All participants must complete the waiver acknowledgement before making a booking.
Take your AST 2 skills to the next level with four days of immersive, hut-based instruction at the McDermott Hut. Developed by Avalanche Canada, the AST 2 curriculum builds on the skills learned in AST 1 and focuses on developing your ability to plan, assess, and manage your own backcountry trips.
The course begins with self-directed online learning, followed by an evening session in Fernie to prepare for the hut trip. You’ll then spend four days and three nights at the McDermott Hut, where you’ll receive hands-on coaching from an ACMG Ski Guide.
Throughout the course, you’ll practise trip planning, navigation, terrain assessment, track setting, avalanche and snowpack observations, companion rescue, and group decision-making. You’ll progressively take on more responsibility for planning and leading the group’s travel, while receiving feedback and coaching from your instructor.
The goal is to develop a repeatable decision-making process that you can apply to your own backcountry objectives. By the end of the course, you’ll have greater confidence assessing conditions, choosing appropriate terrain, managing risk, and making informed decisions throughout a day in the mountains.
The AST 2 is intended for participants who have completed AST 1 and have practical backcountry experience. This is not a beginner ski-touring course.
