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Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

Mountaineering, Rock Climbing, Ice Climbing, Backcountry Skiing

  • Avalanche
    • Avalanche Skills Training 1 – Canmore/Calgary
    • AST 1 (Classroom Webinar/Rockies Field Day)
    • AST 1 (Classroom Webinar/Rogers Pass Field Day)
    • Avalanche Skills Training 1 for Ice Climbers
    • Companion Rescue Refresher Course
    • Avalanche Skills Training 2 – Canadian Rockies
    • Avalanche Skills Training 2 – Rogers Pass
    • Avalanche Skills Training 2 – Purcell Lodge
  • Mountaineering
    • Beginner Programs
      • Scrambling Skills and Safety
      • Snow and Ice Long Weekend
      • Intro to Mountaineering
      • Women’s Intro to Mountaineering
      • Youth Mountaineering Course
      • Wapta Ice Hike
    • Intermediate and Advanced Programs
      • Yoho Peaks
      • Intro to Alpine Rock in the Bugaboos
      • Intro to Alpine Ice at the Columbia Icefields
      • Lake Louise Classics
      • Rogers Pass Alpinist Camp
      • Fairy Meadows Granite Base Camp
      • Bugaboos Granite
    • Canadian Rockies 11,000ers
      • Mount Temple
      • Mount Willingdon
      • Mount Cline
      • Mt Woolley & Diadem
      • Mount Hector
      • Mount Athabasca
      • Mount Andromeda – Skyladder
      • Mt Joffre Expedition
      • Mount Victoria
      • Mount Forbes (Fly in and Send)
      • Mount Assiniboine
      • Mount Robson
    • Fast and Light Series
      • Castle Mountain
      • Mt Louis Kain Route
      • Bugaboo Spire – North East Ridge
      • Mt Sir Donald – Northwest Ridge
      • Mt Aberdeen
      • Mt Fay – West Ridge
      • Mt Temple – East Ridge
    • One-Day Crevasse Rescue for the Alpinist
    • Navigation 1 (Back to Basics with Map & Compass)
    • Navigation 2 (Digital Trip Planning & Electronic Navigation)
    • One Month Summer Mountaineering Program
    • Private Mountaineering and Guiding
      • Climb Mount Athabasca
      • Bugaboos Climbing Guides
      • Climb Mount Assiniboine
      • Climb Mount Robson
  • Skiing
    • Icefields Parkway Day Touring
    • Rogers Pass & Revelstoke Day Touring
    • Backcountry Skiing and Splitboard Touring Programs
      • Intro to Backcountry Skiing & Splitboarding
      • Intro to Backcountry Skiing at Purcell Lodge
      • 2-Day Backcountry Freerider Camp
      • Backcountry Belles – Women’s only Free Rider weekend
    • Steep & Deep Programs
      • Lift-Assisted Backcountry Skiing at Lake Louise
      • Rogers Pass Powder Ski Camp
      • Ultimate Steep & Deep Camp
      • Signature Series Splitboarding Steep & Deep Camp
      • Remote Ski Camp – Freshfields
    • Ski Mountaineering & Classic Traverses
      • Intro to Ski Mountaineering
      • Crevasse Rescue for Skiers & Splitboarders
      • The Wapta Traverse
      • Bow to Yoho Advanced Ski Week
      • Yoho Ski Safari
      • Bugaboos to Rogers Pass Ski Traverse
    • 11’000ers Ski Programs
      • Mt Hector
      • The Lyells & Mons Ski Descents
      • Mt Columbia Ski Expedition
    • International Ski Trips
      • Troll Peninsula, Iceland Ski Safari
      • Rishiri Island Skiing in Japan
    • Navigation 1 (Back to Basics with Map & Compass)
    • Navigation 2 (Digital Trip Planning & Electronic Navigation)
    • One Month Backcountry Ski Program
    • Private Ski Guiding & Splitboarding
  • Rock Climbing
    • Rock Climbing Level 1 – Outdoor Rock Intro
    • Rock Climbing Level 2 – Learn to Lead
    • Rock Climbing Level 1 & 2 – Rock Evolution
    • Rock Climbing Level 3 – Multi-Pitch Climbing Course
    • Rock Climbing Level 4 – Trad Rock Leader
    • Rock Climbing Level 5 – Rock Rescue & Advanced Ropework
    • Skaha Rock – 5-day Progression
    • Hot Rock
    • Ghost Rock
    • El Potrero Chico Rock Road Trip
    • Mature Movement 50+ Rock Climbing
    • Beginner Experiential Rock Climbing
    • Multipitch & Instructional Rock Climbing
  • Ice Climbing
    • Ice Climbing Level 1 – Basic Ice
    • Ice Climbing Level 2 – Top Rope Management
    • Ice Climbing Level 1 & 2 – Ice Evolution
    • Ice Climbing Level 3 – Ice Leader
    • Ice Climbing Level 4 – Multi-Pitch Ice Leader
    • Drytooling Intro
    • Rampart Creek Ice Camp
    • Ghost Ice Climbing Camp
    • Hot Ice Climbing
    • Beginner Experiential Ice Climbing
    • Private Multipitch & Instructional Ice Climbing
    • Southern Ontario Ice Climbing
      • Southern Ontario – One-day Ice Evolution
      • Southern Ontario Ice Leader
  • Mountain Semester

Avalanche Courses

Avalanche Courses and Training

ASTProviderSnow avalanches are arguably the biggest risk facing the winter climber, skier or rider. Understanding avalanche risk, avalanche terrain, weather factors and companion rescue are essential skills for anyone recreating in the mountains in winter. In many cases, as demonstrated by high profile out of bounds ski resort avalanche incidents, some victims didn’t even realize they should have been concerned about avalanches. Recognizing avalanche terrain and making informed decisions are cornerstones of recreational avalanche courses.

