• 1 403 678 4164
  • About Us
  • Our Team
  • Calendar
  • Booking Info
  • Location
  • Contact
  • Blogs & Videos
    • Guides Talk Video Series
    • Tech Tips Video Series
    • Trip Reports
    • Gear Reviews
  • Group/Corporate
    • Movie and Film
    • Youth and School Groups
  • Photo Submission

Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

Mountaineering, Rock Climbing, Ice Climbing, Backcountry Skiing

  • Avalanche
    • Avalanche Skills Training 1 – Canmore/Calgary
    • AST 1 (Classroom Webinar/Rockies Field Day)
    • Avalanche Skills Training 1 for Ice Climbers
    • Avalanche Skills Training 1 Refresher
    • Advanced Companion Rescue 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
      • Moraine Lake Alpine Classics
      • Rogers Pass Alpinist Camp
      • Bugaboos Granite
      • Tonquin Valley Alpine Climbing
    • Canadian Rockies 11,000ers
      • Mount Temple
      • Mount Willingdon
      • Mount Cline
      • Mt Woolley & Diadem
      • Mount Hector
      • Mount Athabasca
      • Mount Andromeda
      • Mt Joffre Expedition
      • Mount Victoria
      • Mt Edith Cavell
      • Mount Forbes
      • 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 Stanley
      • 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
    • Instructional Backcountry Skiing & Boarding
      • Intro to Backcountry Skiing & Splitboarding
      • Splitboarding Intro
      • Backcountry Freerider
      • Ultimate Steep & Deep Clinic
    • Guided Steep & Deep Programs
      • Rogers Pass Powder Skiing
      • Signature Series Splitboarding Camp with Justin Lamoureux
      • Kootenays Powder Adventure
      • Backcountry Powder Pass
    • Ski Mountaineering & Classic Traverses
      • Intro to Ski Mountaineering
      • Crevasse Rescue for Skiers & Splitboarders
      • The Wapta Traverse
      • Bow to Yoho Advanced Ski Week
      • Remote Ski Camp – Freshfields
      • 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 3 – Multi-Pitch Climbing Course
    • Rock Climbing Level 4 – Trad Rock Leader
    • Rock Climbing Level 5 – Rock Rescue
      • Foundational Rock Rescue
      • Advanced Rock Rescue
    • Hot Rock
    • Ghost Rock
    • El Potrero Chico Rock Road Trip
    • 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
    • Steep Ice and Mixed Climbing Clinic
    • Drytooling Clinic
    • Rampart Creek Ice Camp
    • Ghost Ice Climbing Camp
    • ‘Hot’ Ice Climbing
    • Signature Series Ice Climbing with Sean Isaac
      • Early Season Ice Camp with Sean Isaac
      • Ice Leader Camp with Sean Isaac
      • Mixed Master Camp
      • Steep Ice Clinic with Sean Isaac
      • Mixed Climbing Clinic with Sean Isaac
      • Ice Lead Clinic with Sean Isaac
      • Multi-pitch Systems Clinic with Sean Isaac
    • Southern Ontario Ice Climbing
      • Southern Ontario – One-day Ice Climbing Essentials
      • Southern Ontario Ice Leader
    • Avalanche Skills for Ice Climbers
    • Beginner Experiential Ice Climbing
    • Private Multipitch & Instructional Ice Climbing
  • Mountain Semesters
    • 3-Month Mountain Skills Semester
    • 1-Month Summer Mountaineering Semester
    • 1-Month Ski & Splitboard Semester

February 4, 2014 By Sylvia Watson Leave a Comment

Ice Climbing in Avalanche Terrain

Over the past couple of weeks there have been a few announcements and newspaper articles on the use of avalanche transceivers, probes and shovels for ice climbers in avalanche terrain.

Culturally, it has not been the norm for ice climbers to carry companion rescue gear and most climbers used recognition and avoidance as their mitigation for avalanche risk while climbing ice.

Several years ago, our operations team at Yamnuska started talking about why ice climbers didn’t carry the gear even though we were often in avalanche terrain. The standard defense from climbers was that “they wouldn’t be there if they thought there was a significant risk plus the gear is too heavy”. Both excuses were not very strong given the weight of consequence in an avalanche incident and we felt the need for a change.

Two years ago we made the commitment to up our safe practice and lead the way in changing the culture of safety gear for ice climbing in avalanche terrain. This is now our second year implementing the use of a beacon, probe and shovel while ice climbing in avalanche terrain. We have parameters in and around the use specifically related to the class of terrain and existing hazard. Basically, in avalanche terrain, when a hazard exists, all of our guides and ice climbing guests carry a beacon, probe and shovel. This is the same as we would do while backcountry skiing. Carrying this equipment is one thing, knowing how to use it is another.

Last year we were the only Mountain School to implement this additional layer of safety. At Yamnuska we are not only committed to teaching best avalanche awareness practices, we are also committed to leading the way in how we all think about safety in the mountains. As Canada’s oldest Mountain School we will continue to lead the way while we look to set and adopt the highest standards for our industry.

Check out our Avalanche Canada AST Level 1 Course for Waterfall Ice Climbing Course.

Dave Stark
Director of Operations
IFMGA
CAA Level 3

Filed Under: News Tagged With: ast 1, avalanche training, ice climbing

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Yamnuska is also on

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Contact Us!

Toll-Free North America: 1.866.678.4164
Phone: 1.403.678.4164
Contact Us

Button_GiftCertificate

Search

Safe Travel Stamp

ACMG_logo_RGB

Partners

Patagonia

Sponsored By

K2

K2

Sponsored By

Julbo

Sponsored By

Dynafit

Copyright © 2023 · Education Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in