Intro Backcountry Touring Course

Course day

8:00 am - Meet at Whistler base, review gear and rescue techniques

9:00 am - Head up the Whistler Blackcomb lift system and into the backcountry

4:30 pm - Day wrap-up

Avalanche Gear

Avalanche beacon
Probe
Shovel

Hardware

Backcountry skis or split-board (skis, skins, poles)
30-litre backpack or large enough to carry personal gear

Clothing

Waterproof/breathable jacket and pants
Lightweight, breathable jacket and pants (for uphill skinning/climbing)
Insulated jacket (synthetic insulated jacket is strongly recommended)
Lightweight gloves for climbing/skinning
Warm gloves
Warm hats
Balaclava or other types of neck warmer

Miscellaneous

Sunglasses
Goggles
Sunscreen
Sun hat
Ski strap
Small personal ski repair kit
Personal first aid, medication
Camera

Lunch/Water

Please arrive in the morning with food and drink for the day.

Please take a moment to read and understand our policies before booking! Booking, payment, cancellation and weather policies, as well as FAQ, may be found here.

The Intro Backcountry Touring Course teaches touring technique, gear use and general mountain travel in one day, with a light introduction to avalanche hazard. AST 1 is Avalanche Canada’s avalanche safety certificate: an online pre-course plus a field day on snow assessment, companion rescue and terrain-based decision-making. We recommend AST 1 before this course, but it isn’t required. Once you can tour, AST 1+ Managing Avalanche Terrain combines AST 1 with a second field day applying it on a real tour.

No. It’s designed for skiers with zero backcountry experience. You do need intermediate-to-advanced resort skiing ability - comfortable on black diamond runs and in powder - plus the fitness for 3 or more hours of continuous uphill travel.

Yes. You bring all your own gear: a backcountry touring setup (skis or splitboard with skins) and avalanche rescue gear (transceiver, probe and shovel). No equipment is included. Backcountry ski rentals are available in Whistler if you don’t own a setup.

Groups are capped at 6 students per ACMG-certified guide, so you get meaningful individual coaching and feedback throughout the day rather than a lecture-style group lesson.

You’ll cover uphill (skinning) technique and track-setting, gear transitions, powder and off-piste descent technique, basic avalanche hazard and terrain evaluation, route finding, navigation, and companion rescue fundamentals.

You should be able to hike or skin uphill continuously for 3+ hours. There’s no specific fitness test - just solid intermediate-to-advanced skiing ability and reasonable trail fitness.

On Whistler Blackcomb backcountry (Garibaldi provincial park), accessed via the lift system. The day starts with a gear and rescue briefing at the base at 8:00 AM, ascends by 9:00 AM, and wraps up by 4:30 PM.

$185/person + GST on weekdays, $205/person + GST on weekends. A Whistler Blackcomb lift ticket, lunch, backcountry ski rental, and avalanche rescue gear aren’t included in that price.

Yes. Many guests organize their own group and date. Tell us the dates, location and goals that work for you and we’ll set up a custom course. Custom courses have a maximum ratio of 8:1 and start at $850.

No. It builds touring skills and general hazard awareness but isn’t a substitute for AST 1 or AST 2 certification. Altus offers those separately for guests who want to travel independently in avalanche terrain.

Yes. Splitboarders are welcome. Bring a splitboard with skins, plus your avalanche rescue gear.

Get out touring in simple terrain with experienced friends. If you haven’t done avalanche training, take AST 1, or AST 1+ Managing Avalanche Terrain now that you can tour. After a season of touring, the next step is AST 2.