Related: The ACMG Ski Guide Certificate: What Does It Take?

What’s The ACMG Ski Guide Exam All About

For those wondering, the ski guide exam is a 9-day, hands-on assessment of a guide’s skills on snow. It is the final milestone in the ACMG ski guide certification. Think of it as an all-around, real-world exam. Small groups of 3 to 4 students take turns leading a rotating group of examiners through complex glaciated terrain. The routes selected often include technical alpine features like couloir skiing, rappels, and roped glacier travel, with the occasional foray into the trees.

Under the examiner’s watchful eye, each student rotates through the guide role by track-setting, assessing hazards, managing the group, and coaching everyone through challenging sections. Examiners may even allow mistakes to unfold to better understand a student’s decision-making and problem-solving skills, stepping in only when it truly matters.

Keep Your Head On A Swivel

As a ski guide, you’re constantly monitoring dangers, from avalanche hazards to hidden crevasses. It all boils down to minimizing your group’s exposure to hazards while managing the guests when the hazards can’t be avoided. That’s where backcountry experience in complex glaciated terrain, leading to sound decision-making, is critical. Without a doubt, the avalanche hazard is a major player. Ski guides will spend a considerable amount of time investigating the snowpack to accurately evaluate the avalanche hazard – whether that means sticking our head in the snow or ski cutting unsupported features.

In an exam setting or at work, you’re making hundreds of small decisions, almost every minute, from where you’ll ski down to how you’ll lower guests into a couloir and where you’ll take your snack breaks. All those decisions must work in tandem to complete the objective and deliver an unforgettable experience. Guides in training spend a considerable amount of time completing challenging ski tours to test their decision-making while facing hazardous conditions. Sometimes, you just have to get creative! We’ll “mock guide” our peers and perform a debrief after each day, offering constructive criticism.

The Art Of Track-Setting

On the ACMG ski guide exam, we’re expected to master the art of track-setting, otherwise known as uptracking. You didn’t hit that bench quite right – FAIL! Your uptrack is too steep – FAIL! You didn’t flatten the corners enough for your guests – FAIL! Jokes aside, setting an uptrack as perfectly through dense forest as in convoluted, alpine terrain is challenging. Fortunately, most apprentice guides have 2-3 years of ski touring work to practice those skills. It definitely gets harder when you’ve exclusively heli-skied during your apprenticeship.

Guides aim for an uptrack incline of 12-18 degrees, striking a balance between vertical gain and energy conservation throughout the day. It’s important to maintain a consistent angle across features while minimizing direction changes. I always tell myself: “Use all the real estate you can when setting a track”. Sometimes, it’s important to climb at an aggressive incline or speed up the ascent, such as when crossing crevasse bridges or to escape from sketchy overhead hazards. Like any other guiding skillset, it all comes down to good decision-making. Guides will spend many days purposefully uptracking through difficult terrain in hopes of mastering the art of track-setting.

Nail The Downhill Lines

Like most ski guides, we track uphill to ski downhill. I genuinely love the downhill component. It’s the reason why I spend 60-70% of my winter around helicopters. The ACMG ski guide exam will test your ability to guide your group on the descent in unfamiliar terrain. After all, you’re expected to navigate thoughtfully through zones you’ve never visited before, intending to deliver the best possible ski product. With experience, guides learn how to best manage their guests while avoiding objective hazards or reducing their group’s exposure.

There’s no substitute for hard-earned experience. I’ve been fortunate enough to land a dream heli-ski job early in my career. Heli-skiing allowed me to dial in my downhill guiding, often skiing 10 backcountry runs. Due to Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing’s massive tenure, I get to explore new terrain every day and downhill guide in a variety of weather and snow conditions.

Navigate Glaciers Like A Pro

Glacier travel is one of the core components of the ACMG ski guide exam. It takes years of experience to decode glaciers and understand what’s happening underneath the snow. An unroped crevasse fall is typically our biggest concern. With much practice, guides can determine the strength of a snow bridge based on outside temperature, bridge thickness and snow hardness – sticking our probes in the snow and feeling the resistance. It’s an essential skill when you’re travelling through an icefall.

As guides in training, we’ll spend days traversing icefields in a whiteout, testing our GPS and compass-based navigation skills when we can barely see the tip of our skis. Being able to decipher a sagging crevasse bridge in poor visibility is an acquired skill. Glacier navigation is complicated and inherently high-stakes. A mistake here and you might fall into a gaping hole.

Master The Ropes

Rigging skills are thoroughly tested on the ACMG ski guide exam. We’ll often lower our group into steep lines or belay a guest scrambling on a rocky ridge. Examiners dedicate a day to testing crevasse rescue techniques using various scenarios, including an unroped fall where the victim is unconscious and a rope ascent while passing knots.

I spent several days rehearsing rigging techniques, practicing knots while watching TV and running through diverse rescue scenarios with my peers. A few examples:

• An unroped fall with an unconscious victim
• Ascending a rope with knots
• Rappelling through knots
• Drop loop and z-pulley rescue systems
• Building bomber snow/ice anchors (T-slots & V-threads)

Ever Heard Of The “Backcountry Butler”

The often forgotten component of ski guiding is client care. Sure, when we think of ski guides, we immediately think of powder skiing through an untouched white canvas. What guides don’t tell you is that 50% of our job is about caring for our clients and optimizing their experience. Examiners will judge you on quality-of-life decisions like taking a break in a sheltered location or emphasizing sunscreen use. They’ll even evaluate your coaching skills when working through challenging sections. That’s part of the game, and how a guide gets a great tip at the end of a day!

You might have to teach your clients how to remove skins on a summit while the winds are howling. You might have to sprinkle some fresh snow on an overused uptrack to increase grip. All those small things contribute to the guest experience. At the ACMG, the bar is set high.

A Note On The Ridge Active Insulator

Premium outerwear designer Strafe was kind enough to send me their cutting-edge mid-layer, The Ridge Active Insulator Jacket, for testing. I’ve now taken it on a few ski tours, through old-growth forest, on huge glaciers and far into our backcountry playground. The Ridge Insulator is the perfect replacement for my old, raggedy mid-layer, which was falling apart at the seams. The fleece lining is not only comfortable, but also provides just the right amount of insulation for winter, high-output activities like ski touring or mountaineering. The insulation is strategically placed to maximize breathability. The jacket is also incredibly light, keeping only essential features such as a hood, wrist and waist elastic cinching and a few zippered pockets. The thin, yet durable, Pertex face fabric complements its low weight while granting it some water resistance when the snow starts flying. The Ridge Active Insulator is the only jacket I need for the ascent in mild to moderately cold temperatures. Since the synthetic insulation retains warmth when wet, I simply throw on my shell layer for the descent. The jacket just looks darn good, and the athletic fit is great for my slim, 6ft build in a size medium.

Features:

• Lightweight & air-permeable body mapped Pertex® Equilibrium NetPlus® & brrr° 4-way stretch fabrics
• Exposed body mapped PrimaLoft® Active Evolve insulation
• Fully lined integrated hood with elastic along the opening
• Zippered hand & chest pockets
• Mesh electronics sleeve inside right-hand pocket
• Elastic binding at sleeve cuffs, hood edge, & hem
• YKK® Vislon® & Regular Coil zippers
• Weight: 10.2oz/290g

The post The ACMG Ski Guide Exam: How I Trained For The Ultimate Test appeared first on The Uptrack.

