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Get ready for heli-accessed snowy wonders at the Ymir Lodge! This all-inclusive Level 2 Avalanche Education Course is designed for backcountry skiers, riders and winter alpinists who often come into contact with avalanche terrain. Learn how to lead a small travel group and develop a travel plan without adequate resources. Apart from helping experienced backcountry adventurers gain new skills necessary to make decisions in complicated situations, this course will give you ample time to ride the powder-laden slopes around the Kootenays. Located at 6,250 ft, Ymir Lodge offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains covered by the perfect combo of fluffy Rockies powder and Coastal snow. Enjoy wonderful food, experience the magic of lodge-based backcountry touring and find out why Ymir Lodge is the perfect classroom!
Practical education in the Kootenay powder sections
Immersive avalanche course combined with the luxuries of a lodge
Located at 6,250 ft, the lodge offers stunning views of the surrounding Kootenays
57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re travelling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Nelson, BC, please refer to the Province of British Columbia website.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
What you get in this all-inclusive adventure:
What’s not included:
In order to enjoy this backcountry adventure, you need to have an excellent level of fitness. You will be on your feet for a full day. While there is terrain for all skill levels, this course is for intermediate to advanced skiers only. You will need to manage controlled descents in variable conditions. All participants should feel comfortable on challenging black level resort runs and be able to carry a loaded daypack while skinning up variable degrees of terrain.
This course is not for fist-time backcountry skiers. You should have several seasons of touring experience, have completed a level 1 avalanche course, and have strong fitness/movement skills. Participants must have the ability to travel in avalanche terrain. An AST 1 Course (strongly recommended) or equivalent Level 1 training is required. A winter of practical experience after the Level 1 course is highly recommended before taking the AST 2 course. AST or AAA-approved one-day Avalanche Rescue Course.
For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring:
For personal items, we recommend bringing:
Your guide recommends bringing the following resource materials that you should have received on your AST1 course: Avalanche Skills Training Handbook, Floyer/Robine, Avaluator 2.0
All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:
Ski rental locations are in Nelson, BC, and should be picked up the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.
Group sizes and pricing:
Courses at Ymir Lodge and around Nelson, BC can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
A 30% deposit to secure your place is due upon booking. The remaining amount is paid 60 days prior to departure. For bookings within 30 days of the departure, full payment is required.
Once the trip is confirmed by the guide, the cancellation policy stated below applies.
For this adventure, your guides cannot refund trip payments, including deposits, as they are committed to expensive bookings like helicopters, lodges, and vehicle transfers. We strongly recommend trip insurance for these bookings.
To get to Ymir Lodge, you can drive from Calgary (about six hours) or Vancouver (about eight hours), but most people fly into Spokane International Airport, WA. From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle service. Drive time is approximately three hours with a border crossing.
You will meet your guides at the staging area at Kootenay Valley Helicopters in Nelson, BC (KVH 250-505-2150) and from there take a helicopter ride to the Ymir Lodge.