Scrambling Skills and Safety

Course Agenda

Day 1: Meet at the Yamnuska Mountain Adventures classroom at 8:00 am. Coffee and tea will be available. Review course introduction, goals and objectives and explanation of hazards and risk.

Goals and Objectives:

• To be able to pick an appropriate scramble from the guidebook for skill level
• To be able to pack the correct and necessary gear for the day
• To be able to complete the scramble without environmental degradation of the area
• To be able to recognize the difference between class three and four terrain
• To effectively route find in class three terrain
• To recognize environmental hazards and how to deal with them
• To gain skills for movement in loose terrain and manage rock-fall issues
• Have fun and gain a summit or two!

Course Curriculum

• Equipment selection for scrambles
• Emergency gear
• Selecting proper footwear
• Dressing for the mountains
• Use of guidebooks
• Choosing peaks appropriate to experience levels
• Checking weather and conditions
• Environmental hazards: Lightning, animals, rockfall, snow and ice
• Environmental ethics
• Route finding skills
• Assessment of difficulty
• Movement skills during ascents and descents/scrambling skills
• Use of a trekking pole
• Spotting skills
• Pacing and rest stops
• Walking in balance
• Use of down pressure on handholds

Waiver presentation and signing. (please see sample waiver)

Head out and complete an easy to moderate scramble.

Day 2: Early departure from Canmore for a local scramble. This day will focus on personal leadership and decision-making as well as further developing the skills learned on day one.  We will also discuss terrain evaluation, route finding, and group management. The meeting time and place will be determined by your guide and will be based on the day’s objective.

The course typically runs in the Canmore Kananaskis area. On occasion, we do travel as far west as Lake Louise. Typical scrambles on the course are Heart Mountain, Mt. Yamnuska, Mt. Baldy, and Loder Peak.

If we do travel to Banff you will need to have a National Parks entry pass for your vehicle.

Expect to be finished by 4:00 pm on the final day.

Plus Day

Stay for an extra day and put your new skills into practice on a classic Canadian Rockies difficult scramble. The instructor-to-student ratio is 1:2. On this day we will cover advanced scrambling skills and how to manage more technical terrain. Typical scrambles may include Mt. Buller and Mt. Edith.

$409 plus GST. Available the day following the ‘Scrambling Skills’ course.

Meeting Time & Place

The course begins at the Yamnuska classroom at 8:00 am on Saturday morning. The Yamnuska classroom is located at #100, 50 Lincoln Park, Canmore. See this map for location.

Be dressed and packed, ready for the outdoors.

Instructors and Group Size

Your instructors are certified by the internationally recognized Association of Canadian Mountain Guides.

There will be a maximum of 6 participants to one guide. On the ‘plus day,’ there will be a maximum of 2 participants to 1 guide.

Transportation

To help keep prices affordable, participants are responsible for their own transportation, as well as providing transportation for their guide during the program. Canmore is a 1 hour (100km) drive west of Calgary.

If you are flying from afar for the program we suggest that you rent a car for your visit. In addition to getting you to the climbing locations, it will allow you to explore our region a bit after program hours. For example, you can visit Banff and enjoy the hot pools and sample the numerous restaurants.

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

We do not provide accommodations or meals during this program.

Accommodation in Canmore is not included. A variety of accommodation options exist in both Canmore and Banff, including campsites, hostels, all levels of hotels as well as condo-style accommodation with kitchens or suites.  We recommend that you book your own pre and post-trip accommodations well in advance as all levels of accommodations in the Bow Valley fill quickly.

You will need to bring a packed lunch, snacks, and plenty of liquids each day.

Equipment and Clothing

The equipment and clothing you bring to this course will play a large role in the quality of your experience. Read the following suggestions and lists carefully. If you have any questions or need clarification, don’t hesitate to call or email.

Equipment

Yamnuska provides the following personal technical gear. Please feel free to bring your own if desired:

• Helmet

We recommend you bring:

• Daypack* (30-40 litres)
• Lunch, snacks
• Water bottle (full!)
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen, SPF lip balm
• Camera
• Blister kit
• First aid items (Our guides carry a first aid kit, but you may bring your own Band-Aids and anti-inflammatory medication if desired.)
• Trekking pole
• Bear spray (recommended)

*These items are available for rent. Please advise us in advance.

Clothing

When scrambling, it is important to be able to adjust to the changing conditions. 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:

• Boots (mountaineering or sturdy hiking boots)
• Socks (synthetic/wool)
• Light synthetic shirt
• Softshell pants and jacket
• Midweight synthetic or down jacket
• Waterproof hardshell jacket with hood
• Waterproof hardshell pants
• Gloves
• Gaiters
• Warm hat that fits under a helmet
• Sun hat

• Alpha SV Jacket (Men’s & Women’s)
• Rush Jacket (Men’s & Women’s)
• Rush Bib Pant (Men’s & Women’s)
• Atom Hoody (Men’s & Women’s)
• Atom SL Hoody (Men’s & Women’s)
• Cerium Down Hoody (Men’s & Women’s)
• Nuclei Hoody (Men’s & Women’s)

Additional gear info:

Boots: Good boots are essential. They need to be comfortable and provide good ankle support.

Helmet:  A comfortable, all-around climbing helmet that can fit over your warm hat.

Please book as early as practical to avoid disappointment. We require full payment on booking.  We accept Visa, Mastercard, Canadian Cheques, Money Orders, and Bank Drafts.  Credit card payments are easiest, especially for international travellers.

We ask that you familiarize yourself 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.

The Simpson Group offers a wide range of travel insurance options including Trip Cancellation/Interruption, Travel Medical, and Personal Effect Loss for both Canadian and International Travelers. Other providers offer similar services and we encourage you to select an appropriate level of coverage. We highly recommend purchasing this insurance to cover and protect you against unforeseen events. The two basic types of insurance that most travellers need to consider are Medical and Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance.

Insurance Risk 
One of the ways to mitigate risk is by purchasing appropriate insurance. Simpson Group Insurance Services who are travel & health risk specialists, work with technical and high-risk insurance solutions both in medical and non-medical spheres.  We highly recommend that you review your insurance needs to cover and protect you against unforeseen events. It is wise to ensure that your health plan will cover you in case of illness or accident during your trip. Simpson Group have a team standing by to answer any of your questions.

Emergency Medical Evacuation
While there is typically no charge for search & rescue in the National and Provincial Parks for active pass holders, costs such as air & ground ambulance after the rescue are not covered by your park pass. The chance of a large bill associated with this risk is a real possibility.

For Canadians
A common myth is that healthcare across provinces is fully covered. There are many things which do not carry interprovincial agreements. Ambulance services, medical evacuation, and some services which one province charges more than another you’d be responsible to pay the difference.

For Internationals
A common myth is that healthcare in Canada is free. Although it is less expensive than US healthcare, charges for non-residents can still be very high. Proper medical health insurance is essential if you were to get injured. Most coverages exclude rock climbing, mountaineering, ice climbing, backcountry skiing and the like. Simpson Group can make sure all those risks are well covered.

Trip Cancellation/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. We can assure you that circumstances do arise that prevent guests from participating in trips or courses and trip cancellation & interruption insurance is a relatively easy way to manage your level of risk of unforeseen events.

For all your travel insurance requirements we recommend Simpson Group Insurance Services.  For more information and to purchase a plan, visit Simpson Group’s website.