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Kootenay Avalanche Courses

Kootenay Avalanche Courses

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Based in Rossland B.C
AST 1, AST 2, and Lodge based AST 2+ courses
Taught by Keith Robine, author of AST textbooks, and Nick Padoin

04/10/2026

Spring has sprung but there’s still some power and corn skiing in the alpine.
Likely our final state of the snowpack for the season, what a winter! Filmed on Kokanee Glacier on March 31st.
Are you still skiing this April?

03/15/2026

The often overlooked side to avalanches: the HUMAN factor. How do human behaviors affect the risks that you take in the backcountry? What’s your Attitude, Biases and Communication?

This side of Avalanche Safety is a keystone in the KAC method. Keith brings his background and experience of 26 years as a councillor/therapist to ensure you have the communication and decision making skills on top of your snow skills when you head out into the backcountry.

Dive into these conversations in our LAST & FINAL course of the year! AST2 March 20-23rd.
Register: https://kootenayavalanchecourses.com/course/ast-2/

Avalanche Training courses – Kootenay Avalanche Courses 02/20/2026

Running behind on your winter avalanche safety? Took your AST1 and looking for next steps? We get it, I’m a last minute planner too. That’s why we added TWO extra courses for this season.
Register: https://kootenayavalanchecourses.com/avalanche-training-courses/

This is your LAST CHANCE to train with us before the end of the season!

Avalanche Training courses – Kootenay Avalanche Courses Be the first to know about upcoming courses, lodge-based course openings, and webinars, plus receive updates about avalanche safety, rescue techniques, and more.*

02/04/2026

Yep that’s right! Slope shape is a thing of the past.

We ran our Rossland based AST2 course a couple of weeks ago and it was a success.

If you are interested in taking your AST2 course with Keith click here to register interest in a March AST2 https://kootenayavalanchecourses.com/course/ast-2/

01/09/2026

Close calls like this are a scary reminder to always stay alert and flexible. State of the snowpack from Tuesday Jan 6th 2026 in Kokanee. Full video on KAC youtube channel.

Avalanche safety is more than reading the forecast and making a plan. Key components of the AST2 are about constantly assessing conditions and being dynamic in your decision making. The Human Factors are just as important as the snow science!

01/04/2026

The majority of avalanche fatalities happen in the yellow zone of the trip planner, where the most nuances are found. That’s where AST2s and the new Avaluator 3.0 help you make safe and flexible decisions on the go.
Avaluator 3.0 is available for free download here: https://kootenayavalanchecourses.com/kac-trip-planning-form/

Photos from Kootenay Avalanche Courses's post 12/28/2025

Our first AST1 courses of the season were a success! We were able to get everyone on snow at Kootenay pass to practice skills hands on. All our 2025/26 students are learning with the new Avaluator 3.0 which Keith helped develop. We always prioritize students having the most up to date information both in our courses and as alumni.
The busy season continues into January with two AST1s (one is sold out!) and our first AST2 of the season!

12/21/2025

Keith had the pleasure of speaking at the chapter in Rossland last week. He talked about the new Avulator 3.0. It is available on our website under “resources”. Thanks for having him, thanks to for hosting and thanks to the Rossland backcountry community for being a great audience!!

12/15/2025

“Empowering, welcoming, inspiring and overcoming fear” were all used by past students to describe their experiences with Kootenay Avalanche Courses. Our courses are about so much more than backcountry skiing. Keith weaves in his psychology work so you understand the human factor in avalanche safety. As the author of the Avalanche Skills Training manuals, he knows the material inside and out. KAC gives you the tools to make your own decisions in the backcountry.

Our courses are selling out fast so register ASAP! 🔗on profile
Jan 11-12 AST1 - SOLD OUT
Jan 14-15 AST1 - ½ full
Feb 8-9 AST1 - ½ full
All 2025/26 AST2 and AST2+ - SOLD OUT

12/03/2025

Level up your training for backcountry skiing! What’s better than learning from the source? As the author of the Avalanche Canada AST1 and 2 instructor manuals and co-author of the student textbook, Keith makes sure you not only have the skills, but understand the fundamentals of avalanche safety so you can make informed decisions when you’re in the mountains.

We have an AST1 this weekend December 6th and 7th and December 12th and 14th with few spots available.
There is only ONE AST2 spot left this season!
AST1 Courses: https://kootenayavalanchecourses.com/course/ast-1/
AST 2 Courses: https://kootenayavalanchecourses.com/course/ast-2/

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Nelson, BC