Level II Mechanized Guide Course
Location: Valdez, Alaska
Dates: March 3 - March 10, 2012
Cost: $4,894 double occupancy / $5,160 single occupancy
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This seven day course is held in the legendary Chugach Range of Alaska, a heavily glaciated and big-mountain environment. This course is designed for individuals with extensive backcountry experience, apprentice mechanized guides, mountain guides, ski patrollers, ski instructors, avalanche control specialists and rescue personnel desiring to push their limits and further their knowledge of mechanized mountain operations. Completion of the AMSG level 1 is recommended. All topics involve a blend of classroom time, scenario-based field exercises, and hands-on experience with helicopters. Upon successful completion of this course, participants will receive an American Mechanized Ski Guide II certificate.
By the end of this course participants should be able to:
- Understand the complexity of travel in glaciated terrain.
- Understand the variability and complexity of avalanches in skiing and riding terrain.
- Identify grain types and the processes leading to their formation, and begin to understand how they relate to group management in avalanche terrain.
- Perform, interpret, and record common stability tests.
- Apply objective decision making methods while traveling through avalanche terrain during snow-cat or helicopter accessed ski operations.
- Understand the capabilities and limitations of helicopters for accessing ski terrain.
- Understand all aspects of supporting helicopter activities from a base of operations, including fueling, communications and rescue coordination.
- Understand all aspects of aircraft operations for accessing glaciated mountainous terrain including aircraft configurations, landing and pickup zones, and safe loading and unloading procedures.
- Understand the concept of "guiding from the top down" in big mountain, glaciated terrain.
- Understand the fundamentals of big-mountain rescue including high angle, crevasse and avalanche rescue.
- Understand the basic aspects of professional guiding including client care and communication, ethics, appearance, guide well-being and liability.