Related: How To Choose Touring Skis

Spearheaded by a trio of mechanical engineers, Ferreol worked tirelessly at designing a line of elegant skis loaded with groundbreaking tech such as triple 3P camber. Give their technology page a look – they went as far as quantifying the ski’s stiffness distribution using a calibrated testing bench. Given my engineering background, this is music to my ears. In an age where most plaster their pages with the “Innovation” buzzword, Ferreol is actually doing the thing. They took the tech much further by founding Ferreol Technologies, which developed Scalium, a cutting-edge aluminum alloy that offers a much higher strength for its weight than the competition, a market dominated by another alloy, Titanal. According to the latest media release, a few major European ski manufacturers are chomping at the bit to get their hands on the tech.

If being innovative wasn’t enough, Ferreol has made a point to bake versatility into its ski design. I’d love to have 5 pairs of skis, each dedicated to a specific snow condition. Unfortunately, my ski closet – and wallet – simply isn’t big enough. The mountains are hardly predictable. On a given day, you might ride heavenly, champagne powder on a sheltered northern aspect at 2000m, and awful windboard on a wind-exposed, southern aspect at 3000m. The reality of skiing: you’ll be shredding all kinds of snow. You’ll need a quiver-killer that can support that. Ferreol is aiming for just that – a ski that can perform in a wide range of snow conditions. Granted, I wouldn’t take an 80mm underfoot ski to revel in chest-deep powder, but I’ll take a versatile 110mm ski to rip groomers on the resort.

Related: Ferreol 2025-2026 Ski Collection

Before its inception, Ferreol saw a large gap in the market for sustainable products. Things have come a long way since 2019, but Ferreol’s commitment to delivering an eco-friendly product hasn’t changed. Striving to operate as a carbon-neutral business, the brand has substituted composite fibres for flax in the Surfeur 112. Flax fibres are a natural alternative that doesn’t compromise on performance. They also source their wood, used in the ski’s core, locally in Quebec. Living in the small, quaint town of Revelstoke, BC, I’m all for it – supporting local businesses is critical to a community’s sustainable growth.

Throughout the winter, you’ll see me riding Ferreol skis, whether I’m ski touring at Rogers Pass or heli-skiing with guests, somewhere in the Selkirk Mountains. You might even spot me blabbing on about Ferreol tech on a demo day at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. All in all, I’m more than excited to kick off this long-lasting partnership with Ferreol. If you’ve got a moment, check out their fresh 2026 ski line.

The post Ferreol X The Uptrack: A Thrilling Partnership! appeared first on The Uptrack.

Related: The ACMG Ski Guide Certificate: What Does It Take?

How Was Heli Skiing Born?

Heli-skiing was born from a simple concept: alpine access. Before ski touring was in vogue, folks wanted to ski powder in remote mountain ranges. That was impossible for a time, until helicopters came along. Originating in the early 1960s in British Columbia, Canada, heli-skiing was pioneered by Hans Gmoser, an Austrian-born mountain guide and one of the founding members of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG).

Gmoser initially used helicopters to support alpine climbing expeditions, but quickly realized the aircraft’s potential for skiing. In 1965, he officially launched the first commercial heli skiing operation under Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH). The base was located in the Bugaboos, a rugged subrange of the Columbia Mountains. That year marks heli-skiing’s official beginning. We’ve come a long way from the days of heli-skiing in a dinky Bell 47G-2. Nowadays, heli-ski operations offer both small and large group packages, mostly using the A-Star and Bell 212/412 helicopters.

A Primer On Heli-Skiing

The sport involves using helicopters to reach a high point in the middle of the mountains, the landing. From its perch, the heli-ski guide unloads the guests and leads them down the run while managing a variety of hazards. Since heli-skiing terrain is typically uncontrolled – unlike the resort – the sport comes with its fair share of hazards ranging from avalanches, tree wells, crevasses, and much more. Sometimes, the guests are a hazard to themselves! After skiing the world’s best powder, the group arrives at a suitable spot, large enough for the helicopter to pick up the group. That’s called the pickup. Now, rinse and repeat a few more times with a backcountry lunch sprinkled in the mix and some beers at the end of the day.

Most heli-ski operators offer a range of packages. Let me touch upon the basics. Starting with the cheapest, the multi-group package offers a shared experience, whereas a single helicopter ferries 2-4 groups. This can either be in a small group format (4-5 guests) or a large group format (8-10 guests). Next up, the private package is the pinnacle of heli-skiing, where one group books the entire helicopter for the duration of their trip. That’s the red-carpet experience, and it comes at a hefty price.

From the guest’s perspective, heli-skiing is just fun and games. However, from the guide’s side, it’s a symphony of controlled chaos, requiring complex decision-making in the face of mind-numbing logistics, overwhelming hazards and unpredictable mountain weather. That’s what I love about it. While you’ll have an easy time convincing me to go heli skiing, the job itself is equally mentally and physically challenging as it is rewarding.

What’s My Day Like?

A heli-ski guide is essentially a very specific breed of backcountry leader. For the most part, we manage the group’s risk throughout the day while trying to achieve an objective – in this case, providing a world-class ski program out in the remote mountains. There’s also much more guest service than one would expect: demanding guests, scared guests, happy guests. We’ve seen it all. Within the guiding community, we sometimes jokingly refer to ourselves as “backcountry butlers” for a reason. Like any good dinner, our day is structured around the main course, the heli-skiing program, but there’s an appetizer (AM Meeting) and a dessert too (PM Meeting).

5:45 AM. To dust off the cobwebs from our heavy eyelids, the heli-ski guide starts the day with the AM meeting prep. Faced with an overwhelming amount of data ranging from local weather forecasts to information from neighbouring operations, I spend a good 45 minutes summarizing the key information into an easily digestible report to be presented at the AM meeting. Little did you know, the Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA) uses an information gathering platform, specifically designed for avalanche professionals, called InfoEx. It’s arguably our most precious resource to share avalanche activity, incidents and hazard ratings throughout Canada. You can even see avalanche trends spanning from the West Coast to the East as a Pacific storm travels across the country.

6:30 AM. It’s time for the AM meeting, which has two components: the AM avalanche forecast and the runlist. Starting with the former, all working guides sit down to establish an avalanche forecast based on the weather forecast for the day, avalanche observations from nearby operations and recreational backcountry reports. That’s where the meeting prep comes in handy, saving us time when parsing through the large dataset. We then identify key considerations:

• avalanche hazards (wind slabs, persistent slabs, etc.)
• natural hazards (crevasses, early-season conditions, etc.)
• human factors (team fatigue, powder fever, etc.)

The heli-ski guides will then agree on an avalanche danger rating for the day based on the North American Public Avalanche Danger Scale. In short, what we expect to be the size, distribution and likelihood of potential avalanches in our operational tenure.

