AST 1 Refresher

Course Agenda

Day 1:  7:00am (MST) at the Yamnuska Mountain Adventures office. 

• Welcome, introduction, goals and agenda, waivers  
• Short classroom session before heading into the field   
• Review how to use the avalanche forecast to mitigate avalanche risk 
• How to use new AvCan tools and materials 
• Review decision making and risk management in avalanche terrain 
• Review route selection, terrain assessment, and travel protocols 
• Practice companion rescue skills 
• Discuss updates to the AST 1 curriculum 

Please Note: Participants will receive an Avalanche Canada certification for this program.  

Pre-Course Material: 

• Review Avy Savvy, specifically: 
• Chapter 4: Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (Includes Online Trip Planner and Avaluator Trip Planner Exercises 
• Chapter 5: The Avalanche Forecast (Including Avalanche Problems and the Avalanche Forecast Quiz) 
• Chapter 6: The Daily Process (Including Route Finding Exercises). This section might be new for some depending on when they took their AST 1 course 
• Chapter 7: Companion Rescue 
• We will send you our anticipated field destination for the day and we encourage you to create a route plan (Plan A and a backup plan) for the day. Review topo maps and/or digital tools to assist with your planning. 

NOTE ON RISK: The course takes place in a backcountry winter environment. Conditions can be harsh and you need to be adequately dressed to enhance your comfort and learning. During the field day, we will be on the periphery of avalanche terrain however, we do limit our exposure to avalanches so that we can operate in the program area no matter what the avalanche danger is for that given day.  All our guides/instructors have advanced first aid certification and carry first aid kits as well as emergency communication. The course is designed to provide a good platform for learning and is not meant to be overly physically challenging or to put you at risk. Our focus is on instruction so we find appropriate avalanche study areas close to the road to maximize your avalanche education.

Instructors and Group Size

Yamnuska avalanche instructors are ACMG and IFMGA guides who are trained and certified by the Canadian Avalanche Association. They are true practitioners with years and in some cases, decades of experience in the backcountry, practicing what they preach.  Yamnuska has been offering Avalanche courses since the late 1970s and we have been instrumental in the curriculum development of the AST programs. We are proud of our rich history in training recreationists in Canada.   

Group Size is a minimum of 4 participants with a maximum of 8 per instructor. 

Program Logistics

Meet at the Yamnuska Office (200-50 Lincoln Park, Canmore) at 7:00 am on the day of the program. After a short classroom session we will head out for the day. Field locations will be chosen based on conditions.

Transportation

Participants are responsible for their own transportation.

Park Passes

Please note that program venues may be within National Parks and/or Kananaskis Country. For programs where transportation is not provided by Yamnuska/Canadian Rockies Hiking by Yamnuska, guests will be required to purchase their own pass.

National Park passes are available both online at https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/voyage-travel/admission and in-person at National park gates and some information centres.

Kananaskis Country conservation passes are available online at https://www.alberta.ca/kananaskis-conservation-pass.aspx

Accommodation and Meals

These are not included in the course fees. There are many options available including hostels, motels, and hotels in Canmore. Check rates as prices can vary significantly during the winter.

Food is not supplied. On the field day, it is important to have lots of snack-type high-energy foods as well as at least one litre of fluid. We highly recommend bringing a Thermos-type container for a hot drink.  Due to the nature of the environment and winter temperatures, we will often snack along the way and may not take an extended break for lunch.

Equipment and Clothing

We recommend you bring your own transceiver, shovel, and probe if you have it.  It is important to become familiar with the kit that you bring into the backcountry with you and know how to use it. Rentals available if needed.

Equipment

We recommend you bring: 

• Skis/splitboard (with alpine touring bindings) 
• Ski/snowboard boots (compatible with your bindings) 
• Climbing skins 
• Poles 
• Ski Helmet (optional)
• Avalanche Transceiver *
• Avalanche Probe *
• Avalanche Shovel *
• Daypack* (30-40 liters) * 
• Thermos flask and/or water bottle (1-2 liters combined volume) 
• Sunscreen 
• Blister kit 
• Hand Sanitizer
• Camera 
• Small repair kit for bindings, skis or splitboard (this may include straps, nuts, bolts, small Leatherman) 

* Rentals available.  Please advise us in advance if items are required.

Clothing 

When Backcountry skiing, it is important to be able to adjust for the exertion of skiing uphill as well as the cooling-off that occurs while taking breaks. We recommend bringing clothing that can be layered to achieve comfort as you change from periods of activity to periods of rest. Cotton clothing is not appropriate as it causes rapid heat loss when wet. 

