Backcountry Mentorship Program
BOOK NOW More Info Avalanche Courses are essential and foundational. Course curriculum provides key academic background information for understanding avalanche problems and imagining potential consequence. Courses also impart a decision making support structure and shared group risk management framework. Beyond courses, students are left…
Avalanche Courses are essential and foundational. Course curriculum provides key academic background information for understanding avalanche problems and imagining potential consequence. Courses also impart a decision making support structure and shared group risk management framework. Beyond courses, students are left to learn through self-guided practice and experience with peers, and perhaps mentors. The breakdown in that educational model is that not everyone has access to peers and mentors that help to optimally process and learn from each backcountry day. For decades now, SMG has been informally mentoring students post-course through privately guided ski days. But we have always believed that the best way to continue learning after courses is to practice with the same like-minded group in a variety of conditions with help from a mentor who understands the same decision making framework.
Learning in the backcountry environment is shaped like an “ascending spiral,” to invoke a concept from the late, great avalanche guru Ed LaChappelle. Our learning process comes around to the same concepts over and over, each time with the benefit of gained experience to deepen our knowledge and reinforce habits that keep us alive to return again, while also enhancing the fun. Knowledge and awareness builds upon both a depth and diversity of experience. That experience is best if it is high quality and fully reflected upon.
The goal of SMG’s Backcountry Mentorship Program is to facilitate an opportunity for lifelong learners to boost their awareness and ability through experience, with the help of professional mentorship, over the course of a season of snowpack development. Groups afford a substantial cost reduction compared to hiring a guide privately for as many days. Having the same group over a period of time helps to control group variables and allow more learning from changing conditions throughout a season. Think of it as an augmented monthly backcountry ski club. Sign up as a team with your existing friends and partners, or individually to meet new friends and potential partners. We will do our best to adjust groups for compatibility, based on profile. This initial season we are offering a choice of women’s group or all-gender group. Tours are conducted Saturdays to encourage the use of Sundays to practice touring safety and successfully in your own group, without a guide. Venues options will include the entire Eastern Sierra region, and start times for tours will vary.
Each program features:
– An elite-level SMG ski/snowboard guide and AIARE avalanche instructor for a group of 4-5 students.
– An initial short-format risk management and companion rescue review/upgrade at the start of the tour on Day 1.
– One Saturday per month (Jan-Apr) of backcountry touring based on conditions and group desires/abilities, complete with morning and afternoon team meetings.
– One Thursday evening per month by 1.5 hour video conference, prior to Saturday’s tour, to assess recent conditions, review relevant academic concepts, and identify potential terrain objectives for touring.
Field Day Dates:
– January 2nd
– February 6th
– March 6th
– April 3rd
Evening Video Conference Dates:
– December 31st
– February 4th
– March 4th
– April 1st
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Destination
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Included
backcountrybackcountry skiBackcountry SkiingcoursesEastern Sierra skiingMammoth Lakes -
Not Included
14ers3D chute3rd pillar3rd Pillar DanaAIAREAIARE 1AIARE 2AlaskaAlaska skiingalpinealpine climbingalpine rock climbingAlpsAlps climbingAlps runningAlps skiingAlps trilogyAmerican Mountain Guides AssociationAMGAavalanche awarenessavalanche coursebackcountry 101backcountry snowboardbackpackingBear Creek SpireBerner OberlandBernese OberlandBishopBishop SkylineBlacksmith PeakBloody MountainBreakthroughBridgeportCaliforniaCalifornia fourteenerscampingCardinal PinnacleCarson PeakCelestial AretesChamonixChamonix climbingCharlotte Domechefclassic rock climbclassic Sierra rockclimbclimbingclimbing campclimbing skillsclimbing Swiss AlpsClyde MinaretConvict Creekcookcourses instructioncramponCrest tourCrystal Cragcustomcustom private skiDana PlateaudestinationsDevil's SlideDolomitesDolomites climbingDouble Eagle ResortDream BowlEast ButtressEast FaceEastern Sierra climbingEastern Sierra WinterEigerEvolution LoopexamfastpackingFishhook AreteFour SeasonsFranceGlass CreekGrindelwaldguide courseHaute Routeheli assistedheli skiingHemlock RidgeHigh SierraHigh Sierra skiinghigh tourhikingHorse CreekhorsesHorsetail FallsHut to Hutice 101ice axeice climbingice climbing courseIncredible Hulkinstructionintermediate levelinternationalintroductoryintroductory ice climbing courseItalyJohn Muir TrailJohn Muir WildernessJune LakeJune MountainJungfrauKautz Glacierkidskids climbing programsLas Vegaslee viningLee Vining arealee vining canyonlevel 1level 1 refresherlevel 2light and fastlightweightLone PineLone Pine PeakLovers LeapMammoth Lakes to YosemiteMammoth MountainMammoth to JuneMammoth to YosemiteMatterhornMatterhorn PeakMcGee CreekMerriam Peakmixed climbingMonchMont BlancMont Blanc runMount ConnessMount DanaMount EmersonMount GabbMount HumphreysMount MillsMount Rainiermountain runningmountaineeringMountaineers RouteMt ConnessMt. DanaMt. EmersonMt. HumphreysMt. RussellMt. SillMt. TomMt. WhitneyMt. WinchellmulesmultidaynegativesNevadaNorth PalisadeNorth Peaknorth ridgeonion valley to mt. whitneyOrtlerOwens River Gorgepack outfitpack supportpackerspalisadesPalisades Glacier Camppeak descentsPeter CroftPine CreekPolemonium PeakportersPositive Vibrationsprivateprivate customprofessional developmentRed and White MountainRed Dihedralred rockRed Slate Mountainrescue skillsRitter Rangerockrock 201rock climbingRock CreekRock Creek to MammothSabre RidgeSan Joaquin RidgeSawtoothsself arrestself belayself rescueSequoia National ParksherpasSierraSierra 5.10sierra alpineSierra Mountain GuidesSierra NevadaSierra skiingsingle pitch instructorskiski guidingski mountaineeringski tourski touringskiingsnowsnow skillssnowboardSPIsplitboardsportsport climbingStarlight PeaksupportedSwitzerlandTahoeTemple Cragthird pillarThompson PassThunderbolt PeakTiogatrad climbingtrail runningtraverseTuolumneTwin LakesUltra Trail Mont BlancultralightValdezVia Ferratawhite linewilderness tripwinterYosemiteyosemite national parkYosemite skiYost MeadowZermattZermatt Valley
Tour Plan and Info
Logistics
- Program Field days are based in Mammoth Lakes unless otherwise specified by the guides.
- Start time is 8am each day and each day finishes before 4:30. Sometimes the instructor may ask if students are willing to start or finish earlier or later, depending on the group and conditions, to increase the rewards of the day.
Included with Course Cost
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- An elite-level SMG ski/snowboard guide and AIARE avalanche instructor for a group of 4-5 students.
- An initial short-format risk management and companion rescue review/upgrade at the start of the tour on Day 1.
- One Saturday per month (Jan-Apr) of backcountry touring based on conditions and group desires/abilities, complete with morning and afternoon team meetings.
- One Thursday evening per month by 1.5 hour video conference, prior to Saturday’s tour, to assess recent conditions, review relevant academic concepts, and identify potential terrain objectives for touring.
Not Included
- Travel, Lodging, Food
- Backcountry Equipment - Backcountry skiing/splitboarding equipment can be rented from Mammoth Mountaineering. We have avalanche rescue gear and backpacks available to rent.