AST 2 McDermott Hut – Fernie

The AST 2 curriculum, developed by Avalanche Canada, will build on skills learned in the AST 1 course. This course includes self-directed online learning, followed by 4 days and 3 nights at the McDermott hut, where participants will receive coaching on trip planning, navigating, track setting, and more.

About the Course

All participants must complete the waiver acknowledgement before making a booking.

The AST 2 curriculum, developed by Avalanche Canada, will build on skills learned in the AST 1 course. This course includes self-directed online learning, an evening session (this is the first date of the course) followed by 4 days and 3 nights at the McDermott hut, where participants will receive coaching on trip planning, navigating, track setting, and more.

All participants will be required to read and agree to the terms and conditions of the waiver BEFORE making a booking, as well as sign a paper copy that will be provided during the evening session.

"AST 2 - Get your crew together and book it. Mel put together an awesome course! We got some great turns, had some laughs, and most importantly, we learned how we can be more safe in the backcountry. Will never forget this trip."
- Dan Elgie, AST 2 Participant

"McDermott hut was great, clean, and well equipped. The meals were great, I'm a big eater and I never felt like I went hungry. Good variety in snacks. It was nice having some greens in the taco night." - AST 2 Participant

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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.

Mel Makepeace

Ski Guide & Owner

Mel is the owner of Mountain Addicts, an ACMG Ski Guide and Professional Member of the Canadian Avalanche Association. She began her career as a ski patroller in 2008 and now travels the world ski touring and heli-ski guiding. Mel particularly loves facilitating mountain travel confidence in women.

Greg Inman

ACMG Ski Guide

Greg Inman grew up skiing on Poley Mountain in New Brunswick. After graduating from Acadia University with a degree in Recreation Management, Greg moved to Fernie to become a ski guide. With a background working as a heli-skiing guide in northern BC, and ski touring almost every range in BC, he now spends most of his time guiding at Island Lake Catskiing while raising a young family in Fernie.

Corin Lohmann

ACMG Ski Guide

Corin loves sharing the mountain experience and the connections that are made while learning and exploring in the backcountry. Since 2011, Corin has been guiding ski trips in the mountains of Western Canada. He lives in Fernie with his family and spends his summers running icewalks.com ; a glacier guiding business in Jasper National Park.

More Info

This course is for those practiced in backcountry travel, who have taken the AST 1, and are looking for feedback and coaching in their decision making process. You should have a good level of fitness and know how to use, and troubleshoot, your backcountry touring equipment.

All participants are required to sign a waiver.

Self-Directed Learning

Time: A couple of hours on your schedule
Location: You will receive a link in your booking confirmation email

This online training will review and build on concepts that you learned in the AST 1 course, including human factors that contribute to avalanche accidents, seasonal snowpack structure, and recognizing and classifying avalanche terrain.

Evening Before Hut Trip

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Location: 2nd Edition Coworking Fernie

The night before we leave for the McDermott Hut you will meet up with your instructor, as well as the other course participants. You will read and sign waivers after a risk presentation by your instructor. You will also bring along the items that you would like to have transported to the hut, such as your sleeping bag and extra clothes and food. Your guide will also review the trip plan for getting to the hut.

McDermott Hut Day 1 - Field Session

Meeting Time: 7:30 am

Location: 2nd Edition Coworking Fernie & The McDermott Hut

We will meet in Fernie in the morning to review our trip plan and make any necessary changes given the up-to-date weather and avalanche hazard forecast. Participants are responsible for transportation to the trail head at Tunnel Creek. Once at the trail head you will complete an avalanche safety briefing. The tour to the hut will give everyone a chance to make observations, track set, and lead the group. In the evening the guide will prepare dinner while the students complete a hazard evaluation of the day. After dinner, the group is responsible for planning the next day’s objective. For dessert, we get together and review all of the hard work and everyone will have the opportunity to contribute!

McDermott Hut Day 2 - Field Session

Meeting Time: 6:30 am
Location: McDermott Hut

First morning at the hut! We will wake up early to collect snow and weather information before completing our daily trip plan. We will go for a ski tour and build on the skills we learned yesterday. In the afternoon, you will also work on complex transceiver search skills including close proximity burials.

McDermott Hut Day 3 - Field Session

Meeting Time: 6:30 am
Location: McDermott Hut

On our second morning at the hut we will build on the routine of gathering information and analyzing weather data to help us make informed decisions about the terrain we will choose to travel through today. It's all about building habits. Your instructor will also give you tips for how to use this information when trip planning on your own in the future. Another day of track setting and skiing are in store for the afternoon, followed by at least 2 companion rescue scenarios.

