2013

 Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing, CAPOW, Revelstoke Backcountry Guides (all in Revelstoke, BC)

ACMG Ski Guide. 

In the beginning, I simply wanted to spend as much time as I could out in the snow, and figured that bringing my work to the mountains would be the easiest way to achieve that. These days, I enjoy the challenges that accompany guiding and mentoring other backcountry skiers and riders. Often, they're quite distinct from the difficulties encountered in my recreational touring, and provide a different type of satisfaction. By incorporating guiding into my life, I feel like I'm able to keep things interesting without necessarily accepting additional risk.

Before signing up for any guiding courses or exams, make sure you've logged enough mileage to consider yourself a strong and well rounded recreational rider. Your movement skills, fitness, terrain assessment, route finding, avalanche forecasting, and even rope work will all be put to the test. Plan to tackle a bunch of ambitious objectives that challenge and inspire you, and don't try to rush this part of the process. You need to gain experience in "real" situations without taking unnecessary risks out there, which can be difficult to balance at times. Finding quality mentorship can help a lot as you begin to make these more difficult "go / no go" decisions on your own. Go skiing with more experienced people, and don't be afraid to talk your plans over with them before heading out for something that pushes your limits as a leader. Travel away from your home zone periodically to gain experience in unfamiliar terrain and different snowpacks.

Backwoods Carbon Split 163