Kootenay Cold Smoke Powder Festival 2009 – Clinic Information
Clinic Introduction - This is the third year of the Kootenay Powder Festival and we are very excited about the schedule we have put together. The festival has, once again, an educational focus, reflected in the huge assortment of clinics and tours covering all aspects of skiing and safety in the backcountry. This year we have many returning instructors and guides from last year as well as some new faces. Our group is again a stellar cast of instructors and guides from all over North America. The Whitewater Ski Area and its surrounding terrain is the perfect location to both celebrate and educate the world of backcountry skiing.
About Clinic Descriptions -
All clinics have a topic, ability rating, time of day and a brief description. From this, the instructors will tailor the clinic to the needs and desires of the group at hand. We have found that too much detail in the description before hand leads to trying to fit the group to the clinic rather then the clinic to the group. We, and our participants, much prefer the latter.
About the Clinics and Tours
Ability Level - Please take the time to carefully read through the rating information. This helps us to place skiers in the right groups.
Gear - Safety gear is require on all out of bounds tours and clinics. Mandatory gear for out of bound clinics includes an avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe. Climbing skins and touring gear (pack, water, etc) will also be needed. There will be some gear available at the area but we cannot guarantee its availability for your clinic or tour. Because all Out of Bound clinics are all day, a lunch and liquid along with the usual touring accessories will be needed.
Friday - Friday's clinics will all be inbounds and focus on skiing. Backcountry gear is not required. There will be a mix of freeheel and open clinics, divided by ability level. Please see the registration form for ability rating. The clinics will focus on personal feedback and skiing off piste. The clinics are all ¾ day, meaning they will end by 2:30 PM. This gives the participants and guest instructors time to ski and explore Whitewater.
Saturday and Sunday - There are two main groupings of clinics on Saturday and Sunday, Inbounds and Out of Bounds
- Saturday’s inbound clinics are mostly half-day (except for the women’s all day clinic) divided into AM and PM. These clinics are limited to 8 participants for each instructor with some topics having two groups/two instructors. All clinics are ability rated, please see the ability rating on the registration page. Many of the clinics are open to both free heel and alpine gear.
- The Out of Bounds clinics are all full day clinics, and are limited to a 5 to 1 instructor/guides ratio, with some tours having 2 guides and some going out with one, depending on registration. All clinic/tours are ability rated; please see ability and fitness rating on the registration page.
Monday - Monday is the touring day, and all tours will be out of bounds, so safety gear is required along with a day touring pack and kit. The Monday tours will all include skiing as well as education and safety information, with some of the tours emphasizing skiing and some emphasizing education. All tours are ability rated, please refer to the ability rating sheet.
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