THE AST CONNECT+

TRIP LOCATIONS

CANMORE, BANFF & LAKE LOUISE TRIPS:

The AST CONNECT+ Touring Days are based in Canmore, Banff & Lake Louise and generally focus on trips and the terrain along the Icefields Parkway. Booking using the calendar date options above will register you for our Banff & Lake Louise trip location. AST CONNECT+ Days are available on Mondays from November till February, or on a day of your choosing if booked privately.

ADDITIONAL TRIP LOCATIONS:

Booking a private AST 1 in Golden, Revelstoke, Fernie or Lethbridge & South Rockies? Add an AST Connect+ day to your course. Just let us know when you book, or talk to a Program Manager, and we'll set it up alongside your AST 1. You can also book a private AST Connect+ day at any of these locations on its own.

Itinerary

Your exact itinerary will depend on the chosen location but it will be similar to Lake Louise itinerary described below. 

On our first day, you will Meet Your Guide Here in the village of Lake Louise between 0800-0930hrs (trip dependent) where we'll start with a brief round of introductions and a pre-departure briefing which will include the following: 

• Review of any expected changes to weather or climbing conditions.
• Expected Hazards, risk management plan, and associated mitigations for the duration of the trip.
• Distribution of any required technical equipment you require
• Presentation of physical Waiver of Liability Document & Signing. 

The Moraine Lake area is often one of the busiest trailheads in the Lake Louise area and Banff National Park through the summer months. So with that in mind, your Guide will travel with you (often leading in their own vehicle) from the Village centre to clear any traffic controls at the lower end of the Moraine Lake Road with you. 

After arriving, and your morning briefing facilitated by your Mountain Guides, the group will transport from Lake Louise to the venue for the day. Driving time from Lake Louise can be as little as 15min, or for objectives located along the Icefields Parkway, can be up to 30min from Lake Louise to access. 

Expect to return to your vehicle at approximately 1600-1630hrs. Our return time depends largely on the amount of available daylight and time of season, but expect a full day out regardless.

Logistics

Logistics to consider ahead of your AST CONNECT+:

• ACCOMMODATION:

  Looking to get a little closer to our field day location? We suggest the following accommodation options across our AST CONNECT+ locations to get you into the mountains and save yourself the drive the morning of your program. For other locations, see our recommendations under the AST 1 course 'Logistics' for your selected location.

  • CANMORE 
    ALPINE CLUB OF CANADA
    THE PAINTBOX LODGE

  • BANFF
    MOUNTAIN VIEW BED & BREAKFAST

  • LAKE LOUISE
    CANADIAN ALPINE CENTRE
    THE POST HOTEL

  • GOLDEN
    CEDAR HOUSE CHALETS
    LODGE AND LANTERN
    DREAMCATCHER HOSTEL

  • REVELSTOKE
    THE SUTTON PLACE
    COAST HILLCREST HOTEL

  • FERNIE
    THE LIZARD CREEK LODGE
    THE RAGING ELK HOSTEL

• GEAR PURCHASES PRE-TRIP:

  For those looking to purchase gear and equipment prior to your course, we would suggest the following local Bow Valley retailers:

  • Vertical Addiction
    • Located in Canmore, Vertical Addiction offers a complete selection of technical climbing, mountaineering and ski equipment along with a broad selection of technical clothing. 
       
  • SkiUphill
    • Located in Canmore, SkiUphill is a collective of experience driven individuals each with their own history, knowledge and stories of getting out there and getting after it. They offer expertise in backcountry skiing, trail running, climbing and any combination of those activities all while offering the best selection of curated equipment.
       
  • Monods Sports
    • Located in Banff, Monods is one of the longest operating outdoor equipment and clothing retailers in the Bow Valley. Monods has a large selection of technical clothing and equipment offerings.
       
  • Ortovox
    • Our Partners at Ortovox are known for their high-quality technical outerwear and are a supporting partner of C9G and our ski guiding programs.
       
  • Black Diamond Equipment
    • Black Diamond Equipment has been providing skiers and alpinists with technical equipment since 1989, and is a supporting partner of C9G and our guided ski programs.

• TRIP FOOD & MEAL PROGRAMS:

  • Students are responsible for their own meals.
     

• TRANSPORTATION: 

  • Students are responsible for their own transportation on course.
     

