AST Level 2 Course in Lake Louise and Rogers Pass

Top reasons to upgrade skills in the Canadian Rockies

Become a safer skier in some of the best backcountry in North America
Improve your skills in Lake Louise’s spectacular scenery and versatile terrain
Explore Rogers Pass, one of the snowiest places in Canada

The rugged mountainous terrain covered in light and fluffy powder and the stunningly scenic backdrop make the Canadian Rocky Mountains a must-visit for snow aficionados. The wilderness here is practically surreal—jagged mountain tops spiral and pierce the sky while glaciers plunge into endless valleys full of frozen rivers and lakes. And even in such idyllic nature, Lake Louise’s thousands of skiable acres and Roger Pass’ deep powder and long descents stand out as must-visit and must-ski locations. What’s more, the diversity and complexity of the terrain make it ideal for your next avalanche safety course. Take your avalanche safety skills to the next level and conquer a slope or two while you’re at it.

Season December through April	Nearest city Calgary is 2 hours away from Lake Louise
Duration 4 days	Skill level Intermediate to advanced

Book this adventure

Upgrade your avalanche safety skills in the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains! Spend at least one day in Rogers Pass and two days in the Lake Louise area, both excellent locations with various snowpack structures and terrain—crucial for advanced avalanche training. Learn about advanced avalanche safety protocols from professional ACMG/IFMGA and CAA-certified instructors. With an abundance of challenging and complex terrain, “The Pass” is guaranteed to keep even the most experienced backcountry adventurers engaged.

Learning outcomes

Day 1: Introduction

The first day of the course will be spent in the Guides Room at the Lake Louise Alpine Center, with parts of the class taking place outside. You’ll receive Avalanche Canada Curriculum and a professional field book for field notes and weather observations.

Days 2, 3, and 4: Hands-On Experience

Spend the following 3 days touring with a professional guide and learning everything serious enthusiasts need to know about avalanche safety. You will learn about:

- companion rescue
- deep burials and multiple burial scenarios
- triage and accident site management
- leading groups up and down in challenging and complex avalanche terrain
- risk tolerance and decision-making models
- snowpack analysis with a variety of online and on-site tools
- understanding online weather products and changing mountain weather.

Meet your guide

Alpine Air Adventures

You’re never on your own in the Banff wilderness because the experienced professionals from Alpine Air Adventures are here to guide you. While they know how to have a great time, they’re always mindful of advanced safety practices. They’re committed to showing each of their guests the best of the Rockies while protecting them every step of the way.

Reviews (3)

Connector40795863569 about Alpine Air Adventures on Tripadvisor

I Learnt heaps from Jeff, highly recommend doing the avalanche safety course, I can’t speak for any of the other courses, but I’m sure they have the same level of professionalism.

Sightseer about Alpine Air Adventures on Tripadvisor

Spent Sat and Sun touring with Jeff and a group of friends with the explicit goal of better developing our collective abilities in decision-making and terrain selection for avalanche safety. It was a very collaborative process in developing objectives for the weekend. Jeff had lots of knowledge to pass on and also let us take the lead in making decisions and coached us through the many considerations. We ended up doing some great tours, found some excellent snow conditions, and learned a lot in the process.

Monika3377 about Alpine Air Adventures on Tripadvisor

I’ve been sport rock, trad rock, ice climbing, crevasse coursing, and avalanche training through jeff for many years now. His knowledge of the Rockies is incredible and he brings a really light and fun atmosphere to a training environment every single time we are out. Jeff’s physical abilities and his “let’s do it” approach give me huge peace of mind. There is never anyone else I would want to contact first to head out on a mountain adventure with.

Things to know

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 Lake Louise and Rogers Pass, 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:

- An experienced, certified guide with extensive knowledge of the area
- 3 full days in the field
- day of mixed classroom and field education
- An Avalanche Canada Curriculum
- A Canadian Avalanche Association Professional Field Book

What’s not included:

- Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
- Accommodation
- Food and snacks

In order to get the most of this adventure, you need to have a high level of fitness. You will be on your feet for 3 intense long days. 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:
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.

For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring:

- Alpine touring skis, telemark skis or splitboard with skins (can be rented)
- Touring boots and poles (can be rented)
- Avalanche safety equipment (can be rented):
  - Digital, 3-antenna avalanche transceiver or beacon
  - Lightweight snow shovel
  - Avalanche probe

For personal items, we recommend bringing:

- Helmet
- Sunglasses and ski goggles
- Gloves and sun/snow hat
- Extra gloves/mitts
- Wind and waterproof shell jacket with hood (Gore-Tex recommended)
- Ski pants (Gore-Tex recommended)
- Down jacket or vest
- Synthetic or wool base layers, underwear, and socks
- One triple-action locking carabiner or two conventional locking carabiners
- Repair kit and Leatherman for your equipment (can be shared between several people)
- Water bottle and 1L of water
- Thermos with a warm beverage — optional
- Food you can eat on-the-go
- First-aid kit
- Sunscreen
- Daypack large enough to carry all items listed (around a 40L backpack)
- Camera — optional

All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:

- Avalanche safety pack, including backpack, beacon, shovel, and probe can be rented from your guide
- Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots and poles can be rented from the Lake Louise Ski Resort
- Splitboards can be rented from the Lake Louise Ski Resort

Ski rental locations are in Lake Louise 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:

- These courses are not private. For the group courses, the usual guest-to-guide ratio is 6:1.
- Cost is per person and it doesn’t decrease as the group grows.

Ski touring in Lake Louise & Rogers Pass can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:

- If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
- Minors may be permitted to join private tours on a case-by-case basis. If you plan to take this course with anyone under the age of 18, please contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

To get to Lake Louise, most people fly into Calgary International Airport 2 hours away. From there, you can rent a car or take a bus, shuttle, or private shuttle service to Lake Louise.

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 at the Lake Louise Alpine Centre or a predetermined location. From there, you’ll head to your tour. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ski ability of the group.

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