WASATCH BACKCOUNTRY SKIING COURSES
Avalanche Safety and Ski Touring Instruction in Utah's Wasatch Range
Level I - Avalanche Safety - AAI
(Low Ratio)
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This practical-application based Level I avalanche course is designed specifically for recreational skiers looking to ski tour safely in the backcountry. Our course offers two full fields days at a low (4:1 max. Student:Instructor ratio) to facilitate learning and model appropriate touring group sizes. To maximize time in the field, material is introduced to students with a robust self-guided online learning module provided by the American Avalanche Institute, designed to be completed prior to the start of the course. This Level I is run by AMGA Certified Ski Guides, and with this training (the highest level of training available for ski guides in the world) we can provide insight and a level of safety that may be missed on other courses.
Course includes:
- American Avalanche Institute online curriculum (season access)
- 2 Eight hour field day sessions
- 4:1 Low-ratio field instruction
- 2hr Zoom prior to field days, 1hr Zoom to conclude course
- Course and field sessions run by AMGA Certified Ski Guide
- Course sanctioned by American Avalanche Association
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Learning Outcomes:
-Interpret and implement avalanche forecasts
-Identify avalanche terrain and safely move through the backcountry
-Communicate more effectively with your partners
-Preform an avalanche rescue
-Plan and execute an appropriate ski tour for a given day
-Assess conditions in the field, including the use of snow pits and stability tests
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22/23 Wasatch (Cottonwood Canyons):
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12/08-12/09A
12/19-12/20A
12/28-12/29A
1/3-1/4A, 1/5-1/6B
1/24-1/25A, 1/26-1/27B
2/7-2/8A, 2/9-2/10B
2hr Zoom 7pm evening prior to each course A-Section, 1hr Zoom 530pm last day of each section of the course )
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Rates:
$625pp
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Trip Duration: (2) 8hr Field Days, 2hr Zoom, 1hr Zoom, 7 hrs Online Learning
Field Group Ratio: 4:1 max.
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Prerequisites:
Advanced ski or snowboarding ability
Good Fitness- Ability to skin a minimum of 1500' at a moderate pace per day
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Backcountry Skiing 101
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In this single field day basic backcountry skiing instructional clinic we teach you the basics to get you started moving about the mountains. We will try to get some good turns in too!
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Topics Include:
-How to use skins and alpine touring equipment/split-board to go up and down the mountain efficiently
-How to use basic avalanche safety equipment
-How to interpret an avalanche forecast
-How to recognize avalanche terrain
-How to plan a basic trip
-How to choosing appropriate equipment
-How to deal with an emergency
-Constructing an emergency shelter
Prerequisite:
Advanced ski or snowboarding ability
Moderate to good fitness
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Course includes Zoom based evening session at 7pm day prior to the posted field day date
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Available: 1/2, 1/7, 1/14, 1/28, 2/19, 2/26
Trip Duration: 6-8hrs
Minimum Group Size: 1
Student/Instructor Ratio: 5:1
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Rates:
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$235pp
Avalanche L1 Skills Refresher
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An early season must do! Polish up on essential skills to help keep you and your partners safe while traveling in avalanche terrain. This one-day field and touring-based course focuses on strategies to help prime your brain for the coming season. We will review and apply skills students learned or missed in their Level 1 course and put the wheels in motion while on a ski tour.
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All Backcountry Pros instructors work as professional ski guides and consequently we focus heavily on 'real world application.'
Topics Include:
-Companion rescue review
-Early season stability forecasting
-Snow pit review and application
-Selecting appropriate terrain for the conditions
-Review of avalanche terrain
-Review of safe travel techniques
-Group management
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Prerequisites:
Advanced ski or snowboarding ability
Good fitness - Ability to skin a minimum of 2000' at a moderate pace
Avalanche I Certification
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Course includes Zoom based evening session at 7pm day prior to the posted field day date
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Available: 12/27, 1/8, 1/15
Trip Duration: 9+hrs
Minimum Group Size: 1
Student/Instructor Ratio: 5:1
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This course is also available on a private basis at Private Day Guiding rates.
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Rates:
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$200pp
Advanced Backcountry Skiing Mentorship (Mixed Group-Set Dates)
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We put you in the hot seat while touring and provide critical feedback to help you refine your skills! Our focus is to help you be more efficient while touring and make better decisions on bigger objectives. This is a limited ratio course (3:1) to help facilitate travel and maintain a realistic nature of the touring party size.
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Topics Include:
-Planning challenging yet realistic objectives based on conditions
-Skinning/route finding in advanced terrain
-Efficient track setting
-Terrain management with a group on uphill
-Terrain management with a group on downhill
-Time management
-Evolving your avalanche forecast based on observed conditions
-Backcountry preparedness
-Improvised rescue and evacuation
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Prerequisites:
Advanced ski or snowboarding ability
Ability to skin a minimum of 3000' at a moderate pace
Avalanche I certification
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Course includes Zoom based evening session at 7pm day prior to the posted field day date
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Available:
12/18, 1/22, 2/11, 3/11, 4/16
Trip Duration: 9+hrs
Minimum Group Size: 1
Student/Instructor Ratio: 3:1
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Rates:
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$250pp
Private Backcountry Skiing Mentorship
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Learning the ways of the mountains takes a lot of time and getting out with a professional in a mentorship role can help you learn more efficiently, reducing the overall learning curve. Our working guides can help foster the growth of both the hard physical skills of touring as well as soft skills like decision making and forecasting. The ability to get direct feedback in an environment that can otherwise be fairly nebulous to interpret is invaluable to the learning process. As backcountry travelers, we don't alway know whether our process' and decisions were sound or smart at the end of the day but we can help keep you honest and increase your odds of success moving forward.
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Mentorship Options:
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-Planning and forecasting
-Hazard interpretation in the field
-Setting and executing realistic objectives
-Terrain management on uphill
-Terrain management on downhill
-Group management
-Skinning technique
-Time management
-Nutrition
-Steep skiing technique
-Powder skiing technique
-Technical ski mountaineering techniques
-Self rescue
-Improvised evacuation
-Training
-Setting appropriate goals
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Please contact us for a custom program! We will put you in the hot seat!
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Available: April - November
Trip Duration: 3 days
Group Size: 1-4
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Rates:
Private Group Size
1 2 3 4
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$1400 $750pp $625pp $525pp
