Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST1) Course
Student to Guide Ratio — 8:1
Schedule a date that suits you
Sat, Apr 02/22 - Sun, Apr 03/22 (2 days)
245 / Person
Canmore, AB
Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST1) teaches you how to recognize avalanche terrain and how to self rescue. It is designed for skiers, snowboarders, climbers, scramblers and snowshoers who want to travel in the backcountry around snow. This course is the beginning of your avalanche and snowpack education. To be a safe backcountry user, it is important to gain and master these skills. PeakSTRATAGEM is an approved avalanche skills training course provider for Avalanche Canada.
Expect to Learn
At PeakSTRATAGEM our mission is to teach you the skills to be competent, confident and independent in the backcountry. Our detailed curriculums break down complex skill sets into individual building blocks for progressive learning. After learning the building blocks, you will practice the skill sets with your course team while being coached by our guides.
PeakSTRATAGEM’s standard Avalanche Skills Training 1 consists of a classroom day and a field day. During the classroom day, we introduce the theory behind the snowpack, terrain and conditions that create avalanches, concepts for route planning and safe travel, public resources, and personal protective equipment for travelling in avalanche terrain.
Aim:
Develop snowpack, terrain and weather awareness to make informed decisions about travelling safely in avalanche terrain.
Objectives:
Confident identifying avalanche terrain and using the avalanche terrain exposure scale (ATES).
Confident using companion rescue equipment.
Comfortable identifying inputs that cause avalanches.
Comfortable interpreting the public avalanche bulletin.
Comfortable using the Avaluator 2.0 as a decision making tool.
Understand how to conduct terrain analysis using Google Earth and route photos.
Understand Peak Planning ProcedureTM and debriefing.
Understand identifying and locating persistent weak layers in snowpack structure.
Understand how the inputs that cause avalanches change the snowpack throughout the season.
Prerequisites:
Comfortable skiing/snowboarding intermediate(blue) terrain at a ski resort if participating on skis / splitboard.
No prerequisites for participation on snowshoes.
AST1 is a prerequisite for AST2.
*Prerequisites are recommended for an optimum learning opportunity.
If you have questions about how your experience relates to the prerequisites,
please contact us at info@peakstratagem.com
Gear List:
Personal Clothing and Equipment
PeakSTRATAGEM recommends the following clothing:
Fleece/Wool Hat (that can be worn under a helmet)
Buff – optional (for cold and/or sun protection)
Synthetic/Wool Baselayer Shirt (like Icebreaker Oasis) Synthetic/Wool Midlayer Hoody (like BD Factor)
Synthetic/Wool Baselayer Pant (like Icebreaker Oasis)
Synthetic/Wool Socks (like Icebreaker Hike+ or Ski+ OTC)
Softshell Jacket (like BD Dawn Patrol) and Hardshell Jacket weather (like BD Recon)
Hardshell Pants (like BD Recon)
Light Insulated Jacket (like BD First Light)
Medium or Heavy Insulated Jacket (like BD Belay) Insulated Pants – optional (like BD Stance)
Light Gloves (like BD Tour) Medium Gloves (like BD Glissade)
Heavy Gloves or Mitts (like BD Guide or Mercury)
The following resource material will be provided by PeakSTRATAGEM
Avalanche Skills Training Handbook, Floyer/Robine
Avaluator 2.0
The following personal backcountry gear is required:
Daypack 35-45L (recommend BD Mission 35)*
Helmet (if skiing/splitboarding)
Skis/splitboard w touring bindings (like G3 Ions), touring boots, poles, skins, ski strap or snowshoes, poles**
or Snowshoes w winter boots
Tranceiver w fresh batteries, Shovel, Probe**
Fieldbook and pen or pencil (recommend RiteintheRain Levels no 311, YE99, 93B, PeakSTRATAGEM cover)*
Optional: Snowscreen
Optional: Thermometer (recommend Weksler Armoured Thermometer)
Optional: Saw (recommend Stihl 33cm pruning saw)
Sunglasses, Goggles, Sunscreen, Thermos or Water Bottle w insulated sleeve
Headlamp, Small first aid kit with blister kit
Lunch, snacks, fluids for an 8h day.
Optional: Camera, GPS and/or Smartphone, inReach
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Gear List:
PeakSTRATAGEM AST1 Course Details for 202204022-03
