Alaska
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Supporting Documents
"I had a great experience on our Backcountry Skiing trip with Eli and Adam. They were both extremely safety conscious for the entire time. Spectacular scenery, great guides, friendly support staff, good snow, fine weather, all combined for a very memorable experience. You guys ROCK (and ICE)!"
Best Regards,Tim D.
More Student Comments |
-Enjoying the early season powder, Southeast Alaska.
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Alaska Helicopter Ski & Snowboard Mountaineering; Leadership & Guide Training Course
(24 days)
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The town of Skagway, Alaska at the northern end of Alaska’s inside passage is surrounded by an extremely jagged, glaciated, mountain landscape that includes the world’s largest non-polar ice caps, pristine fjords, and wilderness rivers. These mountains rise up to above 6,000 feet directly from the ocean. The variety of terrain; from glacier cirques with a multitude of steep couloirs to open undulating bowls of heavenly powder make for excellent skiing and riding. The combination of incredible skiing and the proximity to a helicopter base of operations make this area amongst the best in North America for learning helicopter skiing and snowboarding skills.
Course Location The vast expanse of wilderness, mighty mountain ranges, and abundant wildlife give credence to Alaska’s nickname as ‘The Last Frontier’. It is a land of towering peaks, massive glaciers, extensive boreal forests, and rich marine ecosystems. Alaska is the epitome of the term ‘wilderness’.
IWLS is based in Haines, Alaska, a small town located near the top of the Inside Passage, approxamately 17 miles by boat from the town of Skagway. Haines borders Glacier Bay National Park. The park and the adjacent 27 million acres, including Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, comprise the largest protected wilderness area in the world. It is an extremely jagged and glaciated mountain landscape that includes the world's largest non-polar ice caps, pristine fjords, and wilderness rivers. Peak elevations in this region range up to 20,000 feet.
These mountains get the greatest annual snowfall on the planet; neighboring Mt. Fairweather receives over 1,000 inches of snow annually. The terrain surrounding Haines, Alaska is unique in North America, and offers world class climbing and skiing.
The Instructors and Guides of IWLS are widely recognized as some of the very best in their field and have practical leadership experience from around the globe. They are well trained and have an uncommon enthusiasm for sharing their skill and knowledge, borne out of a passion for outdoor exploration. IWLS instructors have conducted training for "Out of Bounds Heli-Skiing" in Alaska.
The International Wilderness Leadership Schools' educational model nurtures leadership development and creates an awareness of the guiding mentality that is essential for leading safe, fun adventures in the mountains. The combination of technical skills training, experiential education and practical leadership experience make the IWLS curriculum world class.
The IWLS General Curriculum outlines the essential components for effective outdoor leadership. Here are a few points that the course will focus on.
Decision Making and Problem Solving: Over the course of 12 or 24 days, we’ll discover ways to assess problems, explore solutions and evaluate options in order to make effective and safe decisions in the field.
Leadership: Opportunities to lead the group will be abundant, and you’ll have the time to learn and practice multiple styles of leadership in varied situations.
Expedition Behavior and Group Dynamics: Because this course is a true wilderness expedition, interactions between group members need to be supportive and contribute to the efficacy of the group. The daily dynamics of the group, combined with instruction, will teach participants not only how to be a member of a team, but how to influence and lead an expedition.
Environmental Ethics: As adventurers in some of the most pristine environments on the planet, it is our duty to respect the natural world. All of our courses practice and teach Leave No Trace® principles.
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Photo: Darsie Culbeck |
IWLS Mountaineering Curriculum is built from countless expeditions in Alaska and around the world. You’ll learn how to be a competent and proficient mountaineer in a variety of different environments. Below are some topics we’ll cover.
General Mountaineering Skills: The mountain environment is an exciting and potentially dangerous place. You’ll discover how to travel on the steep mountain slopes using equipment such as an ice axe and crampons as well as how to teach these skills to your fellow students.
Timing: In the mountains, timing is everything: when to leave camp, when to turn around, and when to push for the summit. Time management is a critical component of safe travel and plays into many aspects of mountaineering.
Rope Teams: Rope team travel is a complicated endeavor that requires skill, technique and teamwork. We’ll cover everything from prussic arrangement to team management.
Objective Hazards: Rock fall, river crossings, and avalanches are examples of objective hazards. Learn how to identify such hazards and minimize group exposure.
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Photo: Ben Williams |
IWLS Skiing Curriculum is developed for riders at or above the advanced intermediate level. Here are some points that will be covered during your course:
Site Selection: Learn how to choose the appropriate terrain and identify hazards to facilitate a safe, fun time in the mountains.
Snow Conditions: Whether skiing deep powder, spring corn, or breakable crust, learn how to identify variable conditions and employ different techniques to enjoy them safely.
Glacier Travel on Skis: When to rope up? How to read crevasse danger? How to ski safely on a rope team? All of these questions will be answered as we travel, ski, and board across icefields.
Routefinding: Both descents and ascents demand good routefinding skills. You’ll develop your hazard assessment and navigation skills to be able to find the safest, most efficient route.
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Photo: Brian Hinderberger |
IWLS Helicopter Curriculum Working with helicopters in the mountains is an incredibly precise and calculated activity. The following are several topics that wil be covered at length during the course:
Helicopter Safety: Safety is always #1, especially when working around helicopters. Students will not only learn the safety fundamentals associated with helicopter skiing, but will continually teach these fundamentals to each other.
Flight Preparation: Developing a complete flight manifest supports good communication and maximizes efficiency for a day of helicopter skiing. Students will have the opportunity to develop flight plan proposals and organize passengers and weights.
Landing zone selection: Working with the pilot to identify safe spots for landings is an essential component of helicopter safety. Learn to assess landing zone viability: wind speed and direction, slope angle, visibility and exposure to objective hazards.
Loading and Unloading: While the pilot will always direct loading and unloading of the helicopter, students need to understand safety elements such as hatch operation, securing loose items, balancing loads, and visual confirmations with the pilot.
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Photo: Ted Roxbury |
IWLS Avalanche Curriculum is a nationally recognized progression of material that prepares students to be safe backcountry travelers.
Avalanche Characteristics: We’ll examine loose snow, wet snow, soft slab, and hard slab avalanches along with some potential triggers. You’ll learn the definition of terms such as stauchwall, alpha angle, and bed surface.
Snow Stability Evaluation: Is this snow capable of avalanching? Learn tests such as compression test and rutschblock test that will help you evaluate layers within the snowpack. Develop your documentation skills for accurate recording and analysis of information.
Safe Winter Travel: As a group, we will travel safely through avalanche terrain. Considerations will include cornices, equipment selection, route finding, campsite selection, and effective communication.
Avalanche Rescue: Someone buried in an avalanche has an 87% chance of survival if found within the first fifteen minutes. We’ll practice using probes, beacons, and effective search patterns in order to quickly and efficiently find a buried person.
Experience Level: No previous experience is necessary for this course. However, with a desire to learn and an enthusiasm for adventure, you'll develop the skills necessary for a lifetime of wilderness exploration.
Certifications upon completion of the 24-day course participants may qualify for the following certifications:
 Level I Avalanche Certification*
International Wilderness Leadership School
Level II Avalanche Certification*
International Wilderness Leadership School
24 Day Guide Training Certificate of Completion
International Wilderness Leadership School
*Dependent on weather and season
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Click Here for all available certifications.
University credit is available for this and other IWLS courses.
Consider combining three 24-day courses for an IWLS semester!
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