The AM meeting’s second step is the runlist. It’s a painstaking process that involves coding all of our heli-ski runs throughout the tenure. Since we have approximately 350 individual runs, some runs will remain undiscussed. First, we target areas that we’ll likely explore on the various ski programs. Green means open for the day. Red, closed due to the avalanche hazard. Yellow, open if certain conditions are met. Black, unskiable due to other hazards. This logical process maximizes the program’s safety and narrows down our options once in the field. The runlist also solidifies one concept: run selection is a team decision, not an individual one, even if our groups are kilometres apart in the backcountry.

7:30 AM. After a draining meeting, we’re famished. It’s time to have breakfast at the hotel bar with the rest of the team and chat with the lead guides about their plans for the day. We then gear up in the locker room, pack our bags with the appropriate equipment and grab our skis, ready for a wonderful day of heli-skiing.

8:30 AM. We met the guests at the hotel lobby. We either board our vans or take a short jaunt to the heli pads after completing an in-depth gear check. Before we can head into the mountains, the heli-ski guide delivers a clear and concise backcountry safety orientation to instruct guests on avalanche safety and how to ski with a guide. Shortly after, the pilot delivers a helicopter briefing – what to do and not do around helicopters. The last thing we want is heads flying off left, right and center.

9:30 AM. Let’s go skiing. Depending on the program and weather conditions, the groups will ski anywhere from four to upwards of 15 runs on a given day. Sometimes, this can amount to more than 12,000 vertical meters! That’s more than Mt Everest! At midday, we’ll hunker down in a remote, scenic location for a quick five-star meal in the mountains. Catered sandwiches, tasty treats, charcuterie and hot soup is on the menu.

A heli-ski guide’s terrain selection is often based on the weather, hazards and guest considerations. On a stormy day with high avalanche hazard, we might be skiing through low-angle old-growth forests. On a bluebird powder day with expert skiers, we’ll opt for steep descents on rolling glaciers, providing breathtaking views and deep faceshots. Optimizing our terrain use based on those considerations is one of my favourite aspects of guiding. There’s also the huge smile across your guest’s face when you’ve delivered an unforgettable experience.

4:30 PM. After an epic day of helicopter-assisted powder shredding, we’ll have a beer at the bar with our respective guests. We’ll talk about everything and nothing at once: the day’s highlights, tomorrow’s aspirations, life’s challenges. Who knows! That’s a great time to check in with my guests and give them instructions for tomorrow’s program, if they’re booked in for several days.

5:30 PM. It’s time for the PM meeting. The guides leading programs discuss the day’s details: what has been skied, what challenges were encountered, and how we could improve our ski product. They’ll also reflect on the accuracy of our morning avalanche forecast and issue a PM avalanche danger assessment based on our field observations. Thankfully, the process is much shorter than the AM meeting – about 30 minutes. After a long day, it’s time to head home and do it all again in the morning.

What Goes Through My Mind When Heli-Ski Guiding?

Guiding a heli-ski trip is not a simple endeavour. So many thoughts are going through my mind in a given minute. That’s what I love about heli-skiing – it’s so stimulating. Starting with basic avalanche considerations, I focus on finding the best snow given our avalanche forecast, the current weather conditions and my group’s experience. It’s a matter of combining all those variables to maximize the ski product.

I then add the helicopter logistics to the equation. Can I safely fly to my target location? Poor visibility, icing and unpredictable winds can easily derail my plans. How familiar is my pilot with the ski tenure? A new pilot might shy away from a landing if the winds and visibility aren’t perfect, especially if he hasn’t landed there in the first place. How much fuel is left? The amount of fuel left onboard will determine our operating range. And, this gets even more complicated when several groups share one helicopter, as they often do!

While flying over terrain, I spend most of my time scrutinizing the run. I’m specifically looking for key landmarks that I can use to steer the group on the slope. Over time, I’ve developed a strange skill: being able to visualize what those landmarks would look like from the ground after spotting them from the air.

As I identify potential hazards, whether it be from avalanches, crevasses or tree wells, I contemplate my options and settle on the best way down the mountain, one that maximizes the group’s safety while offering great skiing (or snowboarding).

I also guide a run differently depending on whether my group is mostly skiers or snowboarders. Unfortunately, snowboards don’t deal well with long traverses or slight uphills. This dramatically changes my route selection throughout the day. I’ll even avoid specific runs that are poorly suited for snowboarders. Minute details make a big difference to the guest experience.

What Do I Love About Heli-Skiing

Heli-skiing isn’t rocket science, but it’s not easy either. As you can tell, I’m passionate about heli-skiing as much as I’m passionate about ski touring. The two disciplines occupy two non-competing spots in my heart, and I split my time equally between them each winter. This passion goes further than simply wanting to ski the best powder in the world. I love heli-skiing’s fast pace and complex logistics. It’s both stimulating and challenging. As it goes with ski touring, it’s also highly rewarding. There’s nothing better in this world than witnessing your guests’ excitement after dropping them on top of a knife-edge ridge or after skiing snorkel-deep powder – the deepest they’ve ever seen. I strive to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience every day, and I consider myself incredibly fortunate! Based on my 32 long years of existence, there’s nothing else like it.

The post The Heli-Ski Guide: What’s My Day Like? appeared first on The Uptrack.

Related: Ski Touring In Rogers Pass, BC: All You Need To Know

The Mountains and The Backcountry Terrain

The town of Revelstoke is nestled between two idyllic mountain ranges, the Monashees and the Selkirks, both sub-ranges of the Columbia Mountains. To the West, the Monashees are known for their incredible tree skiing, crammed with natural booters and steep chutes. The thick snowpack and deep powder make landing large features a breeze.

To the East, the Selkirks are better known for their ski-mountaineering potential, offering an unforgettable alpine skiing experience (glaciers, bowls and craggy peaks). Nonetheless, there’s some excellent tree skiing to be found, especially in virgin old-growth forests. On clear days, I’d rather spend my time in the Selkirks, bagging peaks and skiing alpine couloirs. For the unacquainted, Rogers Pass, another world-class ski touring mecca, is located in the Selkirks, just a short 45-minute drive from town.

The terrain’s accessibility and variety are what set Revelstoke apart from other ski touring destinations. From old-growth forest to wide-open, alpine bowls, its ski touring scene is the full package. With a valley at 500m and glacier-capped peaks cresting at 2750m, most backcountry skiing routes offer an impressive vertical, offering quad-burning powder skiing. It goes without saying: a good fitness level is required to complete most routes. Thankfully, the lift-accessed backcountry, beyond the rope line of Revelstoke Mountain Resort, opens up a plethora of friendlier alternatives.

The Climate and Snowfall

The climate is ideal for ski touring in Revelstoke. The area is the world’s only inland temperate rainforest. The snow gods love Revelstoke, dumping anywhere between 12 and 18m (40-60ft) of high-quality snow throughout the winter. Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR) often sees slightly lower snowfall amounts, averaging about 10m at the start of Spring. This is not the dense concrete that typically falls on the coast. The mountains around Revelstoke typically get near-champagne powder, which is quite the feat given the snow amounts that hammer the area. It’s not uncommon to find a snowpack height of 2-4m in the alpine, perfect for covering all those nasty rocks. What might be a cliff in the summer becomes a smooth slope come mid-winter.

