The Backcountry Travel class is designed to teach Alpine Touring skiers, Telemark skiers, Snowshoers and Split Boarders how to travel safely in the backcountry in winter and spring.

The first third of the course focuses entirely on Basic Avalanche Avoidance and Assessment. These skills are then applied on a backcountry day tour and an overnight camping and touring trip. While out touring, students will learn about snow stability analysis, route selection, avalanche rescue techniques, winter navigation and camping, negotiating varied snow conditions, and looking good while having fun.

2013 Backcountry Class

Feel free to contact the co-chairs at wac-bc-chairs@googlegroups.com if you have questions about the class.

The cost of the course is $125, which does not include the cost of the WAC membership fee. Participants are responsible for acquiring their own equipment.

The class is available to Alpine Touring skiers, Telemark skiers, Snowshoers, and Split Boarders. The class will be limited to 20-25 students. Each touring group will consist of 4-6 students and two instructors. If we do not receive at least 4 snowshoe applications, as happened in 2012, we will not accept snowshoers into the class.

Skiers & snowboarders should be at least of strong intermediate ability. This means the ability to descend black runs in almost all conditions. Skiers and snowboarders in this class will be skiing in the backcountry in the Cascades in the winter, where less-than-perfect snow conditions, trees, and other obstacles can present serious challenges. We'll do our best to accommodate skiers of various abilities, but those who are more comfortable in challenging conditions will probably find this class more enjoyable!

2013 Schedule:

• Tuesday February 5: Classroom lecture, 6:30 PM, Outdoor Research Store, Seattle
• Sat-Sun February 9-10: Avalanche safety, WAC Cabin, Snoqualmie Pass
• Tuesday February 19: Classroom lecture, 6:30 PM, Outdoor Research Store, Seattle
• Sat-Sun February 23-24: Intro to winter backcountry travel, location TBD (one or two day trips)
• Tuesday February 26: Classroom lecture, 6:30 PM, Outdoor Research Store, Seattle
• Sat-Sun March 2-3: Overnight Backcountry Trip, location TBD
• Sat-Sun March 9-10: Backup Weekend in case previous weekends are cancelled because of unsafe snow conditions

Admittance

You must be a member of the WAC to take this class. You can sign up and pay for membership at the same time you apply for the class, or you can wait until you are accepted into the class to join the WAC. Please note that the cost of WAC membership is not refundable. You will not be charged the class fee if you do not get in to the class or if the course is cancelled due to lack of snow. Admittance is based on a review of applications and phone interviews, and is not first come-first served. Applicants will need daily access to email to coordinate weekend trips. Applicants turned away from previous classes or who have volunteered as instructors in other WAC courses are given preference.

Travel Type

You can choose to Telemark or AT ski, snowshoe, or use a split snowboard. Lightweight nordic equipment (such as touring skis and leather boots) is not appropriate for the class.

Trip Gear List

The gear required for the course for day trips is listed here. Gear required for the overnight trip is listed here.

A few local gear shops rent Telemark and AT ski gear, snowshoes, and split boards, as well as avalanche beacons. The WAC has one large split board for rent, so please note on your application if you are interested in using one for the course.

Application

Applications for the 2013 class are now closed. Instructions on how to apply are here. We plan to conduct phone interviews in early December and to inform applicants as to whether or not they will be accepted into the class by mid-December 2012.

Should there be vacancies before class begins, they will be filled by the waitlist.

Instructors

Want to improve your backcountry skills while teaching and having fun? Help teach the class!

If you have at least a Level 1 Avalanche certification and a few years experience in the backcountry please contact the co-chairs at wac-bc-chairs@googlegroups.com to participate. Thanks for your help!