Mountain Safety

This introduction workshop is designed to give you an overview of staying safe on the mountain as well as what to do if a problem occurs This workshop covers:

• Safety Code
• Trail Maps
• Battle of the Signs
• Avalanches
• Beacon, Probe & Shovel
• Medical
• Tree Well
• Recognizing Snow Pits

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Avalanche Awareness

This workshop is designed for mountain enthusiasts who are starting to tour on their own and possibly venturing out of the ski area boundries. This workshop covers:

• Recognize & Avoid Avalanche Terrain
• Understanding Layed Snow
• Weather Indicators & Red Flags
• Basic Companion Rescue
• Avalanche Control Techniques
• Boundary Policies
• Avalanche Terrain & Terrain Maps
• Basic Route Selection
• Current Snow Pack Conditions
• Companion Recovery
• Probing, Shoveling, & Beacon use

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Companion Rescue Workshop

This workshop will teach you the skills to effectively operate a rescue beacon, efficiently probe the snow to determine the victim's location and stratgically move snow with your shovel to uncover your companion This workshop covers:

• Case Study - Mt. Proctor, BC
• Beacon Operations
• Fundamentals
• Coarse Search
• Fine Search
• Practice
• Probe Use
• Overview of Methods
• Spiral Method
• Beacon Search with Probe
• Shoveling
• Strategic vs. Non-Strategic
• Strategic Methods (Terracing, V-Shaped, Multiple Rescuers)
• Putting it all Together

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Avalanche Terrain Observation

This workshop requires Advanced Skiing/Riding skills, the completion of the Companion Rescue Course, and touring equipment (skis or split board). The companion rescue field component covers:

This is a follow up to the popular Companion Rescue Skills course. We will take the lifts to the top of Alpental Ski Area and head into the Alpental Backcountry for a short ski tour.

Participants will lean and practice common avalanche terrain recognition skills, observations relevant to the avalanche danger, and safe travel decisions appropriate to the hazard level. These skills will be tied to the NWAC avalanche hazard discussion. This short tour will culminate with an avalanche rescue drill to help the students hone their skills.

It is anticipated that participants will become better organized for potential rescues, will recognize the complexities of decision making in avalanche terrain, and will be motivated to enroll in a Level 1 avalanche course.

Lift tickets or pass to be provided by the student.

Total time is approximately 4 hours. Group limited to 8 participants
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