Let’s put it that way: powder skiing and endless faceshots in the Revelstoke backcountry are guaranteed. Due to storms tracking west to east across BC, starting from the Pacific and orographic lifting, the Monashee Mountains (west of Revelstoke) see 20-30% more snowfall than the Selkirk Mountains (east of Revelstoke). After a large storm, I usually head straight for the Monashees to revel in exceptionally DEEP powder skiing and strenuous trailbreaking.

Being an inland temperate rainforest, the temperatures in town typically hover around the 0C mark. Most seasons, my shovel gathers dust in the shed’s corner. However, the picture is a little more complicated. As you rise in elevation, the temperatures tend to drop. Typical alpine temperatures range from -5 °C to -15 °C, with the odd February cold snap delivering a shivering -25 °C. Essentially, be prepared for a wide range of temperatures as you’re ski touring in the Revelstoke area.

A Long Ski Touring Season In Revelstoke

The ski touring season in Revelstoke starts in mid-October for the true keeners out there. With the forestry road network reaching as high as 1800m, you can park right by the snow in places like the McCrae Glacier or Joss Mountain. The forest service roads near Revelstoke are typically pretty rough and require a high-clearance, 4×4 vehicle equipped with a UHF radio and tire chains. It’s easy to get caught in a storm mid-tour and come back to steep, snow-covered roads. Beware of the rock sharks hidden under the shallow snowpack at that time of the year. I purposefully seek out spots with a smooth summer ground cover to avoid patching my bases like a full-time ski tech.

Related: The Early Season Snowpack: How It Affects Your Winter

The backcountry ski season ends in mid-April, though some avid adventurers drag it into May around high mountain passes such as Rogers Pass. You’ll need good hiking shoes, ski crampons and skin wax for those warm, late-spring ski tours. Expect valley bottom approaches to be extra icy. The ski resort is operational from December to late April. Its ski lifts allow you to access its amazing backcountry terrain.

Related: Planning A Spring Ski Tour: Optimize Your Peak Pursuit

The Town & The Community

Just off the Trans-Canada Highway, the town of Revelstoke is equal parts vibrant and quaint. Now with a population of more than 8000, it has a rich 130-year history as the epicentre of the logging and the railroad industries in the British Columbia Interior. Its downtown core is lined with heritage homes and restored buildings, adding to the quaint atmosphere. The Revelstoke Museum & Archives is a great place to plunge into the town’s history, starting with its foundation in 1885 during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Its walls are covered with an impressive amount of old photos and literature.

You’d be wrong in thinking Revelstoke is quiet – this town is no slouch during our busy season. It’s bustling with everything from eager adventurers to eclectic hippies. You’ll find a bustling art scene, with the visual arts center and a community gallery. Revelstoke’s downtown is complete with a diverse array of restaurants, bars and even a distillery, Monashee Spirits. A few minutes out of town, you’ll stumble across the Begbie Brewery, our local beer producer. Revelstoke somehow strikes the perfect balance of adventure, amenities, and serenity, an ideal spot for adventurers and foodies alike.

The Avalanche Hazard

The avalanche hazard is always on my mind when ski touring in Revelstoke. The combination of steep terrain and considerable snowfall results in a higher avalanche likelihood. Unlike the ski resort, the Revelstoke backcountry is uncontrolled and wild! It’s no surprise that the two bodies that delve into the recreational and professional avalanche sector, Avalanche Canada and the Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA), decided to call Revelstoke home. Revelstoke sees by far the most avalanches in Canada. Consequently, its complex terrain and high avalanche likelihood make backcountry travel a serious endeavour, requiring expert terrain management and avalanche skills. In a perfect world, all backcountry skiers and splitboarders would have avalanche and first aid training. Short of that, I recommend hiring an ACMG ski or mountain guide to explore our challenging playground. They know the area best and where the powder skiing might be found. Trick statement – it’s nearly everywhere you look.

As with any other mountain range, the Selkirks and Monashees will harbour the classic avalanche problems such as storm/wind slabs and cornices. However, you’ll also find an especially nasty snow grain: surface hoar. Formed during clear, cold and relatively calm weather, surface hoar forms at the – you guessed it – snowpack’s surface in areas where there’s no tree cover. Surface hoar often appears at treeline and below treeline elevations (approximately 1400-2100m) as it requires all of the factors to grow. In the avalanche world, this leads to a persistent slab problem that can lurk for weeks, if not months and can produce large, destructive avalanches.

The Ski Touring Zones

If you’re not already sold on the great skiing around this town, here’s why. Revelstoke is surrounded by four distinct ski touring zones that consistently deliver the good times. They are either accessible by road or ski lifts, and each adds a different flavour to the ski touring or splitboarding experience. If you’re looking for a wicked ski-mountaineering trip, I recommend you pay Rogers Pass a visit.

Mt Macpherson Backcountry

I sometimes think the slopes of Mt Macpherson rose from tectonic activity for the sole purpose of offering skiers an ideal playground. Along with Mt Begbie, the two summits of the Monashees preside beautifully over Revelstoke. A short drive down Highway 23S will lead you to the Revelstoke Nordic Ski Lodge, where the adventure truly starts. With a parking lot at 650m, the skiing here begins after Christmas when the climate is cold enough for the lower slopes to be caked in snow. Most of the accessible ski touring routes are located on the peaks’ E-NE flank.

Related: Ski Touring Mt Macpherson: Glacial Day In The Womb

To the South, you’ll find the Fingers and The Womb, two very popular routes for good reasons. The Fingers offers a short approach with some featured open path skiing. By far, the most accessible route in the area, it’s very popular for pre-work ski touring laps with the dog in tow. The word says it all. Those treeless hallways are avalanche paths with frequent activity. Keep that in mind when spending a considerable time in the area. Accessed by climbing up the Fingers, The Womb is a fulfilling run consisting of a large avalanche path flanked by classic Monashee tree skiing, chock full of backcountry booters and hidden chutes. Once at its top, the summit of Mt Macpherson is an hour’s climb away – an extra 350m of vertical gain up its SE face. The two lines can be linked to form a 1560m descent.

To the North, Burnt and Fuzzy Knob, two obvious bumps, offer a mix of open path and pleasant tree skiing. The fun terrain justifies the longer trek up one of Mt Macpherson’s skid roads. Burnt Knob’s slightly longer approach rewards you with two wicked avalanche paths that can be skied in decent snowpack stability. It’s a great place to visit during a storm when the higher elevations are shrouded in fog.

Related: Burnt Knob, Revelstoke: The Perfect Macpherson Slidepaths

Mt Begbie Backcountry

Mt Begbie is by far the town’s most recognizable summit. Its vast SE shoulder, the Begbie Shoulder, is a prime ski touring zone, with quality Monashee-style glades of old-growth forests, steep treeline chutes and open cut blocks. The snowpack is typically much deeper here than across the Columbia River in the Selkirks. However, the amazing terrain comes with a downside. The access isn’t for the faint of heart. Reaching the shoulder requires at least a 1300m vertical gain. Most folks access the zone by riding a snowmobile up the Begbie Forest Service Road (FSR) and ski touring from a high point.

