Training and learning new skills took on a whole new dimension for members of Barriere Search and Rescue when they recently joined up with members from Kamloops Search and Rescue to complete an Avalanche Skills Training course put on by Colwest Alpine Adventures to further improve their capabilities.
Avalanche Canada’s “Avalanche Skills Training” (AST1) course is a comprehensive program that consists of six hours of class time spread over two virtual classroom sessions, plus two days in the field (eight hours each) for a total of 20 hours of direct instruction to complete the AST1 course.
The course focuses on understanding, recognizing and avoiding avalanche hazards. Participants learned terrain recognition, basic snow pack structure, weather, group management, safe route finding and avalanche rescue techniques from the Colwest instructors.
“Great instruction and an excellent course,” said a KSAR Facebook post after completion of the Jan. 15 - 16 field days.
With warmer temperatures and lots of sunshine it causes a destabilizing effect on mountain snowpacks. Avalanche Canada and Parks Canada issued a Special Public Avalanche Warning on Jan. 20 across numerous forecast regions in both B.C. and Alberta, urging backcountry users to be especially cautious until at least the end of Monday, Jan. 24.
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