Map
| Mountaineering |
| Hiking, Backpacking |
| Semesters & Leadership |
| Rock Climbing |
| Ice Climbing |
| Avalanche Safety |
| Ski & Board |
| Private Guiding |
| Wilderness First Aid |
| About Us |
| Booking Information |
| Links |
| Japanese Site |
Mountain Skill Semesters
 Course Details
DATES -
CURRICULUM -
PREREQUISITES -
CERTIFICATION
Three months of in-depth, accelerated practical training in high-end mountain skills
and related outdoor subjects. A gateway program for future professional guides
and a shortcut to all-round competence for new recreational mountaineers.WHO TAKES THE SEMESTER & WHY - WHY CHOOSE YAMNUSKA WHERE DO GRADUATES END UP - TAX DEDUCTIONS & FINANCE STAFF - SAFETY - EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY HOW ARE GROUPS MADE UP - GROUP LIFE ABOUT BECOMING A GUIDE NOTE FOR PARENTS OF YOUNG STUDENTS Yamnuska semesters are about action. We believe that you don’t gain judgment, skills and safe practices in the classroom. Our semesters take place in the mountains, where with top professional guides you will be learning, doing and gaining the skills to become a safe and knowledgeable mountain leader. Canadian Semesters take place in the Canadian Rockies in the spring and fall. The Canada-New Zealand Semester starts in January in the Canadian Rockies and finishes in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Both semesters encounter the full range of seasonal conditions in the mountains. Detailed Information (detailed agendas, clothing and equipment, logistics) Dates
Curriculum 
Rock and waterfall ice climbing, glacier mountaineering, ski
mountaineering, white water canoeing or kayak (NZ only),
wilderness first aid certification (WFR or WAFA), an advanced
recreational avalanche course with certificate, plus sessions in
expedition planning, menu planning and packing, mountain
navigation, environmental awareness and hazard evaluation. Prerequisites You need to be physically and medically fit to participate. You must also have a true desire and commitment to learn. Highly motivated individuals who are willing to take responsibility for their own learning will get the greatest benefit from this course. Enrolling on this course involves a serious commitment to the program. Minimum age for the semester is eighteen years of age prior to course start. Semesters are not designed for troubled youth or those seeking rehabilitation. (Click here for note to parents/guardians of those under 19 years.) What Certification Will I Get? Upon successful completion of the semester will receive a ‘Yamnuska Semester Certificate’, Advanced Recreational Avalanche Awareness certificate as endorsed by the Canadian Avalanche Association, a ‘Wilderness First Responder’ advanced first aid certificate valid for three years and an Oxygen therapy card from Wilderness Medical Associates. Who Takes the Semester and Why? 
Semester students come from all walks of life and for a variety
of reasons. The common factor is a taste for adventure and a
desire to do things well. We have seen Doctors, engineers,
recent university grads, recent high school grads and even a few
folks who have retired early and are looking for new directions.People usually join the Semester for one of two main reasons. Either to gain advanced competence in mountain skills for their own personal reasons or because they want to become professional guides. They may also join in search of a personal challenge and to change their direction in life. They may be straight out of high school or may be changing paths in mid life. Why Choose Yamnuska Credibility, professionalism and history that’s why! Yamnuska Inc. is the largest employer of certified guides for mountaineering and climbing in North America. Whether joining for personal skill development or to pursue a guiding career you will be taught how to do things right, no unlearning later. Yamnuska instructors are career mountain guides who have undergone rigorous training and certification by the internationally recognized Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and other IFMGA affiliated overseas guides’ associations. Yamnuska Inc. has been a leader in mountain instruction and guiding since 1977 and the Mountain Skills Semester program a mainstay from the very beginning. Over 500 people have graduated from the Mountain Skills Semester. References can be arranged. Yamnuska’s programs are highly regarded within the professional mountaineering community and by high quality educational institutions such as University College of the Cariboo’s Adventure Programs Department and the University of Calgary’s Outdoor Pursuits Program. We work closely with both organizations. Beware of imitations. Several community colleges, particularly in British Columbia, offer what appear to be similar programs. The only tertiary educational institution in BC with a government mandate to offer skills-based guide training is University College of the Cariboo (diploma and degree). As a leading employer of mountain and hiking guides in Canada, we are acutely aware of the training and experience guides require. Certificates awarded by community colleges are not recognized by our industry. Yamnuska also has full and legitimate access to the best instructional terrain found in North America, namely Canada’s mountain National Parks. (Banff, Glacier, Kootenay, Jasper and Yoho) Our imitators often have to seek out the back door. Where do Semester graduates end up? After the course it’s up to you and the sky is the limit! The semester has been the doorway for many to enter careers in the mountain environment. Graduates of the semester have gone on to Diploma and degree program at University College of the Cariboo or the outdoor pursuits degree at University of Calgary. They have gained employment at outdoor schools, National Parks, Provincial Parks, camps and adventure companies and personal challenge programs. Many have gone on to become certified guides and indeed several of our staff at Yamnuska are graduates of the course. The demand for outdoor professionals increases every year and a semester at Yamnuska is recognized by many as an ideal place to start. What about tax deductions and student loans? 