Related: Begbie Shoulder: Skiing A Revelstoke Classic

Climbing Mt Begbie is an absolute classic. The 2743m peak, towering over Revelstoke, can be conquered in a day on foot starting at the Mt Begbie Trailhead, but most residents benefit from using a snowmobile to climb the Mt Begbie FSR and skip the low-elevation bushwhack. Without a mechanized crutch, it’s a considerable ski-mountaineering achievement with a 2070m elevation gain. Thankfully, you’ll be rewarded with incredible summit views, a short rappel, and a fun ski descent down the Polar Bear Glacier.

Revelstoke Mountain Resort Lift-Accessed Backcountry

It’s paramount to visit the RMR backcountry when ski touring in Revelstoke. Beyond Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s rope line, located below the south slopes of Mt Mackenzie, you’ll find flawless backcountry ski terrain offering endless possibilities. From Montana Bowl to Ghost Peak, there’s something for everyone. You’ll be weaving through trees in South Bowl and skiing large alpine slopes in Montana Bowl & Kokanee Bowl. Below Montana Bowl, you’ll find some man-made tree skiing, Montana Trees, remnants of a defunct cat ski operation, which closed its doors when the resort saw its first visitors. You’ll have to purchase a lift ticket at the resort’s base to access its backcountry terrain. Beware: the avalanche hazard inbounds is controlled by professionals, while the out-of-bounds (backcountry) slopes are not! Avalanche training is paramount in such terrain.

Related: Montana Peak, Revelstoke: Big Mountain Lines For Christmas

North of the main ridge, formed by Mt Mackenzie, Montana Peak and Kokanee Peak, lies Highway Bowl. The alpine cirque offers steep, technical lines for the daring backcountry skiers and splitboarders. This also comes with its fair share of hazards. The ridge’s north aspect is crowned by a large cornice, which has caused numerous accidents over the years. Across Mt Mackenzie and the in-bounds Greely Bowl, you’ll find Greely Trees. The zone offers ultra-fun tree skiing in old-growth forest. The forest here is magical.

Related: Highway Bowl, Revelstoke Mountain Resort: Chasing Big Lines

Far from the crowded slopes of Montana Peak, you’ll stumble across Ghost Peak. Not only is its name fundamentally cool, but the summit sticks out of the landscape like a sore thumb. The day trip is not for the faint of heart. The ski-mountaineering endeavour involves a 17km, 1500m round-trip trek to its summit, crossing most peaks within the Revelstoke Mountain Resort backcountry. The ascent up its SW face typically requires ski crampons as it gets hammered by prevailing winds. It’s a classic that most Revelstoke ski bums aspire to complete.

Related: Ski Touring Ghost Peak, Revelstoke: Counting Minutes

McCrae Peak Backcountry

Located 22km SE of Revelstoke, McCrae Peak is a great early-season ski touring area when you need your powder fix in October. It’s also a fantastic option for late Spring corn turns. Accessed through the Akolkolex FSR network, the hour-long drive requires a high-clearance 4×4 vehicle equipped with a UHF radio and tire chains. Radio communication on the forestry road network is paramount to avoid potentially fatal collisions. As long as the road is snow-free, you’ll be able to access McCrae Peak’s vast backcountry terrain.

Related: McCrae Glacier: Season’s First Powder Turns

Even better, the parking lot is located at 1800m, making the area even more accessible with our scrawny early-season legs. The forested slopes offer exciting tree skiing, weaving through ancient forest. The peak is crowned by the McCrae Glacier, accessed by ascending its mellow west ridge. The ridge is bounded by smooth, grassy slopes, offering safe skiing in shallow snowpack conditions.

Any Questions?

From the ultra-accessible, uncontrolled slopes beyond the resort to the Mt McCrae’s early season hotspot to chase those October turns, ski touring in Revelstoke triggers the adventurer in all of us. If you’re unsure about the terrain ahead or lack the crucial avalanche management skills, hire an ACMG ski or mountain guide for the day. They’ll suss out the good snow and minimize your exposure to all mountain hazards. If you’re looking for accessible ski-mountaineering, I recommend driving to Roger Pass, famous for its crevassed glaciers and long alpine descent from the 3000-meter summits.

Related: 1. Rogers Pass Top Runs: Best Bang-For-Your-Buck 2. Best Couloir Skiing In Rogers Pass For All Skill Levels

I love questions about Revelstoke and Rogers Pass. Please message me through my Contact Page or via Instagram. I’ll do my best to fulfill your requests promptly and accurately! Next winter, I hope I’ll see you cruising through our stunning backcountry playground.

The post Ski Touring In Revelstoke, BC: A Backcountry Skiing Mecca appeared first on The Uptrack.

Related: The ACMG Ski Guide Certificate: What It Takes.

An Unconventional Format

The ACMG Apprentice Ski Guide Exam is an 8 to 9-day practical evaluation of an aspiring guide’s skillset on snow, ice and rock. It’s the first step in the ACMG ski guide certification process and grants you the ability to lead groups in technical ski terrain under the supervision of a certified ski guide. It’s an all-encompassing test where 3-4 students lead a rotating cast of examiners through terrain commonly faced when ski guiding. The routes chosen by the examiners often involve a technical alpine component (such as couloir skiing, rappels, roped glacier travel) with the occasional tree skiing. Under the examiner’s watchful eye, the students take turns in the “guide” position, setting the uptrack, evaluating the hazards, instructing the group on how to move through difficult sections, amongst other things. Examiners will often let the students get into trouble to examine their thought process and error correction. They’ll pull the plug only when truly necessary.

Most would think the evaluation process is arbitrary and extremely subjective. To minimize subjectivity when giving out marks, the ACMG provides 2-4 examiners through which the groups will rotate. After the exam, the examiners meet and discuss in great detail the students’ performance throughout the apprentice ski guide exam, assigning a fair grade at the end. A passing grade of 70% is required to obtain the certificate and continue to the final ski guide exam, after up to three years of industry experience. The exam is broken down into several evaluation criteria.

One exam day is dedicated to a “sports” day where the examiners assess a student’s rope and crevasse rescue skills. It usually takes place on the edge of a wind lip, shallow crevasse or cliff. The challenges vary from a standard crevasse rescue scenario using the 6:1 drop loop to rappelling or ascending through multiple knots. The “sports” day is a welcome break from the stress of non-stop guiding in tiger country. Examiners will advise on the spot to improve your rope skills. Just be ready for the worst weather. I’ve had friends complete their “sports” day in wild winds, frigid temperatures or full-on whiteouts.

The Typical Exam Field Day

Starting in the wee hours of the morning, you’ll probably wake up around 5 AM thinking about the objective. After all, you’ve been trip planning until 10 PM the night before. You’ll have a calorie-dense breakfast either in a backcountry lodge or in your hotel room. You’ll meet your group around 7 AM for your AM guide’s meeting, where you’ll examine the weather, assess the avalanche hazards & risk, and discuss risk mitigation strategies. The examiner will introduce the daily runlist showing routes that can safely be completed given your risk assessment. In practice, the objective is already determined the night before, so you can prepare. You’ll then deliver your pre-trip briefing to your examiner in a clear, cohesive manner. Where to meet, what gear to bring, what conditions to expect on the route, etc. He’ll probably ask you pointed questions if your briefing is lacking details.