McDermott Hut Day 4 - Field Session

Meeting Time: 6:30 am
Location: McDermott Hut

First Today is the last day and we won't waste any time diving into learning. Morning snow and weather information will once again be collected to help us decide which route we should take on our way back to our vehicles at Tunnel Creek. Once we get back to civilization we will have a course debrief, which includes a post to the Mountain Information Network.

4 days and 3 nights at the McDermott Hut
Instruction from an ACMG Ski Guide
Meals while at the hut; 3 breakfasts, appetizers each day, 3 dinners, and 3 desserts. You will need to bring your own lunches and snacks for eating in the field.
Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain textbook by Bruce Tremper
Decision Making in Avalanche Terrain waterproof field book
Course certificate

Equipment List

Required items: Please bring the following on Day 1, Classroom Session

Lunch & Snacks – there will be a lunch break and there is a Boston Pizza on site
Digital Avalanche Transceiver with Fresh Batteries: 3 Antenna type transceiver required, if you are unsure, send us an email indicating the make and model
Paper and pen AND PENCIL for notes (you will be provided with a field book)
Compass
Lap-top (google earth application recommended)
Smart-phone with topographic map/GPS app (GAIA recommended)

Required Items: Please bring the following on Day 2, Field Day

Water: thermos or flask 1-2L, hydration pack not recommended due to cold freezing the tube
Some additional snacks/treats/drinks to supplement provided lunch
Digital Avalanche Transceiver
Avalanche Shovel: collapsible & metal
Collapsible Avalanche Probe
Skis: ‘Alpine Touring with touring bindings’ or ‘Telemark’

Split Board: with split board skins. Please practice transitions from touring mode to riding mode at home before the field day.

Ski Poles: recommended for all modes of travel
Climbing Skins ‘Stick-on type’
Boots: appropriate for your mode of snow travel
Multi-Day Pack: large enough for spare clothes, lunches, shovel, probe, sleeping bag, and share of group gear (first aid kit, breakfast/dinner etc.). 40-60 litre size recommended
Compass
Sunglasses and/or Ski Goggles
Sunscreen
Headlamp
Sleeping Bag – the hut is very warm, so a 3 season bag will be fine
You will be provided with field book, but please bring pencils
It is HIGHLY recommended that you arrive with a GPS App installed on your phone. GAIA is preferred.

The Guides Hut in downtown Fernie have transceivers for rent as well as a limited supply of touring equipment.

During the field day there can be longer periods of inactivity in very cold temperatures. To maximize your learning experience, be sure to bring lots of extra clothing so that you can focus on the course and not the cold. Bring clothing of varying thicknesses that can be ‘layered’ to achieve comfort and versatility. Cotton clothing is not appropriate as it causes rapid heat loss when wet. You may have heard the expression “Cotton Kills”.

Below is a recommended clothing list:

Base Layers (top and bottom): Wool or synthetic materials preferred, such as Rab® Forge Leggings and Top
Water Resistant Jacket: A quality hardshell for staying dry when it’s dumping is an essential piece of ski touring kit. Our guide’s use the Rab® Khroma Kinetic Jacket.
Water Resistant Ski Pants: Waterproof pants help keep you warm in the powder. Pants with ventilation that you can open and close are ideal. Check out the Rab® Khroma Kinetic Pants.
Warm Mid-Layer Shirt, Sweater, or Fleece such as the Rab ® Alpha Flash Jacket.
Insulated Jacket or Vest: A feather down or Primaloft™ insulated jacket is essential for staying warm while taking breaks or when the weather gets really cold. Don’t be afraid to double down! The Mountain Addicts love the Rab ® Neutrino Pro Jacket.
Socks: wool or synthetic, no cotton. 1 pair for ski touring and 1 pair for the hut.
Wool or Fleece Hat that covers the ears.
Buff: great for protecting your face in cold and windy conditions. Mountain Addicts have buffs for sale.
2 Pair of Gloves: we always recommend ski touring with at least 2 pair of gloves. One pair for sweating in, and another pair for keeping your hands dry and warm. Check out these options: Rab ® Pivot GTX Glove and Rab ® Khroma Tour Infinium Gloves.
Ski Helmet: recommended for skiers and riders. We love Pret helmets!