Fernie 11 Week Instructor Course 16/17 - Week 7

It's been a busy week for career breaker Heather on the Fernie 11 week instructor program. That famous Fernie powder covered the entire resort to provide blower conditions. Throw in some CASI Level 2 training, the 'best day ever' heli boading and a bacon eating contest, and you've got one hell of a week.

This week was the beginning of the Level 2 training with our instructor Clarence. There’s a noticeable step up in the level of riding required and we wasted no time getting into some challenging terrain. Fernie has experienced almost perfect conditions this week, we’ve rode pow, groomers and trees, it’s amazing to have such a range of conditions at your disposal to focus on specific skills. This week the focus has been on optimising our position while we ride, in order to have better control in variable conditions to maintain flow.

Fernie has a handful of really fun gullies scattered among the five bowls and we spent time getting to grips with how to ride their walls; it’s challenging, but seriously fun! Clarence also led us up Polar Peak, the highest point in the resort and the spot with the biggest reputation! This was a first for me, a few of the group had been up previously during free time and raved about the views so I was excited to get to the top. As we went up on the chair, a massive cloud rolled in right on top of the mountain to spoil the view and make the descent slightly more treacherous! We took the cat track down to where the huge bowl below the peak opened up, then enjoyed some floaty turns in the soft powder.

On Wednesday I got to experience one of the highlights of my time here in Canada - heliboarding! I’d go as far as saying it was one of the best days I’ve ever experienced; it was snowboarding turned up to 11! We set off quite early from the lodge on a three hour van ride out to Panorama. After a light breakfast and a quick run-down of the day’s schedule we headed outside for a helicopter safety briefing. After all the formalities were taken care off we headed out to meet our Bell 212