Your First Step Into the Backcountry
- 3 Days
- Avalanche Canada Curriculum
AST 1 + CSR
Avalanche Skills Training 1 + Companion Rescue Skills
AST 1 + CSR is the standard entry point into backcountry travel — the course almost everyone starts with, and the one we’d recommend before you set foot off-piste for the first time. It runs on the Avalanche Canada curriculum, the same standard used across the backcountry guiding industry.
Day one is classroom-based: how avalanches form and release, reading terrain, trip planning, and the decision-making tools (like the Avaluator and ATES terrain ratings) that guide every call you make in the field. Days two and three move outside — transceiver search practice, airbag use, multiple-burial scenarios, and organising a group rescue when it actually counts.
No prior experience required. This is genuinely the first step, not an advanced course wearing a beginner label.
¥56,000 per person (¥52,000 local rate). Includes certified guide, textbook, avalanche evaluator, certification/exam fees, and backcountry insurance. Gear rental, lift tickets, and meals not included — see our Rentals page if you need equipment.
No prior backcountry experience required — this is where everyone starts.
If you’re heading into the backcountry for the first time, or you’ve been riding off-piste without formal training and want to close that gap, this is your course. It’s also a solid refresher if it’s been a few seasons since your last avalanche training.
Once you’ve completed AST 1, you’re ready to move on to AST 2 + MAT when you want to go deeper into terrain evaluation and advanced rescue.
| MEETING LOCATION | Canyons BC Base, Nozawa |
| SEASON | Dates TBA — 2026/27 season |
| DURATION | 3 days |
| GROUP SIZE | Max 10 participants |
Course Curriculum
1 | Day 1: Classroom |
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2–3 | Days 2–3: Field |
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