The Blue Lake Centre, a non-profit outdoor education organization, is offering scholarships to attend their Winter BLAST program from Mar. 19 to 26.
The 8-day course will cover Avalanche Skills Training Level 1 (AST 1) certification in addition to instruction and practice in winter camping, snow shelters, navigation, trip preparation, survival and much more.
The program begins at the off-grid, solar and microhydro powered centre, located north of Cranbrook, 26 km west of Canal Flats, but the last three days are spent winter camping in snow shelters.
“With the opportunities available in the Kootenays for winter recreation, many people are in the backcountry without adequate experience or training,” said Heather Stuart-Primbs of the Blue Lake Forest Education Society who administer the camp.
“Full certification, training, and experiential opportunities are extremely valuable,” she continued, “but the high cost associated with this type of training is often a barrier.”
The Winter BLAST (Blue Lake Adventure Skills Training) has full and partial scholarships available from a generous donation made by BC Hydro. For more information, visit www.bluelakecentre.com or call 250-426-3676. The application deadline is Feb. 25.