeting
Drive or ski to local area
Assessment of the following categories:

Transition from Recreational to Professional
Trip Planning & Navigation
Technical Systems & Rescue
Client Care
Risk Management
Movement Skills
Terrain Assessment
Guiding/Leadership Application
Mountain Sense

End of field assessment
Evening meeting; Next day objective

Exam
Day 10 6:00 meeting at Rogers Pass Hotel Lobbey
Meeting: Coffee or tea, trip plan revue, Q & A session, Days agenda, equipment checks
Assessment 1 Candidate led guide meeting
Drive or ski to local area
Exam – General & make-up/fine tuning day
Review and make-up of any sub-standard grades
Day debrief
End of assessment
Meeting: Conference room

Personal liability and insurance
Training

Performance Evaluations
Mountain Master Certificate
MSA Letters or recommendation
Next step advice
Course closure
• Drive back to Canmore- Supper stop in Golden or Lake Louise
*Candidates will each receive an e-mailed personal course performance evaluation through highlighting strengths and weakness’, areas to focus on, as well as resume building objectives and general feedback.

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Course Logistics

View Itinerary - A day by day summary of the course view itinerary
Equipment List - What to bring?, what not to bring? We can answer those questions view equipment list

Accommodation

It is best for participants to base out of Canmore on the evening of day 1 and the next 3 consecutive days, as we begin early each morning. Should you require accommodation in Canmore, we have organized for your convenience (we make zero profit on this) excellent value accommodation packages (Economy- $25 a night w/kitchen- Alpine Club, Superior- $123 a night based on double occupancy- Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge and Luxury- Prices range on luxury level). These choices are made available during the booking process. The next 4 days of the course include accommodation at Rogers Pass Hotel (there is a sauna!).

Food

Students are responsible for their own food. Canmore has an excellent choice of supermarkets and restaurants to meet any budget. Our Canmore accommodation options include a kitchen and/or breakfast. Rogers Pass does provide cooking facilities but have an excellent dining room, a canteen or if students prefer they can bring a cooler and have their own cold meals. Should you desire to heat or cook your food you must do it outside of the hotel in the back parking lot. Make sure you have a packed lunch with snacks everyday (also available as in packages).

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 $100.00 per person for the week.

Equipment

This course does not include equipment, however we have an excellent package deal for full or partial backcountry ski and snowboard packages of high quality equipment. These are made available during the booking process. Own your equipment already? We recommend you use it, since it is best to be familiar with your own equipments specific attributes.

Please view equipment list

Equipment List

View logistics - Course Equipment, Accommodation, Food and Transportation options view logistics
View Itinerary - A day by day summary of the course view itinerary

Clothing

Changes of warm top and bottom under layers
Several pairs of ski socks
Mid layer fleece top
Soft shell top
Hard shell Jacket
Soft or hard shell pants
Gaiters
Warm hat, optional baklava or neck tube,
2 pairs of gloves, optional mitts
Sunglasses and sunscreen
Street clothes and shoes, bathing suite

Equipment

Backcountry Ski/snowboard boots
Backcountry Skis/snowboard
Skins
Ski poles
Avalanche beacon
Probe
Shovel
Harness
3 locking carabiners
4 non locking carabiners
2 x 5 meter 7mil prussic
1 double length sling
1 ice screw
.5 meter prussic
Ski goggles
Write in the rain book and mechanical pencil
First Aid Kit with blister kit
Glop stopper
Ski scraper
Compass (optional)
Map (optional)
Laptop computer (optional)
GPS (optional)

Food & Water

No food included, meal packages available, please inquire.

Other

N/A

Course Photographs

Fitness Explained

Good Fitness
In good general health- able to walk or ski for at least two hours at a slow pace (including breaks) in undulating terrain. Able to carry a light load (25lbs = 12 kilos).

Very Good Fitness
Exercise regularly (in gym, mountains, etc)- have fairly good cardio. Can walk or ski for several hours (including breaks) over several days in diverse mountain terrain at a moderate pace (including up hill and down hill). Able to carry a moderate load (35-45 lbs = 16- 20 kilos)

Peak Fitness
Follow a routine exercise schedule and may even be training for sports or expeditions. Excellent cardio and good stamina. Able to walk or ski all day at a moderate pace over several days in diverse mountain terrain including steeper uphill and downhill sections. Able to carry moderate loads of (35 to 55lbs = 25 kilos). You feel it would be reasonable for you to acclimatize on peaks.

Ability Explained

Introductory
Suitable for beginner level, no prior experience required.

Intermediate
You have previous experience and a good general knowledge of the sport.

Advanced
You have very good knowledge of the sport developed from regular practice.

Backcountry Skier Ability Level

Type I Beginner
Skis slowly and conservatively. Newer to backcountry skiing, links parallel turns and able to slide slip more difficult sections. Can stop when desired.

Type II Intermediate
Skis at a moderate pace. Links parallel turns in powder and can come to a full stop on demand. Able to handle varied snow conditions and terrain. Has no problem skiing in trees or negotiating short ski crux's (difficult sections).

Type III Advanced
Skis more aggressively, at higher speeds and able to ski advanced terrain. Can handle different snow conditions. Enjoys more technical terrain. No problem handling short cruxes and steeper sections.

Type IV Expert
Aggressive and fast, capable of skiing in all conditions. Able to negotiate difficult sections, ski in couloirs and prolonged steep terrain.

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Course Schedule & Pricing


Scheduled Course Date	Course Price	Register	Inquire
Course: February 18 - 24, 2012. Exam: April 2 - 4, 2012	$1675.00 + 5% GST		Inquire
Please contact MSA directly for alternate dates for pre-arranged groups of 4 or more people	$1675.00 + 5% GST		Inquire
n/a	$1675.00 + 5% GST		Inquire
n/a	$1675.00 + 5% GST		Inquire
n/a	$1675.00 + 5% GST		Inquire
n/a	$1675.00 + 5% GST		Inquire
n/a	$1675.00 + 5% GST		Inquire
n/a	$1675.00 + 5% GST		Inquire

Private Course Option
We also offer our students the option of a private course. Join a group of friends together, let us know your group size and preferred dates. See chart below for private course prices.

*Bonus! The group organizer will save 10%. Single private course also available.


Private Date Option	Course Price	Register	Inquire
4 People	N/A		Inquire
3 People	N/A		Inquire
2 People	N/A		Inquire
1 Person	N/A		Inquire

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