Zenith courses and trips are open!

There’s been a little more alpine snow since last newsletter but still plenty of warm sunny September days to keep it from sticking around. We've been loving the rock climbing but just to keep the irons hot, we’ve got all our public Zenith events ready to go. 

We try to keep the advertisements to a minimum with this newsletter because we want it to be a trusted source of snowpack information in the winter. That being said, it’s also our best opportunity to keep everyone in the loop of our courses and trips so we'd love if you'd give it a look!

Courses

All our courses are live! 

Avalanche Refresher Course - One thing we strongly believe is that every backcountry traveller should dedicate a day to practicing avalanche rescue skills every season. Whether you do it on your own, with another guide service, or with us doesn’t matter too much - we just want you to do it so when shit hits the fan, muscle memory takes over and you can dig up your buddies. If that gives you a bit of a shiver, that’s good. 

Here’s why we think you should take it with Zenith:

• This isn’t an AST. We will be practicing specific skills that apply to real world avalanche rescue. It’s a refresher so we focus on getting things dialled, not teaching basic principles. 
• We get a LOT of repetitions with the beacons and probes. That’s one of the most important things. We bring a bunch of beacons and strike plates and all work together to rotate through different, increasingly complex scenarios. 
• We also cover some of the soft skills around avalanche rescue and you get a chance to really question the professionals. You can totally practice with your crew on your own but are you sure you’re all up to speed on the latest best practices? This will get you the most recent skills. 

Ski Mountaineering Course - Designed for ski tourers getting off the beaten path. We spend a day on gear, techniques, and strategy in a controlled environment. Day two we head out into real terrain where we can get in reps with those techniques. 

Pro-Lines Course - Our advanced decision making course. This is intended for intermediate and advanced ski tourers who want to answer the most important question - is it good to go? We go deep into our decision making process - observing, analyzing, and acting. This is a low ratio group and the team will decide on objectives throughout the corridor.

Spearhead Prep Course - For folks looking to do Spearhead (especially in a day) this spring. We go deep into the most important strategy - never stop moving. We’ll get out on the Spearhead and discuss the route, the gear, and how best to ensure you’re not running out of headlamp batteries at the end of the big day. 

See something that’s not here? We can do custom courses! We can add in alternate dates for one of our listed courses. We also offer custom crevasse rescue and AST courses that we don’t put on the schedule. Reach out and let us know what you want to accomplish!

Trips

We've got a couple of pretty rad lodge weeks on tap too. Optimal time of year for pow smashing and then a spring euro traverse. These are custom trips so if you're interested, reach out via email below!

• Ice Creek Lodge: Jan 9 - Jan 16 - Two spots available at $4,600/person. Intended for experienced ski tourers looking for 1500m+ days. This is pow town!
• Hilda Hut: Jan 24 - Jan 31 - Five spaces available at $4,800/person. Advanced skiers!
• Ortler Traverse: Mar 28 - Apr 5 - Four spaces available at $4,500/person.  

Ok - thanks for sticking with us through the sales pitch. Next newsletter we'll be back with info to help you prep for sliding on snow!

For more information, check out Zenith Mountain Guides and our local avalanche forecast. Weather forecasts are custom from meteorologist Jason Ross. These updates are supported by SkiUphill Squamish - the best stop for ski touring equipment in the Coast Mountains and made possible by the Sea to Sky Gondola! Use this information at your own risk. Conditions change rapidly from when this report was written!