Companion Rescue Course

$155.00 / person

(at 8:1 ratio) Next Trip: Mar 3, 2024 (day trip)

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• TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY
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Companions being fast and effective in avalanche rescue will make all the difference to a buried person's chance of survival in an avalanche. As a backcountry traveller just imagine being involved in a rescue and having to live with the thought afterwards of wishing you had practiced more.

Join us for a focused day of scenario based practice under the tutelage of an avalanche rescue expert to take your rescue skills to the next level. Enacting scenarios one after another with detailed debriefs will help you to hone in on the stuff that really makes a difference in an effective rescue. Do this course for your touring partners and yourself!

Wilderness Navigation 1

$210.00 / person

(at 6:1 ratio)

• STRENUOUSNESS
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• TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY
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Wilderness Navigation 1 is a one-day introduction to using and understanding topographic maps and compasses. This course provides fundamental skills that anyone who explores outdoors should have.

Wilderness Navigation 2

$210.00 / person

(at 6:1 ratio) Next Trip: Jun 9, 2024 (day trip)

• STRENUOUSNESS
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• TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY
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Building on the foundational map and compass skills learned in the level 1 course, the level 2 course includes resection (triangulation) techniques to find your location for when you have lost your way, using backstops, handrails, catch features, dead reconning, traveling around obstacles and whiteout navigation. The use of these techniques as well as others previously taught will increase your capacity to navigate in various terrain and weather conditions confidently.

Wilderness Navigation - GPS

$260.00 / person

(at 6:1 ratio)

• STRENUOUSNESS
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• TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY
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Building on fundamental map and compass skills learned in Wilderness Navigation 1, this course focuses on the constantly evolving Global Positioning technologies found in modern smart phones, tablets, and GPS devices. The skills gained on this course can greatly enhance the wilderness navigation experience and pre-trip planning practices.

Wilderness Survival

$425.00 / person

(at 6:1 ratio)

• STRENUOUSNESS
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• TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY
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Over two days, we will cover and practice the essential survival skills for backcountry users travelling in south-west British Columbia. These Wilderness Survival training Courses are experiential including participants building improvised shelters to spend the night in. After completion of the course, participants will be equipped to handle many common survival situations.

Wilderness Navigation and Survival Training

$860.00 / person

(at 4:1 ratio)

• STRENUOUSNESS
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• TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY
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A four day Wilderness and Survival Training course. Days 1 and 2 (day trips) will cover Wilderness Navigation and Wilderness Survival skills respectively. After a short course break (one week minimum), participants will return for a course review and an overnight Wilderness Survival scenario for Days 3 and 4.

Online - Intro to Weather Forecasting

$40.00 / person

(at 30:1 ratio)

• STRENUOUSNESS
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• TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY
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It's All About the Weather! Everything we do in the outdoors relies more on one variable than any other: THE WEATHER.

Join meteorologist Matt Macdonald for a short training that will significantly up your weather game. In two, one hour, online sessions separated by a week for you to practice in between them, Matt will teach you a forecasting process that will improve your weather predicting capabilities many fold.

Intro to Winter Travel - Snowshoe

$425.00 / person

(at 6:1 ratio)

• STRENUOUSNESS
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• TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY
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Looking to get into the mountains this winter? This two-day backcountry tour with one night of winter camping will get you started with the basics of gear choice, trip planning, winter camping, movement through mountain terrain in winter, avalanche awareness, map and terrain skills, and more. This course will help you take that first step into the winter backcountry.

AST1 Washington - for Snowshoers

$315.00 / person

(at 8:1 ratio)

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• TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY
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Looking to explore the backcountry this winter? Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST1) is an introductory course geared towards recreationalists with little to no experience in avalanche terrain. It’s also suitable for those with some experience who are looking for more formalized training. AST1 is recommended for anyone venturing into avalanche terrain. Our snowshoe specific AST1 is for those who are not skiers or snowboarders or whose riding skills are not yet up to the standard required for our ski/board AST1.

AST1 Washington - For Families

$315.00 / person

(at 8:1 ratio)

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An Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST1) course offered specifically for parents with their youth who share backcountry adventures together, want to speak the same language, and are serious about safety.

Learning the core skills of avalanche awareness alongside your youth offers the opportunity to develop and share risk assessment conversations together and continues the foundation for future learning opportunities together.

All youth under the age of 19 on this course must be accompanied by their legal guardian. All participants on course must meet the course prerequisites to participate. Please read through the "AST1 requirements" tab on the course page or be in touch with any questions.

Intro to Backpacking

$640.00 / person

(at 6:1 ratio)

• STRENUOUSNESS
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This course was designed for beginner- to intermediate-level hikers looking to advance their confidence and competency in the mountains. Over the course of three days, participants will hone their ability to plan, prepare and pursue future adventures ranging from alpine day trips to multi-week expeditions. Along the way, we’ll explore the iconic alpine of Vancouver Island, learning as we go and hiking a peak or two along the way.

Women's Backcountry Skills

$640.00 / person

(at 6:1 ratio)

• STRENUOUSNESS
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• TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY
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This course was designed by women for women. Suitable for beginner- to intermediate-level hikers, we will explore an iconic Vancouver Island summit while advancing confidence and competency in backcountry skills. Participants will hone their ability to plan, prepare and pursue future adventures ranging from alpine day trips to multi-week expeditions.