Ski Super Course
Summary
Winter- Cost:
- $625
This ultimate backcountry super ski course incorporates a comprehensive skill set including Winter Crevasse Rescue and Glacier Travel, and Ski Mountaineering. If your plan is to get to the next level and start exploring farther, then challenge yourself to this course. You will learn from passionate, highly trained instructors to gain the most value and knowledge.
*All Courses subject to a minimum number of participants.
Make a Booking
The split weekend dates in winter season 2019- 2020
Day 1 & 2: December 7th - 8th Day 3 & 4: December 14th - 15th
Day 1 & 2: January 11th - 12th Day 3 & 4: January 18th - 19th
Day 1 & 2: February 1st - 2nd Day 3 & 4: February 8th - 9th
Day 1 & 2: March 7th - 8th Day 3 & 4: March 14th - 15th
Day 1 & 2: April 11th - 12th Day 3 & 4: April 18th - 19th
Private courses and additional dates can be added by request.
Course Information
This ultimate backcountry ski course incorporates both of these important courses:
- Winter Crevasse Rescue and Glacier Travel
- Ski Mountaineering
Based out of Whistler, we are part of the Coast Mountain Range with a variety of backcountry destinations, varied snowpacks and expansive mountain terrain to teach this course.
This comprehensive course is designed to provide backcountry skiers & riders with a full complement of skills necessary to undertake every facet of the sport. Core skills are backcountry ski technique, route selection, track setting, glacier travel, rescue systems, ski mountaineering, glacier skiing, tree skiing and avalanche hazard mitigation.
Sign up for our Ski Super Course and receive unrivalled instruction!
This course is run over 2 consecutive weekends for your convenience.
Day 1 -Winter Crevasse Rescue and Glacier Travel
- Morning Meeting: Sign waivers, introductions, course goals, safety discussion and gear check.
- Day of practicing the crevasse rescue rope work on the ground.
- The day 1 normally takes place at the rock climbing area in Squamish. NOT going up to the mountain on day 1.
- Evening Meeting: debrief the day. Trip plan for day 2.
Day 2 – Winter Crevasse Rescue and Glacier Travel
- Morning Meeting: Review current weather and conditions, gear check.
- Day of instruction and practicing skills
- Evening Meeting: debrief the day.
Day 3 -Ski Mountaineering Skills Day
- Morning Meeting: Review current weather and conditions, gear check.
- Day of instruction and practicing skills
- Evening Meeting: debrief the day, learn how to do a ski mountaineering route plan and discuss the next day’s weather, avalanche forecasts and mountain conditions.
Day 4 – Ski Mountaineering Skills Day
- Morning Meeting: Review current weather and conditions, gear check.
- Day of instruction and practicing skills
- Evening Meeting: debrief the day, learn how to do a ski mountaineering route plan and discuss the next day’s weather, avalanche forecasts and mountain conditions.
We are happy to help source any rental gear you require for your trip.
Clothing
- Insulated top and bottom under layers and socks
- Mid layer fleece top
- Weatherproof shell jacket and pants
- Warm hat, optional balaclava or neck tube
- 2 pairs of gloves, optional mittens
- Goggles, sunglasses and sunscreen
Equipment
- Touring skis / splitboard
- Ski / snowboard boots
- Skins
- Poles
- Ski Crampons
- Avalanche Safety Kit (probe, transceiver, shovel)
- Mountaineering Axe
- Harness
- 3 locking carabiners
- 4 non-locking carabiners
- 2 x 5m 7mm prussik
- 1 auto-block device (ATC Guide)
- 1 double length sling
- 1 x 22cm ice screw
- 0.5m personal prussik
- 50-meter ski touring rope
- Minimal alpine rock rack; 2-3 cams, 3-4 stoppers- 4 shoulder length draws
- Rite in the Rain notebook and mechanical pencil
- First aid kit with blister kit
- Glop stopper
- Ski scraper
- Map, compass, GPS, laptop computer (all optional)
Day 1 – Winter Crevasse Rescue and Glacier Travel
- Lesson 1: Introduction to Glacier Kit
- Lesson 2: Equalized anchor, knots and rappelling
- Lesson 3: Ascending the rope – prussic, ratchet, reverse
- Lesson 4: Situational awareness, review hazards
- Lesson 5: Glacier travel rope handling & crevasse rescue
- Lesson 6: Dividing the rope
- Lesson 7: The prussik
- Lesson 8: Arresting the fall, holding the victim and anchor building
- Lesson 9: Backing up anchor and approaching the lip
- Lesson 10: Canadian drop loop system demo
- Lesson 11: Incorporating a ratchet
- Lesson 12: First raise method, z-pulley raising system, adding advantage.
- Lesson 13: Reversing the raise & lowering
- Lesson 14: Crevasse Rescue Scenario
- Lesson 15: Problem-solving specific scenario
Day 2 – Winter Crevasse Rescue and Glacier Travel
- Lesson 16: Rope up point strategy (map & altimeter) & white out plan
- Lesson 17: Glacier formation, physiology, terminology and travel including rope handling and taking coils
- Lesson 18: Safe glacier travel route finding & track setting – crevasse avoidance, serac hazard mitigation, dealing with avalanche terrain, crevasse bridge integrity and evaluation
- Lesson 19: Traveling in echelon & belaying across crevasse bridges
- Lesson 20: Downhill glacier skiing safety strategy
Day 3 – Ski Mountaineering Skills Day
- Lesson 1: “Snow and ice school” – introduction to ski mountaineering equipment, ski crampons and boot crampons, ice axe.
