September 30, 2020 Ski Guide Training Commences

Well no fall season is complete without the annual Canadian Ski Guide Summer Glacier Skills Course (SGSC) in Wiegele World. This marked the 26th anniversary of the SGSC.

This was the first course hosted by the Canadian Ski Guide Institute (CSGI) since the start of Covid-19. The CSGI instructor pool met the week prior in order to work through the new protocols required to enable the association to continue to host courses safely. Covid-19 has simply become one more risk that guides need to learn how to manage. Needless to say, the 13 candidates in attendance this year were extremely cooperative with the new mitigation measures taken daily to ensure everyone’s safety; from mask wearing when in close proximity, to daily temperature checks, Canada Health Covid-19 screening questionnaires, and diligent hand sanitization. 

The candidate pool was introduced to basic summer mountaineering skills, including roped up glacier travel, ice axe and crampon use, self-arrest techniques, anchor building, rope rescue techniques, short-roping, short-pitching, and navigation exercises, to name a few.

This year’s participants were privy to some of the best weather in recent years allowing for multiple summit objectives to be successfully completed, Eagles Nest at 9200 ft. and Heaven’s Gate at 9100 ft. somewhat high summits considering the latitude.

Unlike year’s past, there was so much residual winter snow, it was challenging to find crevasses and bare glacier ice for travel and practice. Most of the travel at high altitude was conducted on the remains of last winter’s abundant snowfall. In fact, this was the fewest number of crevasses I’ve witnessed in my 20 years at the SGSC.

This year’s instructor pool comprised of; Bob Sayer, co-founder and current president of the Canadian Ski Guide Association, Mike Hainault Canadian Ski Guide Institute course coordinator, Crosby Johnston CSGA technical committee member, and Scott Streadwick senior instructor with the CSGI.

As the association moves towards the winter season, the success achieved at the SGSC garners positive and optimistic sentiment with regards to the winter course schedule. The modifications undertaken to mitigate the Covid-19 virus are reasonable to manage in our working environment, and as an association we feel confident moving forward with our programs this winter.

As the world grapples with how to manage the global pandemic, it’s nice to know that aspiring guides are continuing to seek mentorship, training and certification in order to be ready for when the industry rebounds from this temporary setback.

Long term winter weather predictions for the pacific north west look promising. Many climatologists are saying we are likely to see a wetter and colder winter than usual. Generally, this means great powder skiing for this region of the world. We’re looking forward to making fantastic powder turns this winter.

Stay happy, healthy and safe. We look forward to reconnecting with all of you in the near future.

Sincerely,



Mike Hainault

CSGI, Course Coordinator