Extremely Canadian Backcountry Skiing Clinic Review

Extremely Canadian is a Whistler-based company that is best known for offering specialty steep skiing clinics
(combining a mix of quasi-guiding and instruction inbounds). With the
growth in interest in backcountry skiing worldwide and in the Whistler
environs, it seemed logical to Peter and Jill (founders and owners) to
expand their offerings to extend to the backcountry. A new product they
offer this year is a One-day Backcountry Clinic (see press-release for full marketing gobbledygook) for $ 199 per person.

These clinics are billed as a basic one-day introductory course
directed at introducing resort skiers to accessing backcountry. It's
easy to understand there might be demand for this as backcountry access
is relatively easy via the Whistler lift system and terrain adjacent to
the resort is, in a word, huge. To find out a bit more the Extremely
Canadian offering and to see how they could convey substantive useful
information about upping a person's awareness, safety practises and
backcountry travel skills, I tagged along on one of their clinic
offerings.

The day starts as you check in at Whistler Base

Keith Reid is the lead for this new offering. As the President of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG),
and one of Canada's most experienced mountain guides, he has forgotten
more about backcountry travel and mountaineering than most people have
ever learned. His reputation and credentials are impeccable.

I met with Keith and the group at the assigned time on one of the
busiest days of the year (bluebird weather helped). Despite the crowds
inbounds we were soon on lifts heading to the Blackcomb backcountry
gates. The guests dictate how the course go either overtly (tell the
guide what you want to do) or by implication (their experience, fitness
or desires). On this day, the guests (Adam, Robin and Hal from
Vancouver; Lisa from Pemberton & Rob from Whistler) were a
well-matched group, all being competent skiers but having limited
backcountry experience. Accordingly, as the guide, Keith used his
imagination and came up with a plan for the day.

Up the lifts and a short bootpack to the top of the Blackcomb Glacier. Then out the backcountry access point on the Blackcomb Glacier moraine

Through the gates, up the Dean's Adieu traverse and towards Spearhead Col where Keith provided some technique lessons in setting good skin tracks by - not - lemminglike following existing tracks but setting his own

I would be lying if I said there was an abundance of new snow. The
group knew that and the day's tour was tailored accordingly to maximize
views as well as obtain reasonable skiing. Our route exited the
Blackcomb backcountry gate, climbed up to Spearhead Col then descended
SE facing slopes to Circle Lake. After a short break the group climbed
back up to the Spearhead Glacier and then via a short bootpack to the
glacier immediately E of Don't Swill. Another short skin and bootpack
then took the group out via a throughly skied Husume couloir and back to
the resort area. Then down to Merlins and the traditional Extremely
Canadian post-class appies and beer at Merlins. It was a fairly big day
for an introductory backcountry course but with faultless weather

It's always educational seeing how a guide works in the field; with
an economy and efficiency that is difficult to imagine. It was
impressive to see how much knowledge transfer and education could happen
in the span of one day without overwhelming clients. Some of the hard
and soft skills that were explained or demonstrated by Keith were: use
of the classic companion rescue tools of transceiver, probe and shovel;
setting appropriate skin tracks with style (as opposed to the too-steep
tracks often seen in slack-country); choosing up-routes for safety and
efficiency; choosing safe spots; efficient quick transitions; and
crevasse avoidance.

Rob finds some lines dropping down to Circle Lake

Lots of traffic on Circle Lake. 

Phalanx Mountain in the background as Keith does more information dumping; Adam and Robin soak it all up

Lisa shreds Husume

All in all, this is a worthy clinic that would benefit a lot of
people. I can see the target market for this as not just the
introduction to the backcountry for resort skiers but also the
time-deprived weekender who wants to get a lot of information very
quickly. Perhaps too the aspiring backcountry traveller who wants to
tuneup their skills.

There's a lot to be said for professional products where you get
relentlessly practical, useful instruction from the best. The market may
very well agree since emails and calls about these clinics have been
flooding in. Do yourself a favour and check it out yourself.