Red Mountain 11-week instructor course diary – week 6

This week the Red Mountain crew have been making the most of one of NONSTOP’s credited activities – Backcountry Touring. Here’s Adam Gordon’s accounts of a long, but rewarding, day.

The backcountry credit activity started in a pretty relaxed fashion (a key characteristic of Rossland life) by collecting touring skis and snowshoes up at the hill and playing with said new toys. A briefing with Harry (our guide) followed, then off up Silverlode, fully laden with the backcountry gear (although in my case I was mainly laden with an outrageously enormous packed lunch).

One quick discussion and a ride up Motherlode later, we were waiting at the marked backcountry exit between Rino’s Run and Silver Sheep, with Record Peak our ultimate objective. There was undoubtedly a little apprehension, but mainly excitement, thanks in no small part to the 30 cm of fresh we were headed towards!

After dropping in to the gully which separates the tourists from the hardcore, we skinned and shoed ourselves in the appropriate kit and started to break trail (actually Harry did that bit, thankfully…). After around a 30 to 40 minute hike we were in a spot called the Helipad on White Wolf Ridge, a little warmer than when we started but looking forward to the first turns of the day. The snow was so epic that a few of us didn’t make so many turns as planned, and after about 10 big Cs (and the occasional air) we were back in the flats, ready for the real climb.

Heading up onto Record Ridge was not too challenging, until the kick turns started. An acquired skill it seems, that took a few tries to acquire…  An hour later we were lightening our packs considerably at Record Peak. Lunches done, it was time to take on the north face. A rather intimidating cornice had built up on the ridge, but our highly experienced and endlessly chilled guide Harry found us a drop in point, and drop in we did, into seriously sick pow. A few pitches later, and all too soon, we were back in uphill mode, but not before watching our tail guide Stacey shred her last few turns. We congratulated ourselves on being the first NONSTOP group to take on Record’s north face, and got hiking.

Another 20 minutes took us into a tasty boulder field filled with pillows and drops. A slightly aggressive line put me on my ass, luckily the others made a better job of things. A final 30 minute hike took us into the locally renowned D.L.’s Trees. Yet more steep and deep and we were out at the base of Paradise Chair, with grins almost too big to fit on the lift. All in all, an excellent way to spend a Saturday.

See all the previous course diaries from this year’s instructor cours in Red Mountain here.

Look into doing an ski instructor course in Red Mountain here.

Or snowboard instructor courses here.