At the trailhead, the leading student will perform a transceiver check and an important equipment check. Throughout the field day, you’ll take turns at the front of the group. The examiners expect you to act as a guide, coaching your peers when you would expect the average guest to struggle or when the exposure justifies a careful approach. Good communication is paramount. For instance, let the group know what the route’s next section entails and when the next break will be. Instruct guests to throw a jacket on before travelling on a windy ridgetop feature. Laugh when you make small blunders. Keep things lighthearted when possible and be especially assertive when justified by the hazards. The examiner will drill you with questions. Don’t fret. The intention is not to challenge your thinking but to understand your thought process. They don’t know what’s going on in your head. I prefer to share my plan with the group during breaks to avoid the non-stop interrogation, which could affect my focus. The examiner will also ask you questions regarding navigation.

Hopefully, you’ll reach your objective within an appropriate timeframe. And, if you don’t, it’s all good as long as you can justify turning back given the hazards and weather. The examiner may try to push you towards completing the objective at all costs. Stick to your guns if you’re convinced proceeding further would compromise the group’s safety. By the end of the day, you’ll circle back to your vehicle or the lodge where you’ll meet for a PM guide’s meeting. The examiner will ask you how your day went and provide some key feedback. Next, you’ll have dinner and plan for the next day. Now, rinse and repeat on the next day. There’s no doubt: it’s an incredibly time-consuming process. On my exam, I barely had a few minutes of rest each day. Be prepared for the exhaustion that ensues.

The Feedback And Error Correction Process

Examiners will provide important feedback at the end of every day and in the field. After all, they know you are being certified as an apprentice ski guide and have barely worked in the industry. They don’t expect perfection, but they do expect the students to learn from their mistakes. It’s especially important to take their feedback with grace and apply the key points over the remainder of the exam. I remember one of my examiners described me as a “sponge”, soaking up all the feedback and “wringing” it out (applying it) on the next field day. Flattering compliment, I know! Be a good sponge.

In the same vein, the examiners value error correction. They are adamant about its importance. As a working ski guide, you’ll make daily mistakes, hopefully small, trivial ones. It’s important to assess your decisions with continuous introspection and correct errors that would put clients at risk or be detrimental to their experience. Examiners will happily have you skirt too close to a hidden crevasse, hoping you’ll turn the situation around and instruct your guests to backtrack while you find an alternate route around the hazard. That’s okay! On the flipside, they would rather avoid having you make the wrong decision and drag your group through hazardous terrain because you’re too scared error correct.

Managing The Anxiety

The ACMG apprentice ski guide exam is a stressful evaluation. The process is admittedly unforgiving, highly demanding, and very costly. Most exams range in the $3000-5000 range. A failed exam has to be reattempted at your cost the following year. Not only does the exam fee burn a hole in your wallet, but it also introduces a year delay to your career plans. The missed opportunity cost induces a huge financial hit since you won’t be able to work as an apprentice ski guide in the ski industry, a position that comes with a healthy wage bump. Just know, there are ways to ease the mental struggle.

The ACMG provides an insightful video series on stress management during the exam process. Some students even consult sports psychologists to arm themselves with useful coping strategies. Getting to know your exam group well and training in the field with them helped in minimizing the pre-exam stress. You’ll quickly get over the awkwardness of “mock guiding” your peers. During the evaluation, it’s best to get along with your examiner, laugh at your failures and find ways to enjoy the journey. After all, you’ll be bagging peaks, rappelling into couloirs and figuring out complex glaciers. It’s just skiing – we love it for a reason! I recommend working with your group when trip planning at night so that you’re all on the same page come morning. Healthy and effective group dynamics go a long way to easing the stress during the exam process. By now, you probably already know that. Ensure you follow an energy-dense diet and drink fluids often. You’ll be expending a wild amount of energy in the field. When I’m stressed out, I tend to forget the basics of nutrition in the backcountry.

Training For The Apprentice Ski Guide Exam

Being admitted into the ACMG Ski Guide Training and Application Program (ACMG TAP) is extremely competitive. By then, you’ve got years of personal and professional experience under your belt and several advanced avalanche certifications. Your rope skills are ultra-dialled and probably better than most fully certified ski guides who haven’t rappelled into a couloir in years. In other words, you’re already most of the way to the apprentice ski guide standard. I spent the winter and spring before my late-April exam working as a tailguide for a heli-ski operation and volunteering at ski touring lodges. I also set time aside to complete classic ski-mountaineering objectives in complex glaciated terrain (see the Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale).

A few weeks before my exam in the Canadian Rockies, just north of Lake Louise, I spent a few days with my exam group on commonly guided routes such as Mt Gordon on the Wapta Icefield, Mt Hector, Cirque Peak and Sub-Observation Peak. We took turns guiding our group in the manner we would on the exam. From a good vantage point, I photographed key terrain features and bought ski touring guidebooks to study the area from my home base. Spend some time locating popular trailheads to avoid any confusion during the exam and improve your pre-trip briefing delivered at the start of each day. I often practiced rope skills and crevasse rescue techniques in the evenings. Ask around for beta about the area in which you’ll be assessed. Local guides are a great source of information and will no doubt give you a hand if you mention that the information is for an apprentice ski guide exam.

Good Luck With Your Exam

Well, that’s about all I can think of at the moment. I’ll add some sections to this post as I think of additional insight. By all means, reach out through my Contact Page or Instagram if you’re looking for specific advice or beta on an area you’ll visit. I’ll do my best to help you out! I hope you’ll one day challenge the apprentice ski guide exam and be successful.

The post The Apprentice Ski Guide Exam (ACMG): Trials and Tribulations appeared first on The Uptrack.

Related: The ACMG Apprentice Ski Guide Exam: Trials and Tribulations

What’s The ACMG Ski Guide Certificate?

The certificate provided by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) is the ski-centric chapter of a mountain guide’s training, involving ski touring and mechanized skiing (helicopter and cat-assisted). The other two chapters are the Rock Guide and Alpine Guide. Some call it the PhD. of mountain travel. Completing all three chapters makes you a full mountain guide certified by the ACMG and IFMGA, the latter operating internationally. Being part of the IFMGA means you can work all over the world. As a victim of the outdoor sport’s skyrocketing popularity, the ski guide program is especially highly sought after. The committee lets in up to 25 students yearly out of more than 200 applicants. That’s 12.5% of applicants.

Given the tough competition, all students vastly surpass the minimum admission criteria – most apply several times over. It goes without saying: the bar is high… and for good measure. After all, ski guiding relies heavily on experience and good judgement, which takes time to cement. For years before my admittance, I wondered what got applicants ahead of others, as I was trying my best to stack my recreational and professional ski touring and guiding resume. It honestly was a source of anxiety, always questioning my strategy, wondering if it was the “right” way. Talking to my peers, most students have been eaten up by this burning feeling. Bear with me, I’ll go the long way around to answering this question. I promise I’ll point out some crucial lessons from which aspiring guides could benefit.

