Canadian Avalanche Association
Avalanche Safety Training (AST) Courses

Keep checking back as we may be adding courses as the season goes on.

I provide Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA) approved Avalanche Safety Training (AST) Level 1 and Level 2 courses. I have been involved in the avalanche industry for over 20 years, working as an avalanche forecaster for ski areas, writing public avalanche bulletins for the CAA, guiding ski touring and heli-skiing and teaching avalanche courses. As an instructor on the CAA Industry Training Program, I have taught both professional Level 1 and Level 2 courses for over a decade. I structure my AST training on much of the same content of these professional level courses but eliminate many of the industry-specific aspects involved in that training. This gives us more time to concentrate on what the recreational skier and climber needs to know best, namely terrain evaluation and decision-making.

I work with several talented, knowledgeable instructors and by joining one of my avalanche courses you know your instructor is experienced in both the avalanche industry and in teaching avalanche safety decision making. I make the materials I have gathered in 20 years of avalanche work available to each instructor on every one of my courses.

Avalanche Safety Training Level 1 (2 days)

This course is two days long and is a basic introduction of how the weather, snowpack and terrain interact with each other to create avalanches. The student will leave this training session with an understanding of how to interpret public avalanche bulletins, will be able to make simple but relevent observations in the field and have the skills to differentiate between safe terrain and terrain that is subject to avalanches. Decision making is aided with the Avaluator tool, a simple card that takes the student through a step-by-step decision-making process.

Textbook, Avaluator and certificate of completion is included with the course fee.

Dates: There are no scheduled courses this year but contact me about a course for yourself or your group.

Price: Approximately $175 per person for a group of 8. This price includes instruction, meeting room, textbook, Avaluator decision making tool and CAA certificate of completion. 5% GST is extra.

Avalanche Safety Training Level 2 (4 days)

An AST 2 will give you what you need for safe winter travel in the mountains. You will learn about terrain, snowpack, weather, human decision-making and how they all interact together to cause avalanches. This course is very similar in content to the professional level CAA Level 1 course. The difference is that on the AST 2 we concentrate on where the recreational backcountry user needs the most training: terrain and decision-making. We don't spend a lot of time analyzing snow (although we spend time on that too), but we do spend a lot of time learning the safest routes to travel through the hills, and deciding when the time is right to step further out and ski those appealing lines you have your eye on.

Dates: December 19-20 and January 2-3 (one course, four days total).

Location: Lake Louise and Rogers Pass.

Price: $495 plus 5% GST. Includes all instruction and instructor expenses, meeting room, textbook and CAA certificate of completion. It does not include your accommodation or food.

Contact me about a custom course for yourself or your group. Approximately $330 per person for a group of 8. This price includes instruction, meeting room, textbook and CAA certificate of completion. 5% GST is extra.

Avalanche Terrain and Decision Making Update

For those of you who have taken an avalanche course in the past, or who have some backcountry travel experience, join us on this one day update on travel in avalanche terrain and decision making, including the latest research on the subject.

Dates: There are no scheduled courses this year but contact me about a course for yourself or your group.