Avalanche Skills Training courses consist of an intensive classroom day where students are taught the theoretical and practical curriculum through presentations and discussions in an interactive learning environment. The field day is where theory gets put into practice and every student is given the opportunity to actively practice travel and danger recognition skills. Students will also be taught best-practice companion rescue skills. Through the efficient use of pinpointing a victim with the avalanche transceiver, probing to locate the person under the snow and proper digging techniques to complete the rescue, students will be prepared should the unforeseen avalanche accident occur. While the objective of an avalanche course is to avoid incidents and burials, companion rescue skills dramatically increase victim survival rates when they are needed.

Part of the formal training is exposure to the myriad of tools and public information available for anyone with basic skills to assess risk and manage their exposure to avalanches. Public avalanche bulletins, current weather reports, historical weather station information (wind, temperature, precipitation) and local avalanche observations will all be combined with your field observations to assist your decision making. All of these observations and data points can be consolidated into a decision-making tool (Avaluator™) taking some of the mystery out of what can be an overwhelming series of inputs. A good avalanche course instructor will take complex topics and break them down into relatable and understandable pieces of individual data points.

There are two levels of recreational training in Canada. The first is the Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST 1). This is a two-day course with one day in the classroom and one day in the field. Upon completion of this course, participants are given Yamnuska’s AST 1 certificate. This certificate is recognized throughout Canada. The next level of recreational avalanche training is the Avalanche Skills Training 2 (AST 2) which is a more intensive four-day training program that spends three full days in the field and a more in-depth classroom day. Recreational avalanche courses are prerequisites for anyone interested in pursuing professional level avalanche training. Professional avalanche courses are requirements for many professions such as ski patrol, avalanche forecasters, mountain guides, ski guides, and other field intensive professional positions. Many first responders, corporations, and utilities that have employees and infrastructure in the mountains require their staff to have professional-level avalanche training.

Yamnuska Mountain Adventures is one of Canada’s largest providers of recreational avalanche training. We are a recognized industry leader in promoting best practices inside and outside of our own organization. Our commitment to developing and promoting avalanche awareness and curriculum in Canada is further demonstrated by being a ‘Founding Supporter’ of Avalanche Canada. We continue our financial and human resource support to Avalanche Canada today and remain committed to reducing the number of injuries and fatalities in Canada due to avalanches.

Our AST 1 Avalanche Skills Training Courses are taught in Canmore, Calgary and Rogers Pass/Revelstoke. We also offer courses where the classroom portion of the course day is taught via webinar. Over the past several years, best practice for avalanche risk management has evolved to the point where any ice climber either passing through avalanche terrain or climbing below potential avalanche slopes should carry a transceiver, shovel and probe even if the exposure is limited. We offer a specific AST 1 for ice climbers.

AST 2 courses are taught in Canmore, Rogers Pass and at Purcell Lodge and typically run starting in January.

We provide the transceiver, probe and shovel for participants if required. We use the BCA Tracker 2 transceiver which is a 3 antennae digital beacon. We use BCA Bomber metal shovels and collapsible Stealth 300 BCA probes as well for field training.

Thanks to our sponsors at BCA who have generously donated probes, shovels and snow crystal cards, participants on our Avalanche Safety Training courses have the chance to win some incredible gear. So don’t wait…register now while supplies last!

Field days are conducted at locations within Banff National Park, Yoho National Park, Kootenay National Park, Glacier National Park and Kananaskis.

Our instructors are certified and professional ACMG guides with Canadian Avalanche Association Level 2 professional certification. They are practicing guides who follow the curriculum mandated for avalanche training in addition to our own tools and learning aids. Yamnuska has a Level 3 Avalanche Planner on staff (the highest certification in Canada) and another staff member sits on the AST advisory committee for Avalanche Canada.

With over 40 years of experience, we are confident we have the skills and experience to deliver the best possible avalanche training for you or your group.

Special: Sign up for our AST 1 and AST 2 recreational avalanche courses at the same time and save 10% off the cost of both courses. The discount for the AST 2 does not apply for the AST 2 based at Purcell Lodge.

The AST 1 avalanche course is a great introductory program. If you are a regular backcountry enthusiast we recommend you sign up for the AST 1 course, get outside to build your experience level, then take the AST 2. Many people take both courses in the same season.

Overall impression: Yamnuska are true professionals!

Grant is an exemplary teacher and coach.  He has an excellent way of “de-constructing” the material.  And is most helpful when we’re in the field, pointing out and reinforcing classroom material.

Snowmobilers:

For the best snowmobile avalanche training courses check out our friends at Zacs Tracs. The characteristics of avalanche risk are very different when travelling on a snowmobile and we recommend you have specific snowmobile avalanche training by professionals who conducted their professional training in that discipline.

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