Choosing An AST Provider

Thoughts, Ideas & Suggestions for Booking the right provider for your AST Course

 

Choosing an AST Provider.

JUST LIKE A NEW SET OF BOOTS - IT'S ALL ABOUT A GOOD FIT
 

We do our best to stay plugged into our local backcountry community via social media watching for trends and common questions, and course to course student feedback. We offer the following based on consistent questions from prospective students we see seasons to season in our community in the hopes this may provide some tools to set yourself up to connect with a provider that can give you what you need. It's all about a good fit - but knowing the right questions to ask of any potential course provider to determine whether they will meet your needs can be tough.

While our AST Courses have grown by leaps and bounds as a result of you, our students, sharing your experiences about us in the community, the reality is we can't be a perfect fit for every student out there - and that's ok. To follow are some ideas and questions designed to inspire a process that may help ensure that whatever your goals or personal objectives may be for your AST Course, you're able to ask the questions of any provider that will line you up to get what you need from any provider you choose.

While we obviously have some bias here (we think our Guides are pretty top shelf) we've made the effort to keep our suggestions and process objective. We've worked to include insight on what our courses include and what they don't, and provide a number of suggestions for other course providers who we feel offer exceptional educational experiences if for whatever reason we're not your huckleberry, or our courses are sold out on the dates you're keen to book 

We hope the following inspires a process to line up the best course possible provider for your needs.

- The Cloud Nine Guides Crew.

Questions to Ask An AST PROVIDER Before you Book?
 

 What level of Certification will my Guide have?
  • IFMGA Mountain Guide 
  • ACMG Ski or Apprentice Ski Guide
  • ACMG Alpine or Apprentice Alpine Guide
  • CAA Active Member or Professional Member 
 Will I get to SKI / RIDE on my AST 1 Course?
 
 Will we be in AVALANCHE TERRAIN on my AST 1?
 
 How much experience will my Guides have?
  • How many years experience do the Guides have? (top end / bottom end)
  • What sort of other work experience will my Guides have?
    Heli & Cat Skiing? Ski Mountaineering? Ice & Alpine Guiding? Mountain Rescue?
  • How long have the Guides been instructing the AST Courses?
 What are the Guide : Student Ratios?
 
 The Classroom Day: Is it hosted in person, online, or is it self-directed learning?
 
 Are your Guides and Operation licensed by Avalanche Canada to provide the AST Courses?
 
 Will I be in a mixed group, or divided on the Field Day into ski, splitboard and showshoe groups?
 
 If I book with my friends, will we be in the same group on the Field Day?
 
 Will we learn the basics of snow (pits) profiles, or snow stability tests on the AST 1?
 

Questions to Ask Yourself before Booking?

DEFINING YOUR NEEDS 
 
  • Is it important to me that my Guides & Instructors have diversity in, and high levels of professional experience?
     
  • Do I want the opportunity to travel through avalanche terrain on my course?
     
  • Do I want my Classroom Day to be in person, hosted online, or is remote learning the best fit?
     
  • Do I want a very small learning group, or am I ok in a larger classroom environment?
     
  • Am I comfortable with the Guide to Student Ratios to be expected on the Field Day?
     
  •  Do I mind being in a mixed group with skiers, splitboarders and snowshoers?
     
  • Do I want the opportunity to learn techniques for snow (pits) profiling & snow stability tests?

 

 

GUIDE & INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION LEVELS:

There is a huge variety in the certification levels required of those eligible to teach the AST 1 & 2 Level Courses. This likely will be the biggest determinant of course outcomes, and what can be offered to students on course.

At minimum, a course instructor will require either Active or Professional Membership with the Canadian Avalanche Association to be eligible to teach the AST 1 & 2 Courses. Many service providers however only provide only ACMG or IFMGA Guides to teach these courses, which can require more than a decade of training and examination to complete. 
 

Time & Certification Requirements For Various Certification Levels of AST Course Instructors:
 

  • ACMG Guide - Alpine Certification
    Guides in the ACMG Alpine Stream are eligible to teach AST 1 & 2 Courses provided they also carry membership and either Active or Professional Level Membership with the CAA. ACMG Alpine Guides instructing on AST Courses have significant limitations imposed on the terrain they can access while on skis and cannot offer descents on course. They are however often an excellent fit for students on snowshoes, ice climbers or mountaineers who may have limited interest in skiing or splitboarding.

     Very well suited to certain user groups. 
     

  • CAA Professional Member
    This certification level is the minimum requirement to teach the AST 2 Course and includes the option to instruct the AST 1. It requires that a potential instructor have completed the CAA Operations Level 1 and 2 Courses. The L1 includes 8 Days of Instruction and examination total, while the L2 includes approximately 14 days on course.  Upon successfully completing both L1 & L2 courses, one can apply for the CAA Professional Membership level and begin to instruct AST 1 & 2 Courses with significant limitations on the terrain they are able to access.

     Very well suited to certain user groups. 
     Potential for significant variability in instructor experience. 
     Have significant terrain limitations.
     

  • CAA Active Member
    This certification level is the minimum requirement to teach the AST 1 Course. It requires that a potential instructor have taken a AST 1 themselves, as well as complete the CAA Operations Level 1 Course. The L1 includes 8 Days of Instruction and examination total. Upon successfully completing the course, one can apply for the CAA Active Membership level and begin to instruct AST 1 Courses with significant limitations on the terrain they are able to access.

     Very well suited to certain user groups. 
     May have less than 1 year of experience in the backcountry or in a professional instructional setting.
     Have significant terrain limitations.