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The areas that we ski and patrol at are some of the most spectacular in Canada.\u00a0That also means we ski in avalanche terrain every day.\u00a0Yes, even Nordic patrollers are not exempt.<\/p>\nThe areas that we ski and patrol at are some of the most spectacular in Canada.\u00a0That also means we ski in avalanche terrain every day.\u00a0Yes, even Nordic patrollers are not exempt.<\/p>\n
The avalanche risk we face every day (risk = exposure to hazard) is minimal as the avalanche hazard within a ski area is controlled.\u00a0 But, did you ever consider what you would do if confronted by an avalanche incident? These events are rare, but one never knows!<\/p>\n
But, let\u2019s digress for a moment. What is the role of CSP patrollers while on duty?\u00a0 In four words \u2013 education, avalanche control, and rescue. While not every one of these three tasks will apply to every resort, let\u2019s explore what our roles are \/ could be \/ should be:<\/p>\n
The best way to be prepared and confident in our abilities on the slopes is to take an avalanche course. CSP Mountain Division organizes several avalanche courses throughout the winter season:<\/p>\n
Avalanche safety and rescue require skills and practice. Can it make the difference?<\/p>\n
A massive avalanche hit the group of four skiers. When the slide stopped, three of them were deeply buried. The one person left on the surface had his pack swallowed by the snow, leaving him with no rescue equipment other than his transceiver. The chances of his friends’ survival were almost zero, yet all of them lived.<\/p>\n Explore what is now known as the Rescue at Cherry Bowl<\/a> \u2013 the true story of how one trained group used their skills to successfully rescue the three people deeply buried in the avalanche.<\/p>\n At the end of the AST 1, you should recognize that your journey is just starting and there is much, much, much more to learn.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cspnational.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/01\/08203757\/CherryBowl-300x204.jpg\")
<\/a>In March of 2013, four friends from Whitehorse, Yukon, made the 1200 km road trip south to Shames Mountain, BC. With fresh snow and clearing skies, they embarked on a week-long adventure exploring the area\u2019s backcountry. Four days in, on a bluebird day in Cherry Bowl, their trip came to an abrupt end.<\/p>\nAvalanche Skills Training (AST) 1<\/strong><\/h6>\n
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Avalanche Skills Training (AST) 1 is the first step in your avalanche education. This two-day course is approximately 50% classroom and 50% field work.\u00a0 The AST 1 course provides an entry-level decision-making framework by covering the following topics:<\/p>\n\n
Avalanche Skills Training (AST) 2<\/strong><\/h6>\n
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Avalanche Skills Training (AST) 2 is a four-day course consisting of 25% classroom and 75% field work.\u00a0 Some touring experience is required. It takes everything you learned in the AST 1 and steps it up a notch, including:<\/p>\n\n
Companion Rescue Skills (CRS)<\/strong><\/h6>\n
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The Companion Rescue Skills (CRS) course can be used either as the first stepping stone to avalanche training or as a refresher for those who have previous training in either AST 1 or AST 2.\u00a0At the end of the one-day course, students should be able to:<\/p>\n\n