We recommend you bring: 

• Long underwear (top and bottoms, synthetic or wool) 
• Socks – ski socks (wool or synthetic) 
• Softshell jacket 
• Midweight synthetic or down jacket 
• Waterproof Hardshell jacket 
• Waterproof Hardshell or softshell pants (make sure the cuff fits over ski boots) 
• Heavyweight parka (big enough to put over all your other layers) 
• Waterproof gloves 
• Warm hat 
• Face mask

Additional gear info: 

• Skis/splitboard:  There are two viable backcountry systems, Alpine Touring, and Splitboarding. 
• Alpine Touring:  Essentially downhill skis with a special touring binding which allows the heel to lift when going uphill and then locks down to become an alpine binding for the downhill. 
• Splitboard: If you are a rider and proficient on a snowboard, the backcountry touring version is called a splitboard. This is a snowboard that can be split to make two ski-type platforms for touring on the uphill ascent. The bindings have two positions and can be switched depending on whether you are climbing or descending. Split boards also use climbing skins for the ascent. For the downhill, the board is reassembled or joined to be in snowboard (ride) mode. If you are new to this system, you will need to practice the transitions of switching the board from touring to riding and back again. Your enjoyment will be vastly greater if you are efficient and practiced with this transition. For splitboarders, regular snowboard boots will work. A splitboard specific boot will give you more comfort when in touring mode and offer extra support to make sidehilling and traversing terrain easier to manage. 
• Boots:  Backcountry boots are different from regular alpine ski boots. In the backcountry, boots need to have an uphill mode that allows a free range of motion in the upper part of the boot. You should not use your regular ski boots for touring and walking uphill. 
• Climbing skins:  The glue on the base of the skin should be in good condition and the skins need to be properly fitted. Try the skins on your skis/splitboard to make sure they are the right length and width before you arrive. 
• Ski poles:  Backcountry poles need powder baskets on the tips. 
• Avalanche Transceiver:  A three antennae transceiver is required. 
• Probe:  A minimum of 240 cm in length. 
• Shovel:  A metal blade shovel is required. 

Rental Information 

Skis, Boots, Skins & Poles for ski touring can be rented from: 

• Calgary: Mountain Equipment Co-op. – 830-10 Ave. S.W. Calgary (Tel: 403 269-2420)
• Canmore: Gear Up – 1302 Bow Valley Trail (403 678-1636)
• Lake Louise: Wilson Mountain Sports  – (1-866-929-3636)

*Please note that your ‘DIN’ or ‘Release Value’ settings on your ski bindings are critical to your safety while skiing.  Our expectation is that everyone arrives on programs with their ski binding’s release value correctly set. We have noted that some ski rental shops will not set release values on touring bindings. We advise you to rent from a shop that will set release values on your ski touring bindings unless you are proficient and comfortable setting your own DIN/release value. Failure to have Release Values correctly set could result in a serious injury. 

Yamnuska has avalanche beacons, shovels, and probes for rent. Rental Gear 

Please book as early as practical to avoid disappointment. We require full payment on booking. As a leading avalanche course provider, our courses do fill quickly. Many people book this course and reserve a spot at the same time for the AST 2 later in the season.

It is wise to ensure that your health plan will cover you in case of illness or accident while here. Obtain extra coverage if necessary. There is no charge for a rescue so long as you have a valid National Park Entry Pass which you can obtain on entry to Banff National Park.

Please make yourself familiar with our detailed booking instructions and conditions.

Risk is an inherent part of all mountain activities. We strive to manage and reduce it however, it is impossible to totally eliminate. Learn more about our safety and risk management approach here.  Please note that you will be required to sign our waiver before commencing the program. Please view our sample waiver copy.

There are two basic types of insurance that most travellers need to consider: Medical and Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance. We offer our guests coverage for both and highly recommend you purchase it.

Emergency Medical Expenses Insurance:

It is wise to ensure that your health plan will cover you in case of illness or accident during your trip.  Obtain extra coverage if necessary.  There is no charge for rescue in the national and provincial parks, however, costs such as air or ground transportation, long-term care, and other services are not covered.

Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance:

We recognize that our guests’ schedules may change for many reasons; business, family, flight delays, injuries, and other unplanned events. For these eventualities, Trip Cancellation/Interruption insurance is a great way to protect your investment.

For all your travel insurance requirements we recommend the Simpson Group. This agency offers a wide range of travel insurance options including Trip Cancellation/Interruption, Travel Medical, and Personal Effect Loss for Canadian Travelers. We highly recommend purchasing this insurance. For more information and to purchase a plan, visit the Simpson Group’s website.

Please note that this coverage is for Canadian residents only. For guests who are not from Canada and who are interested in the ‘Visitors to Canada’ insurance package please contact the Simpson Group directly at JSimpson@simpson-group.com and reference your Yamnuska Mountain Adventure trip.