Lake Louise Ski Club
Avalanche Safety Training and Backcountry Ski/Board Day Options
- All trips and courses led by club member Lisa Paulson - IFMGA Mountain Guide, CAA Professional Member, Parks Canada Avalanche Forecaster, & Visitor Safety Specialist
- Trips and courses open to ski club members first, then to friends and family of club members, then to other clubs/kids.
- Waiver - signed with guide witnessing on field day
- Courses: download & pre-read the ACMG and the Avalanche Canada waiver, and if applicable the youth acknowledgement of risk form
- For ski/board days - download & pre-read the ACMG waiver and/or Youth acknowledgement of risk waiver for all courses
About Lisa Paulson
Lisa Paulson brings 30 years of experience in guiding and leading mountain rescues, producing avalanche public bulletins and conducting avalanche control as a Parks Canada Visitor Safety Specialist in all our mountain national parks. Lisa grew up in Calgary, skiing at Lake Louise, and was first exposed to snow science and avalanche work as a patroller at Louise. Skiing was her initial hook and skiing powder snow with great people continues to be the lure. Lisa was the eighth woman to become a Mountain Guide in Canada. She has guided heli-skiing, cat skiing, and ski touring throughout the mountains in Western and Northern Canada. She now has kids in our race and all mountain programs bringing her back to Louise. She enjoys giving back to the community as an instructor on the professional level avalanche courses, and more recently to our club by providing educational and ski/boarding opportunities. Lisa is passionate about sharing these beautiful mountain places, introducing athletes to backcountry and avalanche safety in a fun and memorable way, and coaching participants to develop their decision-making skills in suitable mountain terrain.
Avalanche Safety Training
Avalanche Awareness Evening: FREE!
1.5 hour session for the family! Includes videos and presentations with something for everyone! Get an orientation to the Lake Louise snow safety program and any new initiatives for this year. Get a glimpse of the behind the scenes in the Parks Canada Avalanche Forecasting Program and how it may help you on your next ski event! A great option for all athletes, parents, and coaches!
Members watch your inboxes for the Zoom Link. Registration is not required for this session.
Date: TBD Fall 2023
Prerequisites: None.
Youth Avalanche & Back Country Awareness Day: Ages 12 and up
An action-packed day! Get a hands on orientation to identifying avalanche terrain, conditions, and using avalanche safety equipment. Aside from avalanche risk, what else can happen out there? Hear a few key stories from a mountain rescue professional. Learn about the next steps in avalanche and backcountry education. The kids have a blast! A must for every kid!
Dates: April 30, 2023
Location: Lake Louise Ski Area backside, come back to front side for lunch
Cost: Provided by Avalanche Canada & BCA
Participants: Minimum 5, maximum 8
Equipment:
AST 1 (Avalanche Canada Course): Ages 14 and up
Are you interested in heading out of bounds, off the trails, or into the back country? This course is the place to start. You do not need any experience to take this course, or you may be looking to refresh an AST 1 taken years ago. It’s a must for every group member going into the back country and always worthwhile to refresh!
You will learn how to recognize avalanche terrain and how to companion rescue. Specifically, you will learn:
Dates: TBD Fall 2023
Location: Lake Louise Ski Area
Cost: $235
Participants: Max 8 participants per field day
Equipment:
AST1 Refresher
Date: TBD Winter 2024
Cost: $140
AST2 (Avalanche Canada Course)
You have taken your AST 1, you have solid experience in the backcountry, and you dedicate a lot of free time recreating in the backcountry - this course is for you! To maximize field time participants, need to allocate time to review AST1 material. There will be a few evening zoom sessions to dive deeper into the AST1 concepts, plus 4 full field days.
What you will learn in an AST2:
Date: TBD - email interest and availability to lisapaulson@me.com
Location: Rockies, Purcells & Selkirk mountains - as determined by objectives, conditions and avalanche hazard.
Prerequisites & Ages: AST1. At least 10-20 decision making field days. 18 and up.
