Steep Terrain Protocol Training for Guides and Patrollers

Silverton Mountain, CO
Silverton Mountain, CO

New Steep Terrain Protocol Training For Ski/Snowboard Guides And Patrollers Jan. 24-26, 2015 At Silverton Mountain

New Steep Terrain Protocol Training for Ski/Snowboard Guides and Patrollers.

Jan. 24-26, 2015
Silverton Mountain

More info here.


PRESS RELEASE – Silverton, Colo., September 05, 2014 — After the recent string of ski patroller and ski guide accidents, snow professionals are re-evaluating the way snow safety, guiding, patrolling, avalanche control, and mountain work is learned. The traditional training curriculum has not kept up with the growth of the sport across bigger mountains, expert terrain expansion and increased skier ability.

Silverton Mountain
Silverton Mountain

Aaron Brill of Silverton Mountain Guides, Dean Cummings of H20 Guides, and Reggie Crist of First Ascent have come together to present a one-of-a-kind educational workshop. Practical Protocols For Snow Professionals/ Steep Life Workshop: New Steep Terrain Protocol Training for Ski/Snowboard Guides and Patrollers.

Traditional Avalanche and Ski Guide Training has been focused on snow science and snowpit-based methodology, but this leaves out many important practical protocol techniques. In this workshop Dean Cummings, Reggie Crist, and Aaron Brill will share the techniques and thought processes they have developed and used in the field. With more than 60+ years of combined experience, this team has spent a lot of time innovating in the mountains, and has gained experiences and insights that are essential for ski/snowboard guides, ski patrol and aspiring professionals. Anyone that accesses mountains from the top down, or spends time in avalanche terrain, can benefit from this cutting edge workshop offered at Silverton Mountain.

By attending the workshop attendees will:

  • Gain a better understanding of how to read mountains,
  • Learn to skillfully recognize hazards, and
  • Develop a thought process for working larger lines in steeper terrain

Reggie, Aaron, and Dean have spent decades developing and honing specialized steep techniques used while working, living, and training ski/snowboard guides in Steep Mountain Terrain. The goal is to share their firsthand learning experiences with the industry that they love via an insightful based educational method.

This session will emphasize engaging all the senses during observational assessment techniques to teach guides/patrollers to collect information and clues from changing surroundings. It will also challenge patrollers to think like guides, and guides to think like patrollers—an invaluable awareness on the mountain, and one that is often overlooked. Ski guides may never get to learn from the avalanches that a blasting patroller regularly sees and triggers (unless the guide is doing a terrible job by frequently triggering avalanches); and patrollers may be leaving themselves vulnerable without the tools to assess the slopes as a backcountry ski guide would.

silvertonmountain.com or info@silvertonmountain.com for more info.

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