• NATIONAL PARK ENTRY PASSES: 

  • Students are responsible for obtaining a National Park entry pass for their field days if required.

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

Students will require one of the following travel equipment kits to join us on course:

• Alpine Touring Skis
• Splitboard

In addition students will require the following:

• Climbing Skins - trimmed to fit your specific equipment
• Ski Poles
• 1 of the following: Alpine Touring Ski Boots or Snowboard Boots 
• Daypack - IMPORTANT: You will require at minimum a 30L backpack. Anything smaller will not be sufficient to hold essential safety equipment. 
• Sunglasses (for the uptrack)
• Ski Goggles (for the descent)
• Lunch 
• Water
• Thermos with a Hot Drink
• Sunscreen
• Small Blister Kit or Personal 1st Aid Kit
• Small Repair Kit (optional)

Avalanche Rescue (Companion Rescue) Equipment: 
If you have your own transceiver, probe, and shovel, it's best to arrive with your own equipment. For those requiring this essential equipment, we stock *new rescue equipment replaced yearly, for your use on course, at no extra cost. Our avalanche transceivers undergo weekly diagnostic testing to ensure proper function. 

• Avalanche Transceiver (3 antennae unit, must have been purchased new in past 4 years)
• Avalanche Probe
• Avalanche Shovel (metal blades only)
   

ESSENTIAL CLOTHING

On our AST 1, this essential clothing list is provided firstly to help support a better quality educational environment for you while on course. On the field day, there will be 20-30 min blocks where our Guides are demonstrating skill sets such as snow profiles and companion rescue where the group comes to a stop for longer periods. Having the right technical clothing that will keep you warm and dry, serves to provide you with a better quality learning environment. 

• Base Layers - Either wool or synthetic, or a polypro base layer are the best options. DO NOT wear cotton base layers!
• Mid Layers - Again, wool, synthetic or polypro is are best
• Softshell Jacket or Gore-Tex Jacket
• Softshell Pants or Gore-Tex Pants
• Insulated Jacket - Large Parka style jackets are very important for the moments we are stopped during the field day. Down Parkas or Synthetic Down Parkas are a very important addition to your clothing systems for the course.
• Socks - Wool blend, no cotton

TRIP CANCELLATION & INTERRUPTION INSURANCE

The AST CONNECT+ is a non-refundable program. The best method to protect your investment with us should unforeseen arise, requiring you cancel your booking, is to purchase a Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance Policy. 

Acera Insurance has covered many of Cloud Nine Guests on trips all over the world, and we have first-hand experience seeing these policies activated by our Guests. 

Safeguard your trip costs and investment with us. Request a Quote from Acera Insurance.

Is this coverage required?

• For Canadian Residents, coverage is suggested but not required to register.
• For Non-Canadian Citizens, coverage is suggested but not required. It is strongly suggested that your policy includes Emergency Medical Coverage, unless you carry an alternative policy which will respond in the event of medical emergency.

WAIVER - Release of Liability & Indemnity Agreement

Prior to booking you will be required to acknowledge that you have been provided a copy of our Waiver of Liability Agreement for your review. All participants, or their legal guardians wishing to participate on any Cloud Nine Programs, must acknowledge that they have been presented this document, have read it in its entirety, and understand the agreement being entered into by signing. While there is no obligation to enter into this agreement with us, it is a condition of our service provision. 

     REVIEW OUR WAIVER OF LIABILITY HERE

Booking Terms & Conditions

Before you book your course, please review our Booking Terms & Conditions. We do not accept bookings without your voluntary acceptance of these terms. Please read carefully as these terms outline specific policies and guidance for both our staff and clients with respect to refunds, cancellations, rescheduling etc.

     REVIEW OUR BOOKING TERMS & CONDITIONS HERE

Book A PRIVATE GROUP AST CONNECT+

For those who prefer our smallest and most focused learning environments. Groups of 4+ can book a Private Group AST CONNECT+ on course dates that suit you and your crew best, and one of our ACMG / IFMGA Mountain Guides will join you on your terms. You pick the Group Size as well as pick a Field Day venue and date outside those available on our Public Programs. 

Private Rates for our AST CONNECT+ course start at $325/person.

How Do We Book It?

Talk to a Program Manager to confirm availability for your preferred dates, or reach us directly at guest.exp@cloudnineguides.com or +1 403 707 5877. We'll send you a private booking link so your group can register together or individually.