Cost: $645
Participants: minimum 4 - max 6
Equipment: Day Ski touring/split boarding equipment and avalanche safety equipment
Managing Avalanche Terrain (Avalanche Canada Course)
Find your way! Either you have taken your AST1 and have travelled through many kilometres of terrain on your backcountry trips or you’re looking to enhance a recently taken AST1 course - this 1 day course is for you. This is a great bridge to check your knowledge and skill development with an experienced guide before embarking on the AST2 or to advance your decision making and terrain management skills at any level.
The MAT is a very focused field-based course designed to expand on terrain management taught in the AST 1 course, and to develop more advanced winter backcountry travel skills. This course will help you mitigate your risk by honing your terrain evaluation and travel skills.
Date: TBD email interest and availability to lisapaulson@me.com
Location: Lake Louise Ski Area Back Country or other location pending on conditions and group.
Cost: $175
Participants: minimum 4 - max 6
Equipment: day ski-touring/split board equipment.
Companion Rescue Skills (Avalanche Canada Course)
Hone your rescue skills! A Companion Rescue Skills (CRS) course is a must-have for all backcountry recreationalists in any sport because it teaches life-saving search and rescue techniques. It’s a great refresher for those with previous training and a great way to improve and enhance what you learned in your AST1. You will learn how to prioritize, organize, and hone your search, probe, and shovel skills. You will learn some techniques to help.
Date: TBD Fall 2023
Location: Lake Louise Ski Area Back Country
Prerequisites: AST1
Cost: $140
Participants: minimum 4 - max 6
1.5 hour session for the family! Includes videos and presentations with something for everyone! Get an orientation to the Lake Louise snow safety program and any new initiatives for this year. Get a glimpse of the behind the scenes in the Parks Canada Avalanche Forecasting Program and how it may help you on your next ski event! A great option for all athletes, parents, and coaches!
Members watch your inboxes for the Zoom Link. Registration is not required for this session.
Date: TBD Fall 2023
Prerequisites: None.
Youth Avalanche & Back Country Awareness Day: Ages 12 and up
An action-packed day! Get a hands on orientation to identifying avalanche terrain, conditions, and using avalanche safety equipment. Aside from avalanche risk, what else can happen out there? Hear a few key stories from a mountain rescue professional. Learn about the next steps in avalanche and backcountry education. The kids have a blast! A must for every kid!
Dates: April 30, 2023
Location: Lake Louise Ski Area backside, come back to front side for lunch
Cost: Provided by Avalanche Canada & BCA
Participants: Minimum 5, maximum 8
Equipment:
- All avalanche safety equipment (beacon, probe, shovel) provided
- 30 L pack to carry avalanche safety and rescue equipment
AST 1 (Avalanche Canada Course): Ages 14 and up
Are you interested in heading out of bounds, off the trails, or into the back country? This course is the place to start. You do not need any experience to take this course, or you may be looking to refresh an AST 1 taken years ago. It’s a must for every group member going into the back country and always worthwhile to refresh!
You will learn how to recognize avalanche terrain and how to companion rescue. Specifically, you will learn:
- Avalanche Formation and release
- How to identify avalanche terrain
- The basics of trip planning
- Optimal use of tools and resources like the avalanche forecasts to mitigate your avalanche risk
- Using appropriate travel techniques in avalanche terrain
- Introduction to companion rescue
Dates: TBD Fall 2023
Location: Lake Louise Ski Area
Cost: $235
Participants: Max 8 participants per field day
Equipment:
- All avalanche safety equipment (beacon, probe, shovel) provided
- Rent/Borrow/Bring: Ski touring or split board equipment, & 30 L pack
AST1 Refresher
Date: TBD Winter 2024
Cost: $140
AST2 (Avalanche Canada Course)
You have taken your AST 1, you have solid experience in the backcountry, and you dedicate a lot of free time recreating in the backcountry - this course is for you! To maximize field time participants, need to allocate time to review AST1 material. There will be a few evening zoom sessions to dive deeper into the AST1 concepts, plus 4 full field days.
What you will learn in an AST2:
- Progressive planning and travel techniques require to travel safety through various types of terrain
- Key techniques for using the danger rating on a local scale
- Key techniques for applying the Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES) technical model to develop personal, local terrain ratings
- How to proficiently carry out a companion rescue
Date: TBD - email interest and availability to lisapaulson@me.com
Location: Rockies, Purcells & Selkirk mountains - as determined by objectives, conditions and avalanche hazard.