Two Distinct Paths: ACMG Or CSGA

Let’s start with the basics. Two associations certify ski guides in Canada: the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) and the Canadian Ski Guide Association (CSGA). While the ACMG offers a full mountain guide certification through the three chapters (ski, rock and alpine), the CSGA focuses exclusively on mechanized ski guiding, helicopter and cat skiing. They’ve recently started offering a touring module that isn’t as widely recognized by employers as the ACMG ticket.

So here are the questions you’ve got to ask yourself. Do you want to be a fully certified mountain guide and guide in other countries? Do you want the variety of ski touring and mechanized guiding? Do you want to operate as an independent guide (guide for hire)? If the answer is no to those questions, the CSGA program might be a better fit.

A Forgotten Past

I figured I might as well use my journey as a case study. I wasn’t born into a family of renowned mountain guides or in the supposed birthplace of ski mountaineering. Really, I was born in Montreal, a bustling city, among a family of well-educated, loving parents working busy white-collar jobs. I grew up skiing in Mont-Tremblant, QC, but not the kind of extreme skiing I now adore. My family wasn’t particularly outdoorsy, but thankfully took me out skiing every winter. In my late teens and early twenties, I started backpacking as a way to escape the stress factors found in the city. I absolutely loved the adventure as well as the solitude that came with the backcountry environment. In 2016, I graduated with honours in mechanical engineering. I was a hard-working student with a particular aptitude in mechanical design and 3D modelling. After working for three years in an office, I was done sitting in front of a computer, 50-60 hours per week. My vision worsened, my lower back ached, and my wrist was throbbing. I watched silently as my body slowly withered away. I craved a more hands-on job. I needed to make a big move.

After months of rumination, I decided to get back to my roots, skiing in big terrain. I googled “ACMG” and looked into the ski guide program. It sounded so appealing, but little did I know, it would take years of hard (fun) work to get there. I ended a healthy relationship, abandoned my stable engineering job and packed my bags. Destination: Revelstoke, BC. I was 25 by the time I was fully dedicated to the path. In my mind, I was late to the party, and I needed to fast-track the process. Boy, was I wrong! This was totally the wrong way to go about it.

Enjoy The Journey Safely

Here’s a quick reality check for aspirant guides: there is no shortcut to getting in. So you might as well enjoy the journey. Thinking I was pretty old for starting on this path, I ground away at high-paying night jobs (serving tables) that allowed me to complete the pre-requisite courses and tour almost every day to the point of burning out by March. I was so focused on the objective of getting into the program that I had a hard time finding enjoyment in skiing. I had a few too many close calls with fast-moving snow, I was buried to my neck by a size 2.5 avalanche, and I lost a few toenails due to frostbite. It came to a point where I would complete an epic, week-long traverse and compromise on my own and my partner’s safety to see it yet become another line in my already extensive ski touring log. In retrospect, I had it all wrong. In a perfect world without this self-imposed agenda where accolades matter, this should have been about exploring new terrain through which few have travelled before, pushing my limits, and just having a grand ol’ time in the wild, most importantly, without compromising on safety. Isn’t that what guiding is all about: safety, followed by client care and enjoyment? It’s a curious irony: I was so obsessed with grasping the apple that I abandoned all the principles by which it is governed.

After an initial failed application, a Hail Mary that didn’t have enough substance, my second go got me into the ACMG Ski Guide program. I got the news in July; I should have been thrilled. In reality, I was numb, and I let out a sigh of relief. I figured: at least now, I won’t put my life on the line to add an impressive trip to my resume. Listen up, folks, don’t be an Oli. Take your time, wait for the right conditions and enjoy the journey… safely.

So What Did It Take?

By the time I applied for the second time (four years since starting on the guide path), I had accumulated the following:

• 203 ski touring days in total
• 41 days of multi-day traverses in complex, glaciated terrain, either tent or hut-based
• Most of my experience was in the Columbia Mountains and in the Rockies. I had a single 5-day tent-based traverse on the Coast
• A season’s experience working as a tail guide in the heli-ski industry.
• One practicum week in a ski touring lodge and a few days shadowing avalanche safety courses
• A few seasons of resort “guiding” on a part-time basis in Revelstoke
• Way too much time spent building The Uptrack
• A life-altering passion for ski touring and skiing in general

I tried to ski tour as much as I could and complete 1-2 big traverses or camping excursions every winter. I remained ambitious in my goals, sometimes taking on an objective that was way beyond my capabilities at the moment. My risk tolerance was way beyond what it is today.

I’m just one example out of many variations. Talking with some of my peers, I found out ACMG students come from diverse backgrounds. It seems like everyone has a vastly different journey. Some have little to no work experience but have completed massive expeditions traversing large swaths of alpine land and entire mountain ranges on skis. Some have a shorter recreational ski touring resume, but have worked in the ski guiding industry for 10 years. The scale truly swings around both extremes.

How To Work In The Ski-Guiding Industry?

It’s a pretty broad question that has been asked many times over and for good reasons. There’s a surprising lack of information online. I might write a piece about that at some point. My advice: persistence is key. I relentlessly contacted guiding operations about potential job opportunities. The job will not magically come to you – you’ve got to get your name out there and know the right people. It’s intimidating, but it’s the only way. The guiding community is very much a word-of-mouth industry. Generally speaking, mechanized skiing operations employ more tail guides than their ski touring counterpart. Managers tend to hire in May-June for the following winter, but job opportunities can come up much later. It’s hard for operations to predict staffing until September-October when bookings are confirmed. I also found it easier to get a job once the employer figured out I had already applied for the ACMG Ski Guide certificate. I figured it shows I’ve got decent experience in the mountain, I share a hardcore passion for skiing, and I’m serious about the career path.

Ski touring operations tend to take on potential students for a week-long mentorship opportunity at their lodge. Folks call this a practicum. It’s an unpaid work exchange where you get to follow two guides and their group in glorious, untouched terrain in exchange for completing basic lodge tasks. While generally speaking, this is a great deal, some operations tend to abuse the willingness of aspiring guides to get free labour out of it, but I won’t get into the matter at this time.

Any Questions?

This is it for today. I truly hope this piece answered some of the questions about the ACMG Ski Guide certificate and shed some light on the thick veil that hides the topic. There’s always more to discuss, but that will have to do for now. Feel free to reach out through my Contact page or Instagram for additional questions. I’ll be more than happy to answer to the best of my knowledge.

See you on the slopes!

The post The ACMG Ski Guide Certificate: What Does It Take? appeared first on The Uptrack.

Having grown up on a farm in Northern Alberta and moved to the mountains I have always been the girl ‘catching up’ or at least ‘keeping up’ with others in the mountains. Every season I seem to pick up new gear and push bigger objectives, always coming out the other side stoked to have learned more and pushed my physical limits. I was expecting the same when some friends asked me to start mountaineering this summer (essentially long days hiking paired with some ‘easy’, rope-less climbing). Instead of the regular adrenaline paired with the stoke I usually have in the mountains, I’ve found myself spending hours nervous, curbing anxiety attacks, questioning my ability, and wondering if I belong up high.

