Women’s Intro to Backcountry Skiing & Splitboarding

Backcountry skiing and splitboarding offer a completely different experience from resort terrain. To make the most of our time in the field, we begin on the evening of Day 1 at our office for a gear check and course overview. This allows us to hit the mountains right away the next day and maximize your time on the snow.

Sample Course Agenda & Curriculum

Day 1: 6:30 pm, meet at Yamnuska Classroom in Canmore.

• Course introduction and briefing
• Gear for backcountry skiing and splitboarding (lecture and discussion)
• Safety in the backcountry (lecture and discussion)
• Planning a backcountry ski trip (lecture and discussion)
• Review Saturday’s field trip (map, weather, avalanche conditions)
• Gear check

Day 2: 7:30 am, field day, meet at our classroom.

• Avalanche beacon practice and check
• Companion rescue practice
• Equipment familiarization
• Trail breaking and track setting
• Uphill turns
• Ski touring techniques
• Return to Canmore
• Plan ski/splitboard tour for Sunday

Day 3: 7:30 am, ski tour, meet at our classroom.

• Participants will carry out the ski/splitboard tour they planned the previous evening with the coaching and supervision from their instructors
• Finish tour by 4:00 pm
• Wrap up the course, return to Canmore

Meeting Time and Place

The course begins on Day 1 at 6:30 pm at the Yamnuska classroom. The Yamnuska classroom is located at 100, 50 Lincoln Park, Canmore. See this map for location.

Guides and Group Size

Our instructors are certified professional ski guides who are licensed to teach and guide in the backcountry. There will be a maximum of 8 participants per guide and a minimum of 4 participants in this program.

Your instructor for this program is Niki Lepage, who has called the Bow Valley home since the late 1980s. Niki began her career in the avalanche industry in 1990 and earned her Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) certification in 1998. Since then, she has worked across local ski areas, mountain parks, and both backcountry and mechanized ski operations, including helicopter and catskiing. Passionate about teaching, Niki loves sharing her knowledge and her enthusiasm for exploring the mountains with others.

Transportation

To help keep prices affordable, participants are responsible for their own transportation, as well as providing transportation for their guide during the program. If renting a vehicle, we recommend requesting one equipped for winter driving conditions, including winter tires.

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

Accommodation in Canmore is not included. A variety of accommodation options exist in both Canmore and Banff. 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.

Food is not supplied. Each day bring plenty to drink and lunch plus energy snacks. We particularly suggest bringing a Thermos and hot drink.

Equipment and Clothing

You will need to bring your own clothing, alpine touring skis, alpine touring boots, poles, climbing skins, and daypack. If you have your own personal avalanche safety equipment, it is great to bring this along as well as some beacons have different features which we can explain during the avalanche practice sessions. However, we will provide you with avalanche safety equipment if you do not have your own.

The equipment and clothing you bring will have a big impact on the quality of your experience. Please be sure to bring all the items listed. If you are unsure about anything please don’t hesitate to call and ask us!

Skis & Splitboards

Alpine Touring skis are essentially downhill skis with a special touring binding that allows the heel to lift while going uphill or across the flats and then locks down to become a regular downhill style ski binding. We recommend this system to anyone with a background in downhill skiing.

Splitboard – Snowboards can be used on this program, however, a splitboard is required.

Equipment List

You need to bring:

• Skis with alpine touring bindings or Splitboard We recommend a short (160 – 185cm) wide ski designed for powder. Please see the note under rental information if you are renting ski equipment. 
• Climbing skins ‘Stick-on type’
• Ski Poles
• Ski/Board boots (Alpine touring boots)
• Ski Helmet (optional)
• Daypack (large enough for spare clothes, lunch & equipment – all content should fit inside a 40-50L pack)
• Sunglasses and ski goggles
• Thermos flask and water bottle.
• Sunblock and Lip Cream
• Pocket knife
• Headlamp with fresh batteries
• Small Blister and Personal First-Aid Kit
• Hand Sanitizer
• Small repair kit for bindings, skis or splitboard (this may include straps, nuts, bolts, small leatherman) (optional)

Additional gear info:

• Skis/splitboard:  There are two viable backcountry systems, Alpine Touring and Splitboard.
• 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 snowboarder, the backcountry touring equivalent is a splitboard—a snowboard that separates into two ski-like halves for uphill travel and reassembles for the descent. Like touring skis, splitboards use climbing skins for ascending, and the bindings switch between touring and riding modes. If you’re new to splitboarding, spend some time practicing transitions between touring and riding modes before your course. Efficient transitions will make your day smoother and more enjoyable. Most splitboarders use regular snowboard boots, though splitboard-specific boots can provide greater comfort while touring and improved support when traversing or sidehilling.
• 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.

Clothing List

We suggest bringing light clothing of varying thicknesses that can be ‘layered’ to achieve comfort and versatility. The most important consideration for clothing is the ability to regulate temperature as you change from periods of activity to periods of rest and from the ascent to the descent.

• Long underwear top and bottoms (lightweight synthetic or wool)
• Warm pants (nylon blend, insulated, or fleece)
• Warm shirt (synthetic or wool)
• Medium weight fleece sweater
• Fleece Jacket
• Light insulated jacket or vest
• Waterproof jacket with hood (Gore-Tex or nylon)
• Waterproof pants (Gore-Tex or nylon, with side zippers)
• Socks – ski socks (wool or synthetic), several sets
• Wool or fleece hat
• Waterproof ski mountaineering gloves or mitts
• 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)

Optional Equipment

Yamnuska supplies but feel free to bring:

• Avalanche transceiver – digital transceiver with a triple antennae
• Collapsible avalanche probe
• Avalanche shovel: Collapsible metal shovel designed for companion rescue
• Snow study kit

Rental Information

Skis, Boots, Skins and Poles can be rented from:

• Canmore: Gear Up – (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.

Please book as early as practical to avoid disappointment. We require full payment on booking.

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.