Winterstoke Backcountry Festival

Backcountry Base Camp

February 21,22 2025 – Book now

Master the skills needed for alpine winter camping and gear up for longer overnight traverses on foot. This clinic goes beyond basic winter camping, offering the chance to experience a multi-day base camp setup. You’ll learn about traversing techniques, choosing the best base camp location, efficient packing, staying safe and dry, and making the most of your time at camp.

Avalanche and Rescue Response

February 20, 2025 – Book now

Refresh the essential skills from your AST 1 or AIARE 1 course with a full day of hands-on rescue practice. In the morning, we’ll cover the use of modern avalanche transceivers, 1:1 rescue techniques, multiple burial searches, and the latest probing and shoveling methods.

After lunch, we’ll dive into a session focused on first aid and extraction steps during an avalanche rescue scenario.

Backcountry Foundations - Women led

February 21, 2025 – Book now

Learn the basics of planning and going on your first backcountry ski tour with a group of like-minded individuals. This full-day course will be a fun exploration of the backcountry, designed to build your confidence with your ski setup and avalanche safety equipment. No prior experience is needed—don’t feel pressured, as we’ll be starting from the very beginning.

AST 1 Top Up

February 20, 2025 – Book now

Refresh the skills you learned in your AST 1 course from years ago. Revisit the foundational knowledge needed for safe backcountry travel, including avalanche formation and terrain assessment.

Mountain Mentorship - Level 1

February 20, 2025 – Book now

You’ve completed your avalanche course, dialed in your gear, and logged some tours—but now you’re looking for guidance on your next steps and to refine your process. Join a small group for hands-on feedback, covering everything from route planning and hazard forecasting to mountain travel. Each participant will have the opportunity to lead, receiving personalized feedback from the guide and advice on how to strengthen their skills for future adventures.

Split-board Foundations

February 21, 2025 – Book now

Ready to take your riding from the groomers to the backcountry? This one-day, hands-on intro to split boarding is designed to equip you with the skills to use your split board and backcountry safety gear properly. It’s the perfect stepping stone to prepare for your first avalanche course or backcountry tours with more experienced riders.

 

Foundations Guided Backcountry Tour (Whistler / Blackcomb)

February 21, 2025 – Book now

New to the backcountry? Join our crew to build a solid foundation for future learning and adventures. We’ll cover all the essential gear for backcountry touring—from skis and avalanche equipment to the tools on your phone for planning a successful day. Think of this as your safe space to get fully prepared before diving in with both feet.

Locals AST 1

February 23, 2025 – Booking coming soon

Join us for a special AST 1 course, offered at a discounted rate for community members. This essential avalanche safety training covers the fundamentals of backcountry travel, including assessing avalanche terrain and interpreting forecasts. Gain hands-on experience with rescue techniques and decision-making in real-world conditions. It’s the perfect opportunity to build critical skills while connecting with your local outdoor community

Participants will receive a certificate of completion from Avalanche Canada.

AST 1 - Women led

February 23, 2025 – Book now

Kick-start your backcountry journey with a women-led AST 1 course in the Whistler backcountry. Begin with engaging online learning and then head into the mountains to practice hands-on skills alongside others at your pace.

Participants will receive a certificate of completion from Avalanche Canada.

AST 1 - Snowshoe edition

February 23, 2025 – Book now

Want backcountry experiences but prefer snowshoes as your mode of transport? This is your chance to complete the Canadian standard AST 1 course on foot.

Participants will receive a certificate of completion from Avalanche Canada.

Women Led Ski/Split Mountaineering

February 20, 2025 – Book now

This clinic is for backcountry skiers and riders who want to enhance their adventures by covering more terrain and summiting peaks. Learn to systematically approach common ski mountaineering challenges, including hazard recognition and management, risk assessment, anchor building, rope techniques for descending and ascending, entering couloirs, and complex glacier travel.

Modern Navigation and Trip Planning

February 23, 2025 – Book now

Believe it or not, South Coast touring FB page isn’t the only place to get beta on where to ski! Learn how to read a map, examine terrain, and how weather moves through terrain to find the best zones. Most importantly: we’ll cover how to find your way around this terrain once you are in it.

*Clinic includes snowcat shuttle to Callaghan Valley

AST 2 and Beyond

February 22, 2025 – Book now

Join a guide and a group of like-minded backcountry enthusiasts to refresh the skills you learned in your AST 2 (or equivalent) before winter begins. Review trip planning, snowpack assessment, and decision-making, and check in on any new techniques introduced to the industry since your last course.

Whistler/Blackcomb Backcountry Group Tour

February 23, 2025 – Book now

The backyard! And how good it is. Spend the day touring around the Whistler or Blackcomb Backcountry with a guide, learning their secret spots, gaining some snow knowledge, and getting some runs in.

Crevasse Rescue Mastery

February 20, 2025 – Book now

Learn what to do if someone falls into a crevasse. This clinic will teach the principles of crevasse rescue in both ski and mountaineering settings, with a focus on lightweight rope kits as well as conventional systems.