All these feelings came as a surprise to me! The regular Kaitlin thrives on adventure and likes to push limits so why is it different this time? I have spent a lot of time asking myself this question during the past month and I think it all comes down to my mental health. As mountain folks, we spend a lot of time judging our physical fitness, whether that be pushing for 2000+ meters of vert in the winter or mountain biking 30+ km in the summer. This was the first time I felt my fitness was not the barrier. I have the climbing skills, the endurance for approaches, knowledge, and partners to move through the mountains while completing these missions safely.

So as the perfectionist I am, I started to get frustrated by these new feelings and talk myself and my ability down:

Maybe you don’t belong here. Maybe you don’t belong in the mountains you have come to love, the place that has brought you so much joy and peace. The place you are happy to call home. The thought about not belonging at home was heartbreaking. I have come to discover this is a really negative path to go down and one that leaves you feeling unmotivated to get outside and do what you love.

I am no expert on mental health. I will never declare to have black and white answers for how people react in the backcountry. However, I believe as mountain dwellers, striving for high objectives, pushing boundaries and thriving on adrenaline we tend to set the bar high and judge our progress harshly. It is so easy to compare yourself to someone you know who moves faster, has more experience, and does not feel the pressure of exposure (aka. one wrong move could be fatal). Not just the people we know but also those we look up to on social media; posting crazy summit photos with huge smiles and going out 3-4 times a week.

All this said, I believe we should be kind to each other and ourselves. Keep your thoughts positive and know that every person has their own learning curve… especially when it comes to dealing with exposure.

Play within your ability, choose mountain partners who encourage you, and above all else, have fun. Remember why you are here in the first place.

If you have made it to the end of this article, thank you. Thanks for reading my thoughts! I feel we often put up an image of our best self. We neglect to talk about the struggles along the way. Hopefully, some of you will relate! If you would like to talk or share your thoughts, feel free to contact me through my instagram.

The post Dealing With Exposure In The Alpine: Do I Belong Here? appeared first on The Uptrack.

He is currently funding the printing of the latest iteration through the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform. Consider contributing to the culmination of more than two decades of passionate work.

Why am I writing this article?

I truly understood the scope of Douglas’ work once I started ski touring in Rogers Pass on the daily. Take a look at my latest article to get insight into what this ski-mountaineering mecca is all about.

I needed to know more about this spirited Revelstoke legend if I were to invest in his next endeavor. I contacted him out of the blue to set up a call. Our planned 30-minute phone interview transformed into a 2-hour conversation taking the winding road through the history of ski touring in Revelstoke and Rogers Pass. After all, this is bound to happen when two passionate backcountry skiers meet without time constraints. You will find below the gist of our interesting back-and-forth.

Who is Douglas Sproul?

Some people call him Colorado Doug. Well, that’s not entirely true. It’s actually Boston Doug. Born in the state of Massachusetts, Douglas started skiing at the age of 2. This was the golden age of East coast skiing when the hills had bountiful snow. With high school out of the way, he moved to Colorado, chasing the real mountains. If 10 years of skiing champagne powder wasn’t enough for young Douglas, I wonder what was. After hearing of Canadian extreme skiing, he packed his bags and headed for Whistler. He comically mentions:

Mike Wiegele, Whistler, Banff. In the early 1990, that’s all we knew of Canada.

A day later, he quickly got tired of the Whistler “buzz”, finding too many similarities with his Colorado ski resort he sought to escape. Running away from the coast was one of the many turning points in his life, the commencement of his spiritual journey via ski touring, climbing and mountaineering. Through a shady exchange of illicit substances, he heard of Banff, the centerstage of the Canadian Rockies. He loaded up a beat-up car and headed East.

While burning the midnight oil, he stumbled across Revelstoke, specifically the 12-mile road leading to the Akokolex Valley, unbeknownst to him. The next morning, he woke up to the stunning views of two giants, Mt Begbie next to Mt Macpherson. He said:

We met Hank [a Revelstoke local]. He asked us if we liked skiing. He pointed at the Monashees and said: “It snows 50 feet up there”.

Douglas has been living in British Columbia for the last 26 years, bouncing between Golden, Nelson and now Revelstoke. He now inspires others through his technical writing and map-making the way Hank inspired him.

How did Douglas Sproul get into books and maps?

His honest-to-god answer: “I just wanted to hang something on my wall”. Such is the nature of Douglas Sproul. It seems like things just happen around him.

Maybe it’s the benefit of living his passion? After a decade of “research” (exploring Rogers Pass on skis), he first published a pdf guide: Rogers Pass North. He claims 150 people bought his guide. The demand for a detailed guide was obviously there. He then released the first edition of the Rogers Pass: Uptracks, Bootpacks & Bushwhacks, followed by the topographic map, which he self-published to avoid giving away creative control over his art.

He continuously emphasizes that his work is ART. I totally understand with my current background. His motivations are pure: spread the joy of ski touring and instill life-changing, learning, experiences among others.

What’s involved in creating a detailed topo map?

26 years of back-breaking work. Thousand of hours spent tweaking routes, planning approaches, and cross-referencing images. Douglas Sproul considers every step of the way part of his very own spiritual journey. I love his carefree outlook on life, which I’m slowly embracing.

As for defined steps, here’s how it goes: research, academia, and many learning opportunities. The research is the hardest part. Douglas is adamant about writing his guide book based on firsthand experience. He mentioned after apologizing for the upcoming humblebrag:

I couldn’t see any other way! I skied every single route on the map (minus maybe half a dozen “modern” ones).

This is bat-shit insane. Here’s an example to help us understand the magnitude of work put into the project. Take the steep narrow confines of the Single Bench couloir, scarring Mt Tupper. First, he has to scope the line from across the valley. Second, he has to wait for the conditions to be just right as a mistake guarantees death. Third, it might take three attempts to complete the planned route. Now, rinse and repeat for all 150 (minus 6) lines on the new map. Creating a guide map in this fashion is a monstrous time-sink.

After the research, comes “academia”, he coins. It involves learning current mapping technologies, laying the foundations for self-publishing and orchestrating the final product with Parks Canada who manages the avalanche control operation within the highway corridor. All that would be easier if it wasn’t for the many mistakes made along the way.

What’s new?

Any plans for the future of GeoBackcountry?

Douglas is almost certain he will release a third iteration of the Rogers Pass guide book, this time divided into two volumes: Rogers Pass North and South. The split will reduce the size of the books, making it easier to fit in a backpack’s top pocket. It will also include enhanced image/route manipulation and improve upon the feedback of the ski touring community.

A Closing Note

All in all, I clearly have a thing for well thought out guide maps for they help me navigate the mountains safely and encourage me to further my ski-mountaineering journey. Most importantly, Douglas’ guide book is not a cash cow. I want to make that very clear. It is a passion project of the purest grade, a love letter for the mountains, as is The Uptrack. Douglas and I share the same goal of inspiring others to seek the unknown while having a good ol’ time.

The post Douglas Sproul: A Cartographer’s Spiritual Journey appeared first on The Uptrack.