AST 2 – Golden / KHR

Details

Please complete the waiver acknowledgement before making a booking.

The AST 2 is a four-day avalanche education course developed by Avalanche Canada that builds on the skills and knowledge learned in the AST 1. The course combines one classroom day with three field days, with additional evening sessions to prepare for the following day’s objectives.

You’ll develop practical skills in trip planning, navigation, terrain selection, track setting, avalanche observations and decision-making, with coaching from an experienced professional instructor.

With a maximum of six participants, you’ll have plenty of opportunity for hands-on practice, questions and individual feedback.

Click Book Now to view the available course dates.

Please note: The date shown when booking is the first day of the four-day course.

Book Now

More Info

Prerequisites

The AST 2 builds on the skills and knowledge developed in the AST 1. You should be comfortable travelling in winter backcountry terrain and managing your own equipment for a full day in the mountains.

Before taking the AST 2, you should:

Have completed AST 1 or equivalent avalanche training and experience
Be able to ski tour approximately 800–1200 metres of elevation gain in a full day, depending on conditions and terrain
Be able to ski or ride off-piste terrain in a controlled manner
Be familiar with your touring equipment and able to independently transition between uphill and downhill modes
Be comfortable spending a full day travelling in winter mountain conditions and managing your own clothing, food, water and personal needs

Is the AST 2 right for you?

The AST 2 is a skills-development course, not an introduction to ski touring or snowboarding. The course puts greater emphasis on terrain selection, avalanche forecasting, route planning, observations and decision-making, so you should arrive comfortable managing your equipment and travelling in winter backcountry terrain.

You don't need extensive backcountry experience, but you should be able to focus on developing your avalanche skills rather than learning the fundamentals of touring.

Not sure if you're ready? Contact us before booking. We're happy to help you determine whether your experience is a good fit for the course.

All participants are required to sign a Mountain Addicts and RCR event waiver before participating.

Day 1 - Classroom

Time: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Golden Search & Rescue

This is a typical classroom day format (think desks, power points) and we cover a ton of content! We will discuss terrain travel at length and give you tools for progressive planning and avalanche terrain travel techniques. We will also build on the basics of seasonal snowpack structure that you learned in the AST 1 course.

In the afternoon the class will plan our next day's backcountry trip. We will make a travel plan, rescue plan, and assign gear.

There will be quick breaks throughout the day, and a 30 minute lunch break with options for purchasing lunch nearby.

Day 2 - Field Day

Time: 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Location: TBD

Our first day in the field is full! We will meet in the morning to review our trip plan and make any necessary changes. Participants will lead the avalanche hazard discussion, including weather observations, as well as a gear check.

Before heading out into avalanche terrain, we will review and practice avalanche companion rescue techniques, including multiple burials, close-proximity burials and deep burials.

A short ski tour will give everyone a chance to route find, make observations, track set, and lead discussions. The focus will be on map and compass use, GPS use, and general navigation. We will debrief the day which includes a hazard evaluation as a means of increasing our level of competency. The group will then begin planning the next day’s objective.

Day 3 - Field Day

Time: 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Location: TBD

We will spend the day ski touring in the backcountry with a focus on snowpack observations, which includes digging a snow-pit to look at the entire seasonal winter snowpack, snowpack tests to help us identify layers in the snowpack, as well as propagation potential of weak layers. Weather is also a big focus on our second day in the backcountry.

Day 4 - Field Session

Time: 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Location: TBD

Today we will put it all together and get out for a ski tour with an emphasis on skiing! We'll finish the course off with a group companion rescue scenario and course debrief.

What's Included

Your AST 2 course fee covers four days of professional instruction, course materials, and the resources you need to continue developing your avalanche skills beyond the course.

4 Days of professional instruction

Learn with an ACMG Ski Guide or CAA Avalanche Professional in a maximum group size of 6 participants. The small group size means more time for questions, discussion, feedback and hands-on practice throughout the course.

Over four days, you'll work on applying avalanche knowledge in real mountain environments, with a focus on terrain selection, trip planning, avalanche forecasting, observations and decision-making.

Course materials

Your course fee includes:

Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper
Decision Making in Avalanche Terrain waterproof field book
AST 2 course certificate

3 months of GRANITE — included free

Your course also includes a free 3-month subscription to GRANITE, maps for backcountry navigation. Use Granite before, during and after your course to build familiarity with the use of offline ready maps that include avalanche terrain layers for slope angle and aspect.

Everything listed above is included in your course fee. Lift tickets are extra and sold by Mountain Addicts at a discounted rate.

Equipment Lists

Required Items — Day 1 Classroom Session

Please bring the following with you for Day 1, the classroom session:

Lunch & snacks — There will be a lunch break and you can purchase food nearby.
Digital avalanche transceiver with fresh batteries — A 3-antenna digital transceiver is required. If you are unsure whether your transceiver meets this requirement, email us with the make and model before the course.
Paper, pen & pencil — You will be provided with a field book, but please bring something to write with, including a pencil for working through exercises.
Compass
Laptop — We recommend having Google Earth installed before arriving.
Smartphone — Please have a topographic mapping/GPS app installed. Once registered for the course you will receive a link for a 3 month subscription to Granite for free.

Before you arrive

Please make sure your batteries are fresh, your mapping applications are installed and your laptop and phone are charged. This will allow us to spend more time learning and less time troubleshooting equipment.

