Whistler 2008 - Week 7.

Beautiful bright blue skies, and the knowledge that I am now qualified ski instructor, meant that I was feeling good on the Monday morning! The ‘CSIA Level 1’ course was over, and it was time to relax and have some more fun. We started the week with a two day session of First Aid training, whilst the other half of our instructor course students got involved with some Avalanche training. The first aid course proved to be a nice chilled out break from the exams, and allowed us to have a good laugh while learning some key skills! We ran through lots of different procedures of how to deal with challenging situations and injuries, which now doubt could prove very beneficial in the future!!

After the first two days, we got involved with the ‘AST 1’ Avalanche course. We began the course learning the theory of Avalanches, and the different types of hazards that the mountain can pose to skiers. It was like a fun version of school!! We took notes and listened to the experienced mountain guides talk us through slideshows and videos. The real fun though was the practical side of the course, and it was great to get back on the skis, and head out into the backcountry. We were provided with shovels, probes and transceivers, all the equipment necessary to find a person buried under an avalanche!! We had a good laugh burying transceivers, whilst the other half of the group had to locate them and dig through the snow to recover them!! All in all it was an awesome experience, loads of fun, and it is a great feeling to know that you have the skills and knowledge to potentially save someone’s life on the mountain!! It certainly opened all of our eyes, as to how serious and fantastic the backcountry can be, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone that likes to take the adventurous routes down the mountain!!

Mike

Preparing the Rutchblock Test to assess Avalanche Safety.