Intro to Ski Touring course

I just completed Pro Guiding Service's Introduction to Ski Touring class. The class was taught over the past four Sundays up at Snoqualmie pass by Pro Guiding Service guides Ben Haskell and Scott Schell.<br><br>Overall it was an excellent class that covered everything from efficient skinning technique to navigation in the backcountry and trip planning to basic avalanche safety.<br><br>The class generally involved a 5 or 6 hour tour (Kendall Knob, Snow Lake, and Cave Ridge) with the guides discussing safety concerns, skinning techniques, route finding techniques, or equipment then an hour or so in the backcountry working on beacon searches or snow pits.<br><br>For anyone new to ski touring, or if you want to brush up on your skills I highly recommend the class. This is actually the second time I've taken the class; I originally took the class back in 1996 with Pro Guiding Service guides Martin, Scott, and Rinaldo.<br>

So did you do a tour every Sunday, or just one tour?

We did a short tour every Sunday. First Sunday was Kendall Knob, second Sunday was up towards Chair Peak, third Sunday was Snow Lake, and the forth Sunday was Cave Ridge.

I took this course 3 years ago - by far the best bc class I have taken.<br><br>I thought that one of the most important parts of the course was that the teaching happens while you are doing - not in a classroom. Learning routefinding is a lot more efficient when you have Ben or Scott behind you critiquing each route selection. <br><br>Something that was important to me was uphill technique was stressed. I came out of the class learning how to move efficiently through terrain. I had taken other courses that did not cover this at all.<br><br>I also found the avy training to be really good introduction -- its not a Level one course but it gave me a good working knowledge to build upon.<br><br>When I did it we toured Bullion Basin, Lichtenberg mountain, Pineapple Pass...and heck, I forget.

The course in the spring at Washington Pass is also very high quality, plus one gets an introduction to the terrain behind (south of) Liberty Bell and the year I attended, north of the highway in the bowls reaching west towards Whistler.