Avalance Skills Training – AST
Avalanche Skills Training
AST training is provided by Avalanche Canada certified trainers. Avalanche awareness and education programs are important to ensure individuals can understand, recognise and avoid avalanche hazards.
Avalanche Canada is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to public avalanche safety. Avalanche Canada provide daily avalanche forecasts for the mountainous regions of Western Canada throughout the winter as well as coordinating and delivering avalanche awareness and education programs.
Avalanche Canada provide the curriculum and support to instructors of training programs, act as a central point-of-contact for avalanche information, and work closely with many different avalanche research projects, both at home and abroad.
Avalanche Skills Training
This is a 2.5 day training course (1 evening and 2 outdoor days). We advise anyone who enjoys exploring remote areas of the mountain or skiing/snowboarding in powder conditions to take this course. Canada receives a lot of powder over the season, and sports schools appreciate instructors who hold this additional qualification. Over the 2 days training you will learn about:
- Avalanche formation and release
- How to identify Avalanche terrain
- Trip planning
- Reducing risk in the field
- Introduction to companion rescue – using transceiver, probe and shovel
- Types of snow and snow packs
Following on from the AST level 1, the level 2 course builds on the foundation knowledge of avalanche awareness. An advanced decision-making framework for travelling in avalanche terrain is covered. An AST 2 course comprises a minimum of 9.5 hours of classroom instruction with a minimum of three days in the field. Over the course you will learn about:
- Progressive planning
- Travel techniques for travelling safely through various types of terrain
- Danger Ratings – key techniques on a local scale
- Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES) technical model – how to use for developing personal, local terrain ratings
- Proficient companion rescue
For more information about AST please visit the Avalanche Canada website.
