As the 2017/2018 program comes to completion for another year, we caught up with some of its graduates to hear their thoughts on the course.
The Ski/Snowboard Guide Training program is an on-snow, hands-on course, where students learn the fundamentals of ski and snowboard guiding. Throughout the program, students worked in alpine terrain, building a resume of trips and backcountry experiences to help prepare them to reach an ACMG / UIAGM level.
What does the average day look like as a Ski Guide student?
“Waking up motivated, ready to learn. Knowing that you are in the presence of a very qualified mentor. Who not only kept us safe but I felt like it was more of a bonding experience as well as a structured learning environment” – Adam Broome.
Where would you go?
None of the students I interviewed were willing to give up some of their most favourite “secret” spots but they did say that the course was realistic, in that it was all weather dependant and based on what skills they as a group needed to work on.
“The playground here, the stunning and beautiful mountains in Sea to Sky area, that is something I will never forget. If you wanna become a ski guide or if you are just passionate about mountains, skiing/snowboarding, backcountry and you want to feel safer and have more fun with the science, this course is a perfect match” – Marie Malkrabova.
What kind of friendships came out of the course?
“Knowing that there is someone else who has the same education and intuition as I do definitely creates some sort of bond, like you can just trust each other. When you have a friendship like that, you make a friend for life” – Adam Broome.
How was your lifestyle while in the course?
All of the students agreed that while they were in the course they were busy. After being exhausted by a challenging day out in the field they knew they would have to go home and start researching so they would be prepared for the next days morning meeting.
“We had a lot of great day tours in the backcountry with different snow and weather conditions to learn from. In the breaks between the different levels of the course the students met up to go touring and practice the skills that we learned on the mountain” Vanessa Hocke.
Ask anyone who has had the pleasure of taking this program and they will have their own list of favourite moments, but one thing that stands out for each student is how much more prepared they feel for their future in the backcountry.
Photo credit: Doru Nica, Ski Guide Training student 2018
