Companion Rescue Skills Save Lives

Companion rescue is a crucial skill that all winter backcountry recreationists need. You never want to use it, but you should have it totally dialled. Of course the number one goal is to avoid being caught in an avalanche but if it ever happens to your group, you’ll want to know exactly what to do.

Rescue at Cherry Bowl is story of an amazing backcountry rescue where training made the difference between life and death. After a huge avalanche buried three skiers, they were all saved by a group that had just taken a Companion Rescue Skills course together. Without that training, those people may not be alive today. “There is no question that the Companion Rescue Skills course that we took part in saved lives,” said one of the rescuers.

Here directly from the rescuers how their recent training changed the outcome of this large avalanche incident.

Companion rescue is introduced in an Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST 1) course, but there are many aspects and nuances that can’t get covered in a weekend. And more importantly, these skills need refreshing. That’s why Avalanche Canada recommends everyone take a Companion Rescue Skills course. This one-day class teaches how to respond to a variety of rescue scenarios you might not have practiced in your AST class.

Don’t wait until after you need it, take it now!