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With its crown of snow-capped peaks towering majestically above a host of surreally colored glacial lakes, Canada’s first and most visited national park is a veritable feast for the eyes. But in addition to its tourist splendor, Banff is also a scene of pilgrimage for outdoor lovers who flock year-round to revel in the park’s wealth of first-class sporting opportunities. Come snowfall, the peaks and hills transform into a skier’s playground, and the area’s wintertime conditions become perfect for avalanche education. This AST Level 1 course in Banff National Park is designed to teach backcountry travelers how to obtain current information about avalanches, understand snowpack dynamics, and safely navigate the unpredictable terrain. With an expert guide by your side, this is the perfect learning environment. And if you’re lucky, you might even witness the winter night sky stunningly illuminated by the Northern Lights.
Banff National Park is one of Canada’s most prized natural jewels
Excellent snow conditions and breathtaking scenery
The perfect combination of classroom and hands-on experience
This introductory avalanche safety course will help you understand the perils of the backcountry and prepare you for any challenges you might face during your travels through the snowy wilderness. Learn avalanche safety theory from your seasoned and certified instructors in a safe online environment, then spend the following day putting your newfound knowledge to use in the field.
Field days will be held at the Bow Summit or Vermillion Pass.
The course starts off with an online Zoom classroom section, during which you will cover topics such as:
On the following day, you’ll get the chance to apply your newfound knowledge in the field. Head to Bow Summit or Vermillion Pass with your guides and get ready for an outing full of excitement. Learn all about:
Classes are held over two days, either during the week (Tuesday-Wednesday) or over the weekend (Saturday-Sunday). Due to conditions, the field day location may change. Any changes will be discussed during the online class.
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, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Banff, Alberta, please refer to Alberta’s official COVID-19 info 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 adventure:
What’s not included:
In order to get the most of this adventure, you need to have a moderate level of fitness. You will be on your feet for a full day. You will need to manage controlled descents in variable conditions. All participants should feel comfortable on challenging blue or black level resort runs and be able to carry a loaded daypack while skinning up variable degrees of terrain.
Prerequisites:
You don’t need to be an advanced skier or boarder, but you do need to be able to ascend moderate slopes using skins. All participants should be comfortable traveling in snow while carrying touring gear. There are no other prerequisites.
For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring:
For personal items, we recommend bringing:
All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. The following can be rented:
Ski rental locations can be found in Canmore and Banff 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:
Min. age requirements:
If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
To get to Banff, most people fly into Calgary International Airport less than 2 hours away. From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle. It takes another hour to reach Bow Summit and about 30 minutes to reach Vermillion Pass.
Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet, whether that’s at the guide shop or a predetermined location. From there, you’ll head to your tour. The field day will be held in Vermillion Pass or Bow Summit depending on the conditions.
Deposits
You can secure one of the set dates with a 30% deposit upon booking. The remaining 70% of the trip price is to be paid 90 days prior to departure, at the latest.
Secure your early bird spot with a 10% deposit! This tour gets sold out very quickly, but with early-bird booking, you will be the first one to know about any new upcoming dates. Pick your preferred dates without the risk of your bucket list adventure selling out!
Cancellations
Booking fees are non-refundable in all cases. During checkout, however, you can choose one of 57hours’ flexibility options:
Basic
Flexible
Super Flexible
It is highly recommended to purchase medical insurance (if applicable) and traveler’s trip interruption insurance to cover travel costs and trip costs in the event you have to cancel your trip due to personal illness or injury, family emergency or other personal conflicts.