Prerequisites & Ages: AST1. At least 10-20 decision making field days. 18 and up.
Cost: $645
Participants: minimum 4 - max 6
Equipment: Day Ski touring/split boarding equipment and avalanche safety equipment
Managing Avalanche Terrain (Avalanche Canada Course)
Find your way! Either you have taken your AST1 and have travelled through many kilometres of terrain on your backcountry trips or you’re looking to enhance a recently taken AST1 course - this 1 day course is for you. This is a great bridge to check your knowledge and skill development with an experienced guide before embarking on the AST2 or to advance your decision making and terrain management skills at any level.
The MAT is a very focused field-based course designed to expand on terrain management taught in the AST 1 course, and to develop more advanced winter backcountry travel skills. This course will help you mitigate your risk by honing your terrain evaluation and travel skills.
Date: TBD email interest and availability to lisapaulson@me.com
Location: Lake Louise Ski Area Back Country or other location pending on conditions and group.
Cost: $175
Participants: minimum 4 - max 6
Equipment: day ski-touring/split board equipment.
Companion Rescue Skills (Avalanche Canada Course)
Hone your rescue skills! A Companion Rescue Skills (CRS) course is a must-have for all backcountry recreationalists in any sport because it teaches life-saving search and rescue techniques. It’s a great refresher for those with previous training and a great way to improve and enhance what you learned in your AST1. You will learn how to prioritize, organize, and hone your search, probe, and shovel skills. You will learn some techniques to help.
Date: TBD Fall 2023
Location: Lake Louise Ski Area Back Country
Prerequisites: AST1
Cost: $140
Participants: minimum 4 - max 6
Backcountry Ski/Splitboard Day Options
Introduction to Ski Touring
Curious, but never tried it? Or have only done it a few times? This day is for you! We will skirt the edges of avalanche terrain to give you a sense of the beauty and lure of backcountry skiing.
Date: TBD email interest and availability to lisapaulson@me.com
Location: Lake Louise Ski Area Back Country
Prerequisites & Ages: No experience required, and no prior training required. 14 and up.
Cost: $135
Participants: minimum 4 - max 6
Equipment:
Ski/Split Boarding Day Tour
Enjoy a day escaping the crowds by venturing into Lake Louise’s beautiful back country!
An ideal way to get out to see/experience the amazing terrain surrounding Lake Louise Ski Area. The final location will depend on current snow and avalanche conditions and the group’s ski/learning objectives as discussed in the pre-trip planning discussion.
Date: TBD email interest and availability to lisapaulson@me.com
Location: Lake Louise Ski Area Back Country
Prerequisites & Ages: AST1. 18 and up.
Cost: $160
Participants: minimum 4 - max 6
Equipment: Day Ski touring/split boarding equipment and avalanche safety equipment
Curious, but never tried it? Or have only done it a few times? This day is for you! We will skirt the edges of avalanche terrain to give you a sense of the beauty and lure of backcountry skiing.
Date: TBD email interest and availability to lisapaulson@me.com
Location: Lake Louise Ski Area Back Country
Prerequisites & Ages: No experience required, and no prior training required. 14 and up.
Cost: $135
Participants: minimum 4 - max 6
Equipment:
- All avalanche safety equipment (beacon, probe, shovel) provided
- Rent/Borrow/Bring: Ski touring or split board equipment, & 30 L pack
Ski/Split Boarding Day Tour
Enjoy a day escaping the crowds by venturing into Lake Louise’s beautiful back country!
An ideal way to get out to see/experience the amazing terrain surrounding Lake Louise Ski Area. The final location will depend on current snow and avalanche conditions and the group’s ski/learning objectives as discussed in the pre-trip planning discussion.
Date: TBD email interest and availability to lisapaulson@me.com
Location: Lake Louise Ski Area Back Country
Prerequisites & Ages: AST1. 18 and up.
Cost: $160
Participants: minimum 4 - max 6
Equipment: Day Ski touring/split boarding equipment and avalanche safety equipment
Video Credit: Lisa Paulson