Yamnuska is accredited by Revenue Canada as an educational institution, making course fees tax deductible.
These courses are not, however, eligible for student loans.Our Staff Yamnuska guides and instructors are leaders in their field. All are members of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) and most are internationally certified mountain guides (UIAGM) as well they hold high levels of certification in first aid and avalanche training. No other outdoor company offering semesters in North America require such high standards for their staff. Semester staff is chosen for their love of the mountain environment as well as their ability to convey knowledge and skill. Safety Paramount to Yamnuska’s conduct of the Semester program is the safety of participants and instructors. This requires a delicate balance when teaching leadership … between empowerment of students and maintenance of safety. In over 20 years there has not been a student fatality or serious injury. Nevertheless risk is a constant ingredient of mountain activities and safe practices enforced. Educational Philosophy Instruction is mainly practical and carried out in the field. Skills are demonstrated and explained, they are then practiced and finally they are used in real situations. This progressive approach allows you to build confidence and competence before moving on. Participants are provided with reasonable challenges rather than threats. Integral to the semester is an evolving awareness of one’s own limits – both in skills and judgment – so that those limits can be pushed and extended in a reasonable and safe manner. How are groups made up? On the Canadian semesters each group has a maximum of 12 students. This is often lower on the Canada-New Zealand Semester. Group make up is determined randomly by age and gender so that each group will roughly have the same mix. Occasionally we have an all male group. We do not arrange groups by ability. What is group life like? his varies for each group. It can be the most rewarding aspect of the program, but it does require constant nurturing by all participants otherwise it can become frustrating. Your positive input will be expected. Our experience shows that participants who come to the course with a positive outlook towards working and living with a group and who are also willing to put effort into creating and maintaining a functioning group will get the most out of this aspect of the course. Becoming a guide Many participants are interested in becoming guides. Becoming a high mountain guide is a long and difficult process taking many years. The Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) and the American Mountain Guides Assn operates certification courses. These courses are entirely practical and very difficult. Before even being accepted on an exam the candidate must be an expert recreationalist, with very extensive personal experience in whichever aspect of the profession is being examined (ski guide, rock guide, alpine guide). The gifted Semester graduate will typically take several years after graduation to amass the skills needed to take a guide exam. Yamnuska has several guides who have followed this path. Becoming a hiking guide is somewhat easier and some Semester graduates plus a season or two of personal experience have successfully passed ACMG hiking guide certification. Several work for Yamnuska. Another option is taking the Adventure Guide Program at University College of the Cariboo. This exciting program combines further advanced skills training with an education in the business aspects of guiding. Graduates may be able to quickly progress through ACMG training and become valued guides soon after. A Yamnuska Semester graduate with a favorable Yamnuska reference and a season or two of personal experience stands an excellent chance of acceptance. Many have gone this route. Note for parents / guardians of students 19 years old and younger Yamnuska Mountain Skill Semesters are intended for self-motivated individuals seeking to gain mountain skills and knowledge. It is not a program for rehabilitation for troubled youth or those with behavioral issues or substance abuse problems. Drug abuse, inappropriate alcohol use, criminal behavior, behavior that jeopardizes safety or the good conduct of the program are all grounds for expulsion without refund. Yamnuska Inc. accepts no responsibility for the supervision of student behavior. |
Mountaineering ·
Hiking, Backpacking ·
Semesters & Leadership ·
Rock Climbing ·
Ice Climbing ·
Avalanche Safety
Ski & Board · Private Guiding · Wilderness First Aid · About Us · Booking Information · Links · Japanese Site
Ski & Board · Private Guiding · Wilderness First Aid · About Us · Booking Information · Links · Japanese Site
|
Yamnuska Inc. Suite 200 Summit Centre, 50 - 103 Bow Valley Trail, Canmore, Alberta, Canada, T1W 1N8 Tel: +1 403 678 4164 · Fax: +1 403 678 4450 · E-mail: info@yamnuska.com |