Avalanche Rescue Skills Course Next Steps

Now that you have completed your course it’s time to think about how to put your newfound learnings to use.

Learning resources

Use the following resources to help you learn more about avalanches and local tours:

  • The Avy Savvy course on the avalanche.ca website has a good review of Companion Rescue.

  • Manufacturer’s websites should have downloads available for your transceiver manual.

  • The Rescue at Cherry Bowl story at avalanche.ca is well worth having a look at.

Safety Equipment

Here is a list of the safety equipment I showed you in my pack:

  • Shovel: consider one that can be switched to “hoe” mode

  • Probe: minimum 3m length

  • Transceiver: I recommend one that has a “persistent” marking function and auto-revert to send mode. “Backup” mode (Black Diamond/Pieps) / “Rescue Send” mode (Mammut Barryvox) is also helpful.

  • Garmin InReach emergency satellite messenger. Less expensive options are available, for example at MEC.

  • Headlamp.

  • Ruler.

  • Thermometer.

  • Repair kit.

  • First aid kit.

  • Heat blanket.

  • Air mattress.

  • Emergency shelter/toboggan.

practice your rescue skills

Here is some advice for additional self-directed training:

  • Read the manual for your transceiver and learn how all its functions work.

  • Practice with your transceiver and be able to find two burials in 4 minutes or less, in an area 100 m x 100 m, starting with your transceiver in its harness with your outer clothing zipped up.

  • Practice getting your probe out of the pack and assembled with your pack back on in 15 seconds.

  • Practice systematic probing technique. Have someone bury a backpack as deeply as possible and get them to mark a spot to begin probing 1 to 3 m away from where the pack is buried.

  • Practice getting your shovel out of your pack and assembled with your pack back on in 15 seconds.

  • Practice conveyer belt shovelling with at least 2 other people in a hardened snowback. Dig a hole 1.5 m deep x 2 m wide.

  • Put all this training together in a scenario with 2 transceivers buried in packs as deeply as possible in a 100 m x 100 m area. Start with working in a group of 2-4 others but also work your way towards doing it all yourself. Try to find both and uncover at least one within 10 minutes.

  • Practice your downhill riding skills. This is a fun one. Make sure you are comfortable in different snow conditions and terrain like you would find in the backcountry. Being a competent rider means you are safer in the backcountry because you have less chance of triggering an avalanche if you don’t fall while riding, a better chance of escaping an avalanche if you trigger one, and are able to respond more quickly to help a friend caught in an avalanche.

  • Practice your uphill touring skills. Get familiar with putting skins on and taking them off and practice doing that as quickly as possible so you can respond to an avalanche incident fast. Be able to transition in under 2 minutes. Get fit for walking uphill so you can respond quickly if necessary. Good places to do this safely are the ski outs at Sunshine or Lake Louise.

Further related training

The following are courses you should consider taking to help you learn about some other aspects of backcountry travel. BanffLife/MountainLife offers these types of courses.

  • First aid

  • Navigation

  • Weather

  • Companion Avalanche Rescue

  • Crevasse Rescue

  • Glacier Travel

AST 2

The AST 2 course is the next step in avalanche training. We recommend you have at least a season of touring experience after the AST 1 (at least 10 days of touring including some Challenging Terrain tours) before taking the AST 2. If you have a few years of other mountain experience in addition to the AST 1 it may be appropriate to take the AST 2 in the same season as the AST 1.

Other advanced avalanche training

After the AST 2 there are no more formal recreational avalanche training programmes. The Canadian Avalanche Association offers professional level courses but these are not recommended unless the student wants to work in the industry (EG ski patrol). A more effective way for recreationalists to learn more is to organize a group and hire a guide to put together a training programme that includes touring in more challenging terrain and conditions.

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