Finding new backcountry lines

February 21, 2025 – Book now

Learn the art of finding the best lines when touring in unfamiliar areas. This clinic will teach you how to analyze terrain and use both traditional map reading and modern digital tools to plan efficient uptracks and choose optimal descents. You’ll develop the skills to identify key terrain features, assess slope angles, and evaluate snow conditions to make informed decisions.

Throughout the clinic, we will venture into new terrain, where you will practice these skills in real-time. Working as a team, you’ll gain confidence in navigating complex landscapes and discovering the best routes.

*Includes snowcat transfer into the Callaghan Valley

Mountain Mentorship Level 2

February 21, 2025 – Book now

February 22, 2025 – Book now

Take turns in the hot seat, leading the group in navigation, uptracking, and deciding what terrain is safe to ski—all with feedback from an experienced guide. This is a great opportunity to refine your skills and gain clearer insights into your strengths and weaknesses in backcountry safety and travel.

Level 2 is designed for those who have completed their AST 2 (or equivalent) and want to build confidence in leadership and decision-making. By the end of the clinic, you’ll have a stronger understanding of both personal and group decision-making in challenging environments.

Pre-Trip Planning and Execution

February 21, 2025 – Book now

Pre-trip planning and hazard forecasting might not seem glamorous, but it’s the process that can make or break your backcountry day. In this clinic, you’ll learn how guides and industry pros begin their decision-making from home and carry that knowledge into the field. Discover how effective planning sets the foundation for safer, more successful adventures.

Split-board Efficiency

February 22, 2025 – Book now

This clinic will teach you how to approach backcountry terrain with confidence from the perspective of riding a board, focusing on safe and efficient ways to reach your objectives. You’ll dive into trip planning strategies, including how to interpret weather and avalanche forecasts to guide your decisions. Learn tips for uphill travel, smooth transitions, and handling challenges on the descent, such as first snow traverses, boot packing, and those pesky flat sections. Additionally, you’ll practice selecting terrain and perfecting your ride down.

*Includes snowcat transfer into the Callaghan Valley

Steeps and Peaks

February 23, 2025 – Book now

This clinic is for backcountry skiers and riders looking to add more excitement to their adventures by covering greater terrain and summiting peaks. You’ll learn to systematically tackle common ski mountaineering challenges. Topics include hazard recognition and management, risk assessment, anchor building, rope techniques for descending and ascending, entering couloirs, and complex glacier travel.

*Clinic includes snowcat shuttle to Callaghan lake 

Women Led Alpine (or suitable) Shred

February 23, 2025 – Book now

This clinic is for backcountry skiers and riders who want to spice up their backcountry adventures by covering more terrain and summiting peaks. Learn to approach common ski mountaineering challenges systematically. Hazard recognition and management, risk management, anchor building, rope descending and ascending, entering a couloir, and complex glacier travel will be introduced. 

Heli-assisted ski tour (Tantalus)

February 20, 2025 – Book now

February 21, 2025 – SOLD OUT

Jump in the chopper for a quick flight out of Squamish into the untracked backcountry goods. Ski tour for a full day and return back to the valley with an afternoon pick up. Perfect to get the early season going up high.

Weather dependant – Tantalus Range

The trip is refunded if we are not able to fly due to weather or conditions.

Snow Science Update

February 20, 2025 – Book now

Expand your knowledge of snowpack assessment and snow tests, and learn how to apply this information to your ski line selection. This clinic is designed to help skiers make more informed decisions in avalanche terrain by using advanced snow observations. You’ll dive deeper into understanding snow structure, stability tests, and how to interpret results in real-time to identify hazards. By the end of this clinic, you’ll have the skills to integrate snowpack data into your terrain choices, making your backcountry travel safer and more efficient.

*Clinic includes snowcat shuttle to Callaghan lake 

Duffey Lake Group Tour

February 20, 2025 – Book now

The backyard! And how good it is. Spend the day touring the Whistler or Blackcomb backcountry with a guide, discovering secret spots, gaining valuable snow knowledge, and, of course, getting some runs in. This is the perfect way to explore familiar terrain from a fresh perspective while picking up insider tips from a local expert.

Big Mountain Split Skills

February 21, 205 – Book now

Step up to bigger terrain with confidence. This clinic focuses on how to choose and navigate the essential steps for tackling longer, more complex descents. While the focus is on ski mountaineering and steep terrain, it’s tailored for snowboarders. Learn the skills to conquer bigger objectives, with subtle tweaks that make it smooth and efficient on a split board.

 

Mountain Mentorship Level 3

February 23, 2025 – Book now

Take turns in the hot seat, leading the group, navigation, uptracking or deciding what is safe to ski with feedback from an experienced guide. This is great opportunity to hone in your skills and have more clarity on your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to backcountry safety and travel. Level 3 is geared to people who have completed their AST 2 or equivalent and logged a minimum of 2 years in the backcountry.

 

Steep Skiing/Riding

February 22, 2025 – Book now

This clinic is for experienced skiers or boarders looking to push their riding to the next level in the backcountry. Our guides will lead you through hazard assessment, risk management, and line selection to ride big lines.