Backcountry Skiing Super Course

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 Day one 18:00 orientation meeting: Guides room Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge or Alpine Club meeting room

• Meet at GearUp Rentals for equipment fitting and pick-up.
• Sign waivers, formal introductions, safety discussion and equipment check.
• Lesson 1: Discuss the seasons snowpack and the weeks objectives.
• Lesson 2: Look at Avalanche Bulletin and the Parks Canada ATES Scale, weather forecast, maps and formulate next days plan.
• 20:00 conclusion of day one.
 
Day two 7:00 meeting at Summit Café Canmore

• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea, review current weather and day plan, Q & A session, todays agenda, equipment check.
• Drive to local area
• Lesson 3 Companion rescue review and practice
• Lesson 4 Equipment: Backcountry ski binding and boot function, special notes, ski skins and other details.
• Lesson 5 Route plan: track setting and situational awareness in class 1 simple terrain. Click here for terain scale
• Lesson 6 Efficient up track route finding, route setting, pace and technique.
• Lesson 7 Rappelling technique with minimal gear & backup
• Lesson 8 Rope ascension with prussic
• Lesson 9 Demonstration and practice of Canadian Drop Loop - raise, increase advantage, reverse and raise.
• Lesson 10 Glacier travel and rope handling (dividing the rope, tying into the rope, taking coils, kiwi coil, prussic application, extra rope storage and strategy). 
• Drive back to Canmore
• 17:30 Evening debrief: discuss the day, hazards, avalanche and snowpack observation. Review the next days avalanche bulletin, weather forecast, next days plan.
• Lesson 11 Glacier travel briefing and equipment.

Day three 6:00 meeting at Beamers Café Canmore

• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea, review current weather and day plan, Q & A session, todays agenda, equipment check.
• Drive to Rogers Pass
• Lesson 12 Objective is alpine terrain: situational awareness, route finding, track setting refinement in class 1 or 2  terrain.
• Self-arrest with skis, t-slot anchors, ice screw anchors.
• Lesson 13 Crevasse Rescue Scenario: Victim falls into crevasse un-roped while skiing down glacier.
• Lesson 14 Group and 2 team rescue.
• Lesson 15 Alpine terrain descent technique.
• Drive back to Canmore
• 19:00 Evening debrief at Alpine Club house: discuss the day, hazards, avalanche and snowpack observation. Review the next days avalanche bulletin, weather forecast, next days plan.

Day Four 7:00 meeting at Summit Café Canmore

• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea, review current weather and day plan, Q & A session, todays agenda, equipment check.
• Drive to local area
• Objective is alpine terrain: situational awareness and skiing  in class 2 challenging terrain.
• Lesson 16 Introduction to intermediate up tracking, route finding, route setting, pace and technique.
• Lesson 17 The kick-turn, rounding out corners, star turn.
• Lesson 18 Avalanche awareness, snowpack tests, pole probe test.
• Lesson 19 Weather and snowpack recording.
• Lesson 20 First downhill run plan, conservative action plan, best compass aspect to ski, current avalanche hazard, terrain considerations.
• Lesson 21 Efficient downhill preparation: de-skinning tricks and downhill mode.
• Lesson 22 Downhill safety briefing; group count, buddy-up system, hazards, tree skiing, break over considerations and more.
• Lesson 23 Avalanche safety protocol, ski cutting, regrouping.
• Lesson 24 Introduction to downhill powder technique.
• Lesson 25 Continued practice and enhancement of above skills in uphill mode.
• Lesson 26 Continued practice and enhancement of above skills in downhill mode.
• 16:00 drive back to Canmore
• Lesson 27 Evening debrief at 17:30: discuss the day, hazards, avalanche and snowpack observation. Review the next days avalanche bulletin, weather forecast, next days plan.
 Day five 6:00 meeting at Beamers Café Canmore
• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea, review current weather and day plan, Q & A session, todays agenda, equipment check.
• Drive to Rogers Pass
• Lesson 28 Objective is alpine terrain: situational awareness, route finding, track setting refinement in class 3 complex terrain.
• Self-arrest with skis, t-slot anchors, ice screw anchors.
• Lesson 29 Crevasse Rescue Scenario: Victim falls into crevasse un-roped while skiing down glacier.
• Lesson 30 Group and 2 team rescue.
• Lesson 31 Alpine terrain descent technique.
• Drive back to Rogers Pass Hotel
• 19:00 Evening debrief: discuss the day, hazards, avalanche and snowpack observation. Review the next days avalanche bulletin, weather forecast, next days plan.
 
Day six 6:30 meeting in Rogers Pass hotel lobby
• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea, review current weather and day plan, Q & A session, Days agenda, equipment check.
• Visitor center to gather relevant information, obtain any closed area permits.
• Drive or ski to todays objective
• Review lesson 32 Ski mountaineering objective or glacier objective destination: situational awareness, route finding, track setting refinement in class 3 complex terrain.
• Review lessons 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.
• Drive or ski back to Rogers Pass Hotel
• 19:00 Evening debrief: discuss the day, hazards, avalanche and snowpack observation. Review the next days avalanche bulletin, weather forecast, next days plan.
 
Day seven 6:30 meeting in Rogers Pass hotel lobby
• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea, review current weather and day plan, Q & A session, todays agenda, equipment check.
• Visitor center to gather relevant information, obtain any closed area permits.
• Drive or ski to days objective
• Review lesson 32 Ski mountaineering objective or glacier objective destination: situational awareness, route finding, track setting refinement in class 3 complex terrain.
• Review lessons 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…
• Drive or ski back to Rogers Pass Hotel
• 19:00 Evening debrief: discuss the day, hazards, avalanche and snowpack observation. Review the next days avalanche bulletin, weather forecast, next days plan.
 
Day eight 6:30 meeting in Rogers Pass hotel lobby
• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea, review current weather and day plan, Q & A session, todays agenda, equipment check.
• Visitor center to gather relevant information, obtain any closed area permits.
• Drive or ski to days objective
• Individual final problem solving and skill refinement throughout the day
• Review lesson 32: Ski mountaineering objective or glacier objective destination: situational awareness, route finding, track setting refinement in class 3 complex terrain.
• Review lessons 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…
• Drive or ski back to Rogers Pass Hotel – drive back to Canmore
• 20:00 Equipment return at GearUp Sports followed by the local pub for course debrief, individual next steps and course closure. 

Bonus curriculum: Throughout the course students will gather additional knowledge through continuous mentoring in group leadership, avalanche and weather forecasting, route planning and whiteout navigation planning, map reading and compass resection. 

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Accommodation

3 nights accommodation at Glacier Park Lodge in Rogers Pass is included. 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 excellent value accommodation packages with local providers: economy option at the Alpine Club of Canada Clubhouse $30 per night w/ 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. These choices are made available during the booking process. 

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 Hotel does not provide cooking facilities but they also 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. Make sure you have a packed lunch with snacks everyday (also available with a packaged trip option).

Transportation

Students are responsible for their own transportation. We encourage carpooling and usually this works out very well. Transport to and from Rogers pass, plus all days in Rogers Pass, is available for an additional cost of $100.00. 

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.

Clothing

 Changes of warm top and bottom under layers and socks. Mid layer fleece top, optional 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

 Bring plenty of high energy snack and fluids.

Other

 No other equipment