The ACC Edmonton Ski Mountaineering Program (SMP) is designed to supplement club trips to progress in the area of ski mountaineering.
Participants have a choice of three levels of courses: intro, intermediate, and advanced. These courses are not intended to be taken all in one year – a participant could take the intro course one year, intermediate the next, and then spend a few seasons building experience before moving onto advanced.
Venues include many popular ski mountaineering areas in the Canadian Rockies (or Columbias), such as the Wapta Icefield, the Icefields Parkway, the Columbia Icefield, and Rogers Pass.
All courses are taught by ACMG/IFMGA guides to ensure participant safety and high-quality instruction.
Please contact Jeremy Cherlet at jeremy@jeremycherlet.com for more information about the program, or to register in courses.
INTRO TO SKI MOUNTAINEERING
If you have never been skiing on a glacier or have not had formal glacier/crevasse rescue training (summer), this is the course for you. Over a 3 day period you will learn ropework, the basics of route-planning and navigation, as well as ascend some easy peaks.
Requirements: AST 1, prior ski touring experience, able to ski blue runs confidently in variable snow
Dates: February 15 – 17, 2020 (FULL), February 29 – March 2, 2020 (FULL)
Location: Bow Hut, Wapta Icefield
Price: $450 (includes guiding, accommodation)
INTERMEDIATE SKI MOUNTAINEERING (I & 2)
This course will take you from participating in basic ski mountaineering trips to feeling more confident in larger terrain, being at the front of a group, and a variety of conditions. Participants need to have AST 1 and prior experience ski mountaineering.
Part 1, at Peyto Hut in March, will focus on glacier travel, group decision making, condition assessment, and techniques for more technical peaks.
Part 2 takes place in the late season on the Columbia Icefields, and will focus on larger peaks, snow camping, and early starts.
Participants are strongly encouraged to combine this course with AST2.
Requirements: AST 1, prior ski-mountaineering experience, able to ski black runs confidently in variable snow
Intermediate Ski Mountaineering I (Spots Available)
Dates: March 5 – 8, 2020
Location: Peyto Hut
Cost: $750 (includes 4 days guiding, breakfasts, dinners at hut, hostel before trip)
Intermediate Ski Mountaineering II (FULL)
Dates: May 8 – 11 , 2020
Location: Columbia Icefield
Cost: $650 (includes 4 days guiding, breakfasts, dinners in camp, use of stoves, fuel, cooking tents, hostel before trip)
These courses may be taken independently of each other.
ADVANCED SKI MOUNTAINEERING
You are confident on steeper terrain on both ascent and descent, have the fitness for 12h, 2,000m days, are used to snow camping as well as skiing with a heavier pack, and you would like to do some more adventurous skiing.
Taking place as either a traverse or a combination of hut trips, this course will focus on skiing in committing terrain. Venues could include the Columbia Icefields or the Lake Louise area.
Requirements: AST 2, prior experience winter camping, extensive ski-touring experience, able to ski double-black runs confidently in variable snow
Dates: April 29 – May 4, 2020
Locations: TBD upon group/guide choice
Cost: $1200
SKI MOUNTAINEERING COURSE CANCELLATION POLICY
If the course is cancelled by ACC Edmonton, or the guide we are working with, a 100% refund will be given.
Should the participant cancel their spot:
- If a suitable replacement is found, a full refund will be given
- If the spot is unable to be filled, a partial refund will be given. The amount will be determined by ACC Edmonton.
Please keep in mind that cancelling early means that it is easier for the spot to be filled and a refund given. Last minute cancellations (within a week of the course start) may not be possible to fill.