- Lesson 2: Ascending/descending and moving in steeper firmer/crusted/icy slopes.
- Lesson 3: Belaying and rappelling, anchors.
- Lesson 4: Roped vs. unroped terrain – belaying, rope management, short roping, boot packing, stowing the skis on the pack, ridge walking.
Day 4 – Ski Mountaineering Skills Day
- Lesson 5: Ski mountaineering objective: situational awareness, route finding and track setting in Class 3 (complex) terrain.
- Lesson 6: Glacier travel & alpine hazard evaluation.
- Lesson 7: Ski mountaineering ascent and descent technique and strategy.
- Lesson 8: “Survival skiing” technique
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We're flexible!
Important Information
We strongly recommend you purchase insurance for Trip Cancellation, Emergency Evacuation and Adventure Sports Coverage (some backcountry adventures are excluded from coverage).
Emergency Evacuation and Medical Insurance
This coverage provides you with emergency air rescue if required and full medical. Parks Canada provides free evacuation within the Parks and if you are a Canadian resident your medical will be covered by your provincial health plan (except ambulance/air ambulance transport). We strongly recommend international visitors purchase this insurance.
Emergency evacuation insurance is compulsory for all our hut trips, as these typically take place outside of Parks Canada’s jurisdiction.
Trip Cancellation Insurance
To prepare for unforeseen circumstances we strongly recommend purchasing Trip Cancellation Insurance at the time of booking your trip. Trip Cancellation insurance covers many scenarios to reimburse you for cancelled trips outside of your control.
Learn about training courses at the academy:
- Avalanche Awareness
- Avalanche Transceiver Use
- Companion Crevasse rescue kit training
- Pre-trip planning and preparation
- Climbing rescue course
- Winter navigation (GPS, map, compass, altimeter use) and route planning
- Level 1 avalanche course also known as the AST 1 course
- AST 2 course also known as the AST 2 course
- Avalanche training
- Wilderness First Aid
- Mountaineering course
- Ice climbing tours
- Avalanche course
- Backcountry skiing tours
- VIP Backcountry tours
Our recommended insurance provider is Tugo.Com who can be reached via the following:
For further information about our backcountry tours contact Mountain Skills Academy!
All prices are quoted in Canadian dollars and are exclusive of a 5% tax (GST). Prices are subject to change. Guide gratuities are not included in fees.
Full payment is required at time of registration. Our preferred method of payment is by Mastercard or VISA. We also accept bank e-transfers and cash.
Mountain Skills Academy takes mountain safety very seriously, however there is no way to completely mitigate risk in alpine environments. Prior to undertaking any of our courses or trips we require you to sign a waiver.
Mountain conditions are extremely unpredictable and can change at short notice. Our guides endeavor to undertake the routes and/or peaks that our clients desire, however our decisions will be impacted by conditions. Unfortunately we are not able to offer refunds if conditions are not suitable to undertake a particular route on the day you have booked. We will however make every effort to take you out for the best day possible given the conditions.
Applicable to all tours and courses*: If conditions force us to cancel a course or trip we will do all we can to accommodate you at another date. If this isn’t possible we will offer a full refund. We reserve the right to decline rescheduling dates based on availability. *Does not apply to first aid courses.
Late Arrival Policy
Guests arriving more than 15 minutes late for an activity forfeit 100% of the tour price. Tours leave promptly; it is recommended to arrive 15 minutes early to sort out gear and sign waivers.
Adventures Cancellation Policy
Half Day and Full Day Tours
- With less than 48 hours of the tour start time: Cancellation will result in a 100% forfeit of tour price, no rescheduling.
- With more than 48 hours notice: We will reschedule or refund with no penalty.
- 2 Day Programs: Within 10 days cancellation notice will result in a 100% forfeit of tuition, Outside of 10 days: $25 penalty to reschedule per booking or full refund.
- 3+ Day Programs: 30 days cancellation notice will result in a 100% forfeit of tuition, Outside of 30 days: $75 penalty to reschedule or full refund.
- Customized Trips: 30 days cancellation notice will result in a 100% forfeit of tuition, Outside of 30 days: $75penalty to reschedule per booking or full refund.
**On all multi day trips pre-arranged add-ons are non-refundable (food, accommodation, etc).
1-2 Day Courses
- Within 10 days of the course date: Cancellation notice will result in a 100% forfeit of tuition
- Outside of 10 days: $75 penalty to reschedule per booking or full refund.
3+ Day Courses
- Within 30 days of the course date: Cancellation notice will result in a 100% forfeit of tuition
- Outside of 30 days: $75 penalty to reschedule per booking or full refund.
**If you are able to find someone else to take your place on a course, please let us know as we are more than happy to transfer bookings.
Minors (under the age of 19) and custodial groups (youths affiliated with an institution where a parent or legal guardian is not present on the trip) may register for certain trips and courses with a letter of consent from parents or legal guardian as well, they must sign a waiver and have a parent or legal guardian sign a waiver. Further, we abide by the Parks Canada Custodial Group winter backcountry policy as outlined here.