Required Equipment — Field Day

Day 2 takes us into the winter backcountry for a full day of practical learning. Please arrive with all required equipment ready to use.

Avalanche Safety Equipment

Digital avalanche transceiver — 3-antenna digital transceiver required. Please bring fresh batteries.
Avalanche shovel — collapsible with a metal blade
Avalanche probe

Travel Equipment

Choose the setup appropriate for your mode of travel:

Skiers

Alpine touring skis with touring bindings or telemark skis
Climbing skins — stick-on type
Ski boots appropriate for your setup
Ski poles

Splitboarders

Splitboard with splitboard skins
Splitboard boots appropriate for your setup
Ski poles are recommended for touring

Important: Everyone should practice transitioning between touring mode and riding mode before the field day. Efficient transitions will allow you to spend more time learning and less time troubleshooting your equipment.

Clothing & Personal Equipment

40–60 L backpack — large enough for extra clothing, lunch, avalanche equipment and your share of group gear
1–2 L of water in a thermos or bottle
Hydration packs are not recommended as the tube can freeze in cold conditions.
Lunch and snacks
Hot drink/tea
Sunglasses and/or ski goggles
Sunscreen
Compass
Pencil — you will be provided with a field book

Navigation

We highly recommend having a GPS/topographic mapping app installed on your phone before the field day. You will receive your link for a free 3 month subscription to the Granite maps app with registration.

Please arrive with your phone fully charged.

If you are unsure whether your equipment is appropriate for the course, contact us before the field day. We are happy to help you confirm that you have the right setup.

Clothing & Personal Comfort

A field day in avalanche terrain can involve long periods of standing still in very cold and changing weather conditions. Being cold is uncomfortable, distracting and can take away from your ability to learn.

Come prepared with more clothing than you think you’ll need. A versatile layering system allows you to adjust your clothing as your activity level and the weather change throughout the day.

Recommended Clothing

Base layers

Top and bottom
Wool or synthetic materials recommended
Avoid cotton — cotton holds moisture and loses its insulating ability when wet

Mid layers

Warm fleece, wool or synthetic layer
Bring layers of different weights so you can adjust throughout the day

Shell

Quality waterproof/windproof jacket
Waterproof or highly water-resistant ski pants
Ventilation zips on pants are strongly recommended

Insulation

Warm insulated jacket or vest — down or synthetic
This is one of the most important pieces of clothing for the AST 2. You’ll want a warm layer to put on during breaks, while stopping to discuss terrain, or when conditions become particularly cold.
Don’t be afraid to bring more insulation than you think you’ll need.

Hands

Two pairs of gloves or mitts
One pair for travelling and working in
A dry, warm pair to change into during breaks or when your first pair gets wet

Head & neck

Warm wool or fleece hat that covers your ears
Buff or neck gaiter for additional protection from wind and cold

Socks

Wool or synthetic
Avoid cotton

Helmet

Ski or snowboard helmet recommended

Optional Equipment

These items aren’t required, but can be useful:

Hand and toe warmers
Camera
Snow saw
Snow study kit

A good rule for the field: if you’re debating whether you need another warm layer, bring it. You can always leave an extra layer in your pack; you can’t add one you left at home.

our Instructors and Guides

The Mountain Addicts team is obsessed with safety. All of our guides are members of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG). The ACMG is the only internationally recognized professional association of trained and certified mountain guides and instructors in Canada. Our guides come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences and Mountain Addicts will find your perfect match.

AST 2 – Golden / KHR

Details

More Info

Prerequisites

Before taking the AST 2, you should:

Is the AST 2 right for you?

Day 1 - Classroom

Day 2 - Field Day

Day 3 - Field Day

Day 4 - Field Session

What's Included

4 Days of professional instruction

Course materials

3 months of GRANITE — included free

Equipment Lists

Required Items — Day 1 Classroom Session

Before you arrive

Required Equipment — Field Day

Avalanche Safety Equipment

Travel Equipment

Clothing & Personal Equipment

Navigation

Clothing & Personal Comfort

Recommended Clothing

Optional Equipment

our Instructors and Guides

You might also be interested in...

Ladies on Edge AST 2 – Fernie

AST 1 – Women’s Course Revelstoke Rogers Pass

Mountain Addicts x LOE Ladies Level Up Fernie

Are You Ready
To Book Your Place?

Wait!

Do you want to stay in-the-loop on all of our new services and course dates?

Join the newsletter and you won't miss out!

AST 2 – Golden / KHR

Details

More Info

Prerequisites

Before taking the AST 2, you should:

Is the AST 2 right for you?

Equipment Lists

Required Items — Day 1 Classroom Session

Before you arrive

Required Equipment — Field Day

Avalanche Safety Equipment

Travel Equipment

Clothing & Personal Equipment

Navigation

Clothing & Personal Comfort

Recommended Clothing

Optional Equipment

our Instructors and Guides

You might also be interested in...

Ladies on Edge AST 2 – Fernie

AST 1 – Women’s Course Revelstoke Rogers Pass

Mountain Addicts x LOE Ladies Level Up Fernie

Are You Ready To Book Your Place?

Wait!

Do you want to stay in-the-loop on all of our new services and course dates?Join the newsletter and you won't miss out!

Are You Ready
To Book Your Place?

Do you want to stay in-the-loop on all of our new services and course dates?

Join the newsletter and you won't miss out!