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  1. #1
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    Aug 2016
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    Ski mountaineering courses around last week of April

    I've been researching options for ski mountaineering courses around the end of April. I took a 3-day ski mountaineering/glacier travel course last year on Mt Baker - this was a great experience, but mostly focused on glacier travel. This spring, I want to get experience accessing some steeper lines and learning the associated skills - safe travel/belaying/rapelling/etc.

    Sawtooth Guides and Bell Lake Yurt both look awesome and offer courses when I'm available. Any other courses out there?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
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    Gaperville, CO
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    5,843
    Canada $ is cheap. Check out mtnguiding.com/trips/ . Good reviews around this site. They run a Wapta trip around that time. And the guide people like Hoji so they can't suck too much.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
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    Gaperville, CO
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    Quote Originally Posted by flowing alpy View Post
    we’ve concluded one must define their ski mountaineering.
    What's the best ski for it though? I've heard models with X in them are best.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
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    Vallee Teton
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    2,581
    Quote Originally Posted by thefortrees View Post
    I've been researching options for ski mountaineering courses around the end of April. I took a 3-day ski mountaineering/glacier travel course last year on Mt Baker - this was a great experience, but mostly focused on glacier travel. This spring, I want to get experience accessing some steeper lines and learning the associated skills - safe travel/belaying/rapelling/etc.

    Sawtooth Guides and Bell Lake Yurt both look awesome and offer courses when I'm available. Any other courses out there?
    Not sure on timing but Exum has a camp that seems like it fits the bill

    Live to ski camp at end of April


    The sawtooth mtn guides trip sounds like a good one as well

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
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    North Vancouver/Whistler
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    13,964
    Altus Mountain Guides in Whistler/. Check the Tantalus steep ski and mountaineering camps

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
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    2,459
    Quote Originally Posted by LeeLau View Post
    Altus Mountain Guides in Whistler/. Check the Tantalus steep ski and mountaineering camps
    Damn that looks good. My season got completely fucked when my car got totaled and I had to take a month off work. If I can't take another month+ off and hook up with random crews around BC/AB, Altus looks like a good fallback.

  7. #7
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    Aug 2016
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    Quote Originally Posted by doebedoe View Post
    What's the best ski for it though? I've heard models with X in them are best.
    The answer is the red ones. I’d start another thread to figure that out but somebody had it covered already.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    775
    If you can make it up here, Icefall lodge has an amazing location for this type of course... End of April, early May - Advanced Ski Mountaineering Course

    http://www.icefall.ca/availability-and-prices/

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
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    Ventura Highway in the Sunshine
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    Another option is hiring a guide for a few days and create your own "class". Cheaper of you get a couple friends to join. That way you work on what you want to learn which may or may not be what will be taught in a group class.

    I agree it is a constitutional right for Americans to be assholes...its just too bad that so many take the opportunity...
    iscariot

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    2,269
    I think ben does one outta his yurt or cabin in the Beartooths. Been a huge year already and this spring I'm sure people are gonna be ticking off lines left and right.

    Bell lake is cool as well.

    Canada seems like a no brainer.

    Lots if options don't think you can go wrong.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
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    North Vancouver/Whistler
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    Quote Originally Posted by daught View Post
    Damn that looks good. My season got completely fucked when my car got totaled and I had to take a month off work. If I can't take another month+ off and hook up with random crews around BC/AB, Altus looks like a good fallback.
    Altus course fyi - had it on TGR frontpage but their frontpage is kind of dogshit so links got corrupted

    http://www.leelau.net/sharonandlee/s...eering-course/

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    208 State
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    2,571
    Good stuff from SMG and Beartooth. Chris and Sara will teach you well at SMG so will Clark at the BTG.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Eburg
    Posts
    13,243
    thefortress, good on your for seeking another course. If you want to learn belay and rappel techniques, do some prior research re building anchors (e.g., ski, picket, bollard, ice axe, rock horn, V-thread, deadman, etc.) and anchor vector forces. If you rock climb, you may already know some of that.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
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    Quote Originally Posted by mtnjam View Post
    Good stuff from SMG and Beartooth. Chris and Sara will teach you well at SMG so will Clark at the BTG.
    Long waiting list for Sawtooth in April, no surprise there. They are taking reservations for 2019 already!

  15. #15
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    Aug 2016
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    Quote Originally Posted by hutash View Post
    Another option is hiring a guide for a few days and create your own "class". Cheaper of you get a couple friends to join. That way you work on what you want to learn which may or may not be what will be taught in a group class.
    I’m down for this option, but my friends are either not interested in this type of skiing or not available. Any mags want to put together a group?

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
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    Ventura Highway in the Sunshine
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    It may not be too expensive to do it solo and 100% of guides attention. You can just set up a couple days of skiing climbing with a guide and tell him/her what you want to learn so the best area/line can be choosen.

    I agree it is a constitutional right for Americans to be assholes...its just too bad that so many take the opportunity...
    iscariot

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
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    Quote Originally Posted by lifelinksplit View Post
    I think ben does one outta his yurt or cabin in the Beartooths. Been a huge year already and this spring I'm sure people are gonna be ticking off lines left and right.
    Just got off the phone with Ben @ Beartooth Powder Guides and signed up for their mountaineering camp. This one sounds great - wouldn’t have found it otherwise. Thanks for the info. I’ll be sure to post a TR.

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