Trip Dates
Available December, 2010 through April, 2011
*2 day program over the weekend; evening session Friday night
Price
$265 / person *prices reduced with larger group size
Group Size
Maximum of 8, Minimum of 4
Skill Level
Beginner to Intermediate
Related Trips
Nelson Classics
Avalanche Skills Level 1
Avalanche Skills Level 2
Intro to Backcountry Ski Touring
Discover the rewards of safely earning your turns...
This comprehensive course is an excellent introduction to backcountry ski touring. Participants will learn a great deal about trip preparation, gear use, touring skills and hazard awareness required for safer and enjoyable ski touring.
The main objective of this course is to give participants basic tools and confidence to safely get started with backcountry ski touring. It is a great opportunity to discover some of the local Kootenay Backcountry and enjoy some fine powder skiing while learning from a seasoned ski guide.
To further increase you knowledge and confidence, the next logical step is our Avalanche Skills Training courses (AST 1 & 2)
Itinerary
- Day 1: Evening classroom session. We will meet at 19:00pm for a 2 hour session covering introductions, revised agenda, last minute gear check, sign a waiver and plan for the next few days.
- Day 2: Field Day. We will meet a 8:00am and drive up to ski touring destinations (either skin up from the car or take the ski resort lift)
- Day 3: Field Day. We will also meet a 8:00am and drive up to ski touring destinations (either skin up from the car or take the ski resort lift)
Here are some of the areas we may visit on this course:
Whitewater Backcountry
The backcountry near Whitewater ski resort is stunning, deep and accessible. There are many options to explore, using lifts or road access, including Ymir Peak, Five mile basin and Evening ridge.
Kootenay Pass
At 1780m, perched between the snowy little towns of Salmo and Creston, Kootenay Pass is the highest road accessible mountain pass in British Columbia. Here we will ski some of the best tree skiing in the southern Selkirks along with fantastic sub-alpine ridges boasting a great variety of open terrain. This destination is a must to all visiting ski tourers.
Mount Brennan or London Ridge
The Kaslo-New Denver highway gives quick access to some of the bigger alpine ski tours in the area. Both Mt Brennan and London Ridge offer vast and exposed alpine terrain, fantastically long ski descents and some of the most impressive local mountain scenery. To optimize your experience, these tours are best done in the Spring when the days longer, the snowpack deeper and temperatures warmer.
Rossland and Red Mountain area
The Rossland area offers fantastic lift and road access backcountry powder ski touring. It is infamous for outstanding tree skiing along with a consistently deep snowpack. The area offers a variety of possible tours, ridges and peaks for the keen ski tourer visiting the area.
Prerequisites
Participants must be intermediate to advance ski resort skiers. Guests are responsible to self evaluate their skills as groups need to be matched together based on prior experience and ability. Please contact us to discuss your background and what kind of tour would suit you best.
Equipment
Weather
Kootenay weather can vary drastically. In winter you expect temperatures to be from -15C to –5C in the day while in spring daily temperatures could rise well above zero. Visibility may be poor or whiteout conditions when snowing heavily or clear on bluebird days. Ensure you are dressed for all variations as temperatures, wind, precipitation can change within the day.
Location
Contact your guide by phone or email the evening before for meeting location.
Services Included
- Pre-trip planning support
- Fully certified IFMGA guide and/or ACMG Ski Guides service
- Group safety equipment (communication device, rescue kit, first aid supplies, GPS, maps)
Not included in price:
- Lunch, snacks
- Personal ski and avalanche safety equipment
- Transportation or lift fee if applicable
- Trip cancellation, adventure travel insurance, medical insurance
FAQ
Where can I rent Ski touring and safety equipment?
Here are a few outdoor stores in Nelson that supply good service and quality outdoor equipment and gear rental, please ensure you rent gear well in advance.
Rivers Oceans and Mountains 354-2056 www.roamshop.com
Valhalla Pure Outfitters 354-1006 www.shop.vpo.ca
Gericks 354-4622 www.gericks.com
Skis, Telemark or Split Boards?
Which should you use? If you are a downhill skier then you should use Alpine Touring gear. Only if you are already an advanced Telemark skier or Snowboarder should you bring Telemark or Split Board gear. All types of gear can be rented in Nelson prior to your day trip. There are three types of backcountry systems you can use:
Alpine Touring skis are essentially downhill skis with a special touring binding which allows the heel to lift whilst going uphill or across the flats and then ‘locks down’ to become a regular downhill safety binding. We recommend this system to anyone with a background of downhill skiing who is not already an advanced telemark skier.
Telemark skis. These should only be used for this program if you are at least an advanced-intermediate telemark skier with some backcountry experience. This system is more difficult and less forgiving than the others.
Snowboarding with a Split Board is the most effective way to snowboard in the back country. We recommend this system to advanced snowboarder over snowshoeing.
