AST Level 1 Avalanche Courses in Squamish

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 Squamish, BC, please refer to the Explore Squamish and the Government 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:

• • An experienced, certified guide with extensive knowledge of the area
  • A classroom day and a full day in the field
  • Extra day in the field for the AST 1+ course
  • Avalanche Skills Training Level 1 certificate (upon successful completion)
  • A Companion Rescue Field Card acknowledging completion date at course end
  • Avaluator Booklet
  • Canadian Avalanche Association mandatory student fee

What’s not included:

• • Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
  • Accommodation
  • Food and snacks
  • Parking
  • Shuttle services

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 need to be at least an intermediate skier seeing as you’ll need to be able to ascend moderate slopes using skins. All participants should be comfortable traveling in snow while carrying touring gear. You should also have an average level of fitness.

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

• • Alpine touring skis or splitboard with skins and bindings (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 or ski goggles
  • Gloves
  • A warm hat/toque and balaclava
  • Wind and waterproof shell jacket with hood (Gore-Tex recommended)
  • Ski pants (Gore-Tex recommended)
  • Down or synthetic insulated jacket or vest
  • Synthetic or wool base layers, underwear and socks
  • Mid layer fleece top
  • 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 with blister kit
  • Sunscreen
  • Daypack large enough to carry all items listed (around a 25-35L backpack)
  • Pen, paper/notebook, face mask (for Classroom Day)
  • Laptop (for Classroom Day) — optional
  • Map, compass, GPS — optional
  • Camera — optional

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

• • Avalanche safety pack, including beacon, shovel and probe from Valhalla Pure Outfitters
  • Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots and poles can be rented from Urban Alpine

Rental locations are in Squamish 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:

• • For the group courses, the max client to guide ratio is 8:1.
  • Cost is per person and it doesn’t decrease as the group grows.
  • For the private course, the max client to guide ratio is 8:1.
  • The cost for the private course is per person and decreases as your group grows, making it a perfect opportunity to learn with your friends and family!

Courses in Squamish, BC, can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:

• • If you are older than 19, you’re good to go.
  • Guests under the age of 19 must have a parent or legal guardian sign the waiver on their behalf.

If anyone under the age of 19 wants to join your group, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

To get to Squamish, most people fly into Vancouver International Airport, about 1.5 hours away from Squamish. From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle service.

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. If you’ve opted for the in-person course, you’ll head to the guiding company’s classroom location. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ability of the group.

For the field day, a shuttle service can be arranged for those without the appropriate vehicle and snow chains to book the shuttle service.