Course Outline & Dates

Overview

Applications

Applications for the 2026 WAC Backcountry skiing class will open on Wednesday October 15, 2025 and close on Monday December 1, 2025. 

Evening Presentations

Tuesday evening lectures will be held in-person at Prospect Congregational Church in Capitol Hill, with the option to attend virtually via Zoom.  However, we strongly prefer and encourage in-person attendance. The address is 1919 E Prospect St, Seattle, WA 98112.

Weekends

Weekend 1 is a two-day event across Saturday & Sunday, with skills refresher on AIARE 1 material, specifically coarse and fine single- and multiple burial scenarios.  Students will sleep at the Washington Alpine Club cabin, and will have the option to practice winter camping skills outside on the WAC cabin property.  Weekends 2, 3 and 4 are day ski touring trips.  Students must keep both Saturday and Sunday free.   To maximize the safety of all course participants, the choice of day (Saturday or Sunday) will depend on weather and avalanche conditions.  The decision on which day we go will be made late in the preceding week, typically on Thursday evening.   Weekend 5 is a backup weekend to be used if one of the day tour weekends need to be canceled due to weather or dangerous snow conditions.   Please keep this weekend available; we have used the backup weekend in past courses.

Textbooks (provided as part of class fee)

• Backcountry Skiing: Skills for Ski Touring and Ski Mountaineering, Martin Volken, Scott Schell, and Margaret Wheeler

• Avalanche Essentials: A step-by-step system for safety and survival, Bruce Tremper

Each week's presentation will have an associated reading list from these books and other online resources.

The information on times and dates below is accurate, but the topics covered each week may vary slightly to accommodate lecturer schedules and curriculum updates.

Syllabus

Meet And Greet 

WHAT Meet instructors and fellow students.   Course overview.  Pick up books.      

WHEN Wednesday, Jan 14, 2026 6-8pm

WHERE  TBD

Lecture 1

WHAT Reducing Uncertainty, Gaining Experience

WHEN Tuesday January 20, 2026 6:30-9:30 PM

WHERE 1919 E Prospect St, Seattle, WA 98112

READING Avalanche Essentials Introduction & Chapter 1 - pg 7-38

Weekend 1 - Cabin Weekend

WHAT Lectures and field exercises covering avalanche companion rescue, uphill movement, transitions, snow shelters, map and compass navigation skills.   Students will stay at the WAC cabin overnight, with the option to snow camp if desired.  We will be on our touring gear for most activities.

WHEN Saturday January 24 AND Sunday January 25, 2026   8 AM - 5 PM each day.    

WHERE WAC Guy Cabin, 19101 Alpental Access Rd, Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068

HOMEWORK

• • Reading 

    • Avalanche Essentials - Rescue Techniques pg 138-150

    • Backcountry Skiing - Uphill Movement pg 140-156

    • Backcountry Skiing - Transitions pg 180-185

    • Backcountry Skiing -  Planned Shelters pg 250-254 

    • Backcountry Skiing - Emergency shelters pg 307-310 

  • Viewing

    • AMGA: How To Perform an Avalanche Beacon Check

    • Track Setting - Kick Turns 

    • Efficient Ski Transitions 

Lecture 2

WHAT  Mountain Weather & Weather Tools

WHEN Tuesday January 27, 2026 6:30-9:30 PM  

WHERE 1919 E Prospect St, Seattle, WA 98112

READING Backcountry Skiing  - The Mountain Environment pg 262-266

Weekend 2

WHAT Day tour -  Terrain choices, Trip planning, Navigation, Observations

WHEN Saturday January 31 OR Sunday February 1, 2026 

WHERE In the Mountains, TBD

HOMEWORK

• Reading 

  • Backcountry Skiing (Volken et al) - Taking Care of Yourself and the Mountains pg 248-258

  • Backcountry Skiing (Volken et al) - Observations and Awareness pg 120-129

  • Avalanche Essentials (Tremper 2013) - Chapter 5

Lecture 3

WHAT  Trip planning and decision making & Navigation Tools

WHEN Tuesday, February 3,  2026 6:30-9:30 PM

WHERE 1919 E Prospect St, Seattle, WA 98112

HOMEWORK 

• Backcountry Skiing (Volken et al) - Tour Planning & Human Factors pg 106-120

• Avalanche Essentials (Tremper 2013) - Chapter 9

Weekend 3

WHAT  Day tour - teamwork, terrain choice, trip planning, navigation, observations.

WHEN Saturday, February 7 OR Sunday, February 8, 2026

WHERE In the Mountains, TBD

HOMEWORK

• How To Create An Efficient Skin Track Using Rounded And AVA Turns

• Rip skins off without removing skis 

BREAK WEEK

Valentine's Day, President's Day

Lecture 4

WHAT End to End Tour Planning, Weather analysis, and Trip Planning Tools

WHEN Tuesday, February 17, 2026 6:30-9:30 PM

WHERE 1919 E Prospect St, Seattle, WA 98112

Weekend 4

WHAT Day tour - students practice planning and executing tour with instructor support.

WHEN Saturday February 21 OR or Sunday February  22, 2025 All day.   

WHERE In the Mountains, TBD

READING Backcountry Skiing  - Chapter 8

Lecture 5

WHAT Course wrap up, spring touring, risk management/heuristic traps, and hut trip and ski destination essentials.

WHEN Tuesday, February 24, 2026 6:30-9:30 PM

WHERE 1919 E Prospect St, Seattle, WA 98112

Weekend 5 (Backup weekend)

WHAT Used if one of the tour weekends is canceled due to weather or snow conditions. Day tours Saturday or Sunday.

WHEN Saturday February 28 OR Sunday March 21, 2026  All day

WHERE In the Mountains, TBD