 
mountain adventures
MOUNTAINEERING IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES
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Mountaineering, Climbing, and Skiing In The Canadian RockiesWinter Mountaineering SemesterThis condensed, high end semester program has been designed for those who cannot take three months off for a regular semester. It focuses on the skills required of the winter mountaineer ... ice and mixed climbing, advanced avalanche training, back country skiing at a fly-in ski lodge and glacier ski mountaineering. Semester Details
Printer friendly program details (PDF version) Dates & Prices2007: February 15 - March 17 ... $7,500 CDN, cancellation insurance $477 Price includes instruction, technical gear, group camping gear, most meals, Canmore lodge accommodation, back country ski lodge accommodation, alpine hut fees, local transportation including helicopter to ski lodge, park passes. GST is extra (this is a federal sales tax, for residents of Canada it is 6%, for non-residents it is 3%). View cancellation insurance details
Program Objectives
To train you to become an independent and fully self sufficient winter mountaineer. To develop your all round competence to an advanced intermediate level across the spectrum of winter mountaineering skills. This in tandem with the development of individual and group leadership skills.
Instructor Ratios
Course LocationThe course is based in Canmore, Alberta in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains just minutes from Banff National Park. Section locations will vary according to conditions. Expect to be on skis in Banff National Park and in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia. Ice and mixed climbing tends to happen along the famous Banff-Jasper Parkway leading up to the Columbia Icefields.
CurriculumIce Climbing: Students commonly climb grade 5 ice. Mixed Climbing: M4 and above, 'dry tooling', advanced movement techniques. Avalanche Safety Training: Canadian Avalanche Assn. 'Advanced Recreational Avalanche Course' certificate. Backcountry Skiing: In Banff National Park and in the Esplanade Range of British Columbia's Selkirk Mountains. Develop winter route finding and hazard assessment. Ski (or board) great powder! Winter camping skills.
Ski Mountaineering: Combine ski skills with mountaineering on the Wapta Icefields. Mountain Navigation: Route finding in whiteouts using compass and GPS. Trip Logistics: Planning, menus, gear, safety, emergency response. ClimateWe are in a continental or inland climate that varies greatly in temperatures and weather. Winter weather in the Rockies ranges from mild (as high as 0C to extremely cold reaching -30C on rare occasions. Just a little to the west in the Esplanades, temperatures can be a little warmer and moister conditions prevail giving a much deeper snowpack. AgendaDay 1: Welcome, Introductions, Dinner , Course Agenda and Goals, Prepare ski gear. Introduction to Back Country Skiing (Boarding)Day 2: Avalanche Awareness and prep Ski Tour. You need to get a grip on avalanche knowledge right at the beginning of the program as you'll be able to apply this knowledge throughout the rest of the program. This is held in the Yamnuska classroom covering avalanche theory, route finding, stability assessment and rescue techniques. Following this you will spend the rest of the day putting group gear in order and planning for a 3-day ski tour.
During the ski (or should we also say 'boarding') sections we work with telemark, alpine touring gear and snowboards. We suggest you use Alpine Touring gear and not use telemark gear unless you are already an expert skier in powder and crud conditions (on alpine or telemark gear). Split snow boards are an alternative for experienced boarders. It is on this section that you will first learn the
skills of outdoor living and traveling in winter. This will be done on
skis, though mainly on easy terrain. You will learn winter camping and
shelter building skills, travel techniques, navigation, 'Leave No Trace' environmental
ethics, the basics of avalanche awareness and review simple ski and board
skills (telemark or alpine touring skis or split board).
Day 6: Day off in Canmore Ice Climbing & Mixed ClimbingThis section is broken into 2 segments, both to be based from a hostel on the Banff-Jasper Parkway. There is a huge variety of climbing areas, suitable for all abilities, within easy driving distance. Ice climbing starts with the five-day Ice Evolution program and continues later in the semester with a three-day advanced section. Day 7 - 11: Ice Evolution
Day 12: Day off in Canmore
Advanced Avalanche Safety, Backcountry Skiing (Boarding)Day 13 - 17: 5-day fly-in trip We drive to the Golden Alpine Holidays helicopter staging area near Golden B.C. and fly to one of their ski lodges in the Esplanade Range. This is the first time on a Semester that we will be running a section from a helicopter accessed ski lodge. The lodge is near treeline and is surrounded by a vast area of alpine bowls, glades and gullies. The powder skiing there is world-famous. Whilst this segment is primarily focused on avalanche awareness and route finding skills there will be ample opportunity to enjoy, often fantastic powder skiing. We look at practical application of recognizing, evaluating and avoiding avalanche hazard. Integral to this component are route finding and track setting skills. At the end of this segment you will have completed the fieldwork necessary to qualify for the CAA Advanced Recreational Avalanche Certificate.
Day 18 - 19: Two days off in Canmore Day 20 - 22: Advanced Ice Climbing, Mixed Climbing.
Mixed Climbing, the latest climbing wave ... combining rock and ice skills is an integral part of the program. In no time at all you will find yourself high up on a frozen thread of ice looking out at some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world. Day 23: Morning off in Canmore, prep ski mountaineering in afternoon.
Glacier Ski Mountaineering
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The instructor ratio (number of
students per instructor) has a very large impact on the quality of the
program. Ratios are selected based upon the difficulty and hazard
associated with the teaching terrain. On most sections the maximum ratio is 1:6
which is fine for single pitch ice climbing, ski mountaineering and
avalanche safety training. Because the maximum group size is 8 it is
likely that the ratio will often be 1:4. As
the program progresses students will lead more and more and instructors
will often be relegated to an advisory and coaching role. On multi-pitch
climbs the ratio will be as low as 1:2.
Ice Evolution mirrors development of the sport of ice
climbing. You will learn to use modern curved tools properly. With
instruction and coaching your movement skills will quickly improve
enabling you to climb steeper and steeper ice. You'll also
experience the excitement of climbing classic multi-pitch routes.
Ultimately you will finish where the sport is now ... mixed climbing
on rock and ice, using 'leashless' tools.
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Again
we head up the Banff-Jasper
Parkway to some of Canada's most famous frozen waterfalls.
This will be an intensive three days of advanced training where the pace is stepped up
according to individual abilities. To intensify the training and to better
accommodate individual abilities and learning progressions we will offer
days with a
1:2 instructor ratio to allow for more
multi-pitch climbs. 
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Yamnuska Mountain
Adventures
