Kootenay Backcountry Guides

Tons of amazing and relevant info in the AST2 course, I'm feeling WAY more confident about my decision making and planning in the backcountry now. Really well delivered as well! Props to Judson for taking us under his wing.

Track Setting 101 course - Judson and Jakob showed us how to climb mountains with ease and efficiency while building corners and tracks. We evaluated terrain, practiced making good, safe choices, and got into some great powder. Awesome course all around and highly recommended.Mike WicentowichTrail, BC

I just finished the four-day AST2 course led by Judson and Ricardo, and could not have had a better experience. Judson's calm and thoughtful approach led us through difficult conversations, encouraged us to analyze and weigh risk, and supported us to practice communicating effectively as a cohesive group. The focus from day one was to facilitate a safe backcountry experience, and I felt safe, supported, and encouraged every step of the way by Judson and Ricardo. I also greatly appreciated the classroom content of the course being offered online ahead of the course dates, as it allowed for self-pacing and for us to fully immerse ourselves into the field days. I would highly, highly recommend this course to any of my friends interested in winter backcountry travel. Thank you so much!

I just completed an AST-2 lodge course with KBG. To summarize, I am very satisfied with the whole experience and I highly recommend their services if you wish to take this training.The course begins with online training to be completed before going to the field. The material is really very well put together, dynamic and interesting. Judson and Kyle were our instructors for the course. They were able to pass on their knowledge with great relevance, dynamism, passion and humor. They respect the level of each participant and adopt an approach that allows everyone to progress in this complex subject.The fact of doing it in a lodge context brings a very interesting added value in my opinion, because it allows to have a lot more exchanges on deferred subjects around ski touring, to meet fantastic people in addition to spending more time in this beautiful region. This course was a success both in terms of learning and backcountry experience, since we spent a lot of time in the mountains.

Judson took us on a 2 day back country adventurer which it was my first experience in over 20 years. The professionalism was world class and made us feel super safe and his coaching was exceptional. We had an amazing experience in some extraordinary terrain both in Kootenay pass and 5 Mile basin. I would recommend him and his outfit to anyone who was looking to explore the area around Nelson.

I took an AST course through KBG and it was great. Our guides, Tammy & Kyle were so helpful and informative throughout our two field days. They provided an exciting energy, fun times and left us with knowledge that will help create memories for a long time coming. A+, 5/5.

Myself and my friends took an AST1 course through KBG. Dan Savage" was an excellent guide. He led us into some amazing terrain at Kootenay Pass. We always felt safe with his decisions. The skills and knowledge he passed on to us are priceless. His sidekick Sarah was an excellent asset as well and she shared a wealth of information with us as well. Definitely will be coming back for more!"

I organized a private AST 2 course and it was taught by Judson. It was a great 4 day field course with an online precourse that we completed in our own time in the weeks prior. Judson was an awesome teacher and I learned far more than I expected regarding critical decision making skills, snow pack study, avalanche terrain discernment, trip planning, online mapping, as well as group dynamics. Doing a private course was great as the dynamics are good and you are learning with the people you will be skiing with so you can further build and learn together while implementing what you all learned! I would highly recommend KBG for anyone thinking of furthering their backcountry knowledge.

Kootenay Backcountry Guides are amazing. Judson and Catherine run a Top Class outfit. The avalanche safety was handled extremely well and we felt very well looked after. The planning of the day was perfect. I highly recommend Kootenay Backcounty Guides.

I had a great experience doing AST-1 with Tamy and Dylan. Dylan did an awesome job sharing his up to date knowledge. Tamy was very helpful sharing her experience from the field about avalanches and tree well. Learned a lot about the mountains and assessing slopes. We did companion rescue situation to ensure familiarity with equipment.I also did AST-2 with Kootenay Backcountry guides and had Andrew and Joel. They brought us through a bunch of terrain which allowed us to evaluate different terrain and slope to determine if they were safe to travel across. They did a few companion rescue situation. We also were able to go through planning process and compass use in planning trips.The overall online learning experience was great. It was engaging an informative. Judson did a great job creating the engaging online experienc. It used lots of videos and text, as well as little quizzes to kep you on your toes.