On the off-chance that you haven’t heard of Whistler and its magnificent surrounding area, it is an absolute treat for any skiing enthusiast. With its breathtaking scenery, expansive landscapes and easily accessible terrain for all skill levels, it almost seems that the Whistler region was made to be skied on. The fact that Whistler hosted quite a few alpine events during the 2010 Winter Olympics is just another feather in the cap to its already established reputation as a top-notch skiing destination with incredible alpine terrain. This is exactly why this area is ideal if you wish to broaden your already-existing avalanche safety skills and be prepared for any perils the backcountry throws your way. Join an expert guide and learn how to stay safe in the backcountry over four days on the spectacular snowy slopes. Find out more about why Whistler is one of the best places for backcountry skiing in Canada from Greg Hill, ACMG Ski Guide extraordinaire.
Build on the foundations of your AST 1 Course in ideal avalanche terrain
A perfect mix of classroom theory and field components in Whistler’s true backcountry
Learn to mitigate avalanche hazards while soaking in expansive icy landscapes
During four consecutive days you’ll learn how to identify and mitigate the avalanche and mountain hazards that may occur while in the backcountry. Learn a whole host of things regarding snowpack assessment, terrain management and rescue skills, as well as how to formulate a safety plan for backcountry skiing and much more.
Your certified instructor and guide will help you with the theoretical part on Day 1 and you will apply this newfound knowledge in true backcountry over the following 3 days.
The classroom portion begins at 9:00 am and ends at 5:00 pm. The guide will review everything you’ve already covered in your AST 1 course before starting on the course theory. The day ends with a debrief, as well as homework, some handouts and a resources list. The topics you’ll cover during the course are:
The classroom allows all students to maintain the required 2m physical distancing guidelines and cleaning is performed before and after every meeting room use, as well as during every break.
The second day will be spent in Whistler and you’ll get to put the newly-acquired knowledge to use. You and your guide will discuss overnight changes in weather and conditions as well as the effect on the day’s plan. You’ll also develop a daily safety strategy and cover the following:
You’ll spend the third day in the Whistler area as well and will continue to practice new skills. You’ll cover these topics:
On this third day in the field, you will get a recap of lessons from previous two days and you’ll cover the following topics:
Find out how to recognize the unforeseen pitfalls that you may chance upon during your backcountry travel and learn how to react if things go south! It consists of one classroom day and 3 days of extensive outdoor field sessions in Whistler where your expert guide will show you all you need to know about terrain management and mitigating risk.
The course is held over 2 consecutive weekends and consists of a classroom day, after which Day 2 will be spent in true backcountry on the following day, while days 3 and 4 are held over the following weekend, also in Whistler’s backcountry.
The classroom portion begins at 9:00 am and ends at 5:00 pm. The guide will review everything you’ve already covered in your AST 1 course before starting on the course theory. The day ends with a debrief, as well as homework, some handouts and a resources list. The topics you’ll cover during the course are:
The classroom allows all students to maintain the required 2m physical distancing guidelines and cleaning is performed before and after every meeting room use, as well as during every break.
The second day will be spent in Whistler and you’ll get to put the newly-acquired knowledge to use. You and your guide will discuss overnight changes in weather and conditions as well as the effect on the day’s plan. You’ll also develop a daily safety strategy and cover the following:
You’ll spend the third day in the Whistler area as well and will continue to practice new skills. You’ll cover these topics:
On this third day in the field, you will get a recap of lessons from previous two days and you’ll cover the following topics:
Have a guide all to yourself and learn how to recognize and mitigate the avalanche hazards that you may face while in the backcountry! Your knowledgeable instructors and guide will teach you all you need to know about snowpack assessment, avalanche forecast, terrain management and analysis, rescue skills, safe travel techniques, creating a dependable safety plan for backcountry skiing or splitboarding and much more.
The first day is spent in the classroom, and days 2-4 will be spent in Whistler’s stunning backcountry, where you’ll put your newly-acquired knowledge to use.
The classroom portion begins at 9:00 am and ends at 5:00 pm. The guide will review everything you’ve already covered in your AST 1 course before starting on the course theory. The day ends with a debrief, as well as homework, some handouts and a resources list. The topics you’ll cover during the course are:
The classroom allows all students to maintain the required 2m physical distancing guidelines and cleaning is performed before and after every meeting room use, as well as during every break.
The second day will be spent in Whistler and you’ll get to put the newly-acquired knowledge to use. You and your guide will discuss overnight changes in weather and conditions as well as the effect on the day’s plan. You’ll also develop a daily safety strategy and cover the following:
You’ll spend the third day in the Whistler area as well and will continue to practice new skills. You’ll cover these topics:
On this third day in the field, you will get a recap of lessons from previous two days and you’ll cover the following topics:
AST2 course with MSAA was excellent! Eliel Bureau-LaFontaine was our instructor and he did an incredible job of providing us with a systematic approach to this complex topic when backcountry skiing. I definitely feel much more informed about avalanches risks and now have more tools to make informed trip planning decisions. I would definitely recommend Eliel and this course!
I booked a private AST 2 with 5 friends and we learned a ton. We had the MSAA owner lead our first two days and he is super experienced and knowledgeable. And then we had another one of their guides lead the second two days. It was great to have a breadth of experience to train us over the course. We had our field days up past Pemberton to the Duffey as well as in the Blackcomb backcountry. They did a great job accommodating our requests and took us to build our skills in the type of terrain our group aspires to ski.
Took AST2 with MSAA last week. Amazing experience. Our skilled guides controlled group dynamics, pushed our brains and bodies just the right amount, and privileged us with “taking the lead” and making decisions under their diplomatic lead. I learned so much and had so much fun with the amazing sights and terrain that I basically forgot we were “in class”! Thank you, Eric, Rob and team. You delivered, royally! ;D
I would like to thank the Mountain Skill Academy team, especially Eric and Monica for providing me with the skills I need to analyse all the variables that affect a backcountry ski excursion in the mountains. All this was done with a very high level of professionalism.
I recommend this course to all skiers that value their life as much as mine.
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 Whistler, BC, please refer to the official website of British Columbia.
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 good 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. You also need prior backcountry experience.
Prerequisites: Participants must have the ability to travel in avalanche terrain. An AST Level 1 course is required and you need to be an experienced backcountry skier in order to participate. Students must be able to travel in the snow and bring appropriate equipment for traveling on snow to class. Skiers must be able to hike for several hours at a time while carrying a small pack. All participants should be comfortable traveling in snow while carrying touring gear.
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. Your guiding service has teamed up with local rental companies to provide discounted rentals.
Ski rental locations are in Whistler 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 in Whistler, BC, can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has skiers under the age of 19, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
To get to Whistler, most people fly into Vancouver International Airport 1.5 hours away. From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle service to Whistler.
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. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ability of the group.
Depending on group ability and conditions, the field days can be hosted in other destinations such as the Duffey or Squamish. This will be a group decision made on either day 1 or 2. If you have purchased lift passes for this course and the field day location changes, MSAA will issue a 100% refund.
Once the trip is confirmed by the guide, the cancellation policy stated below applies.
If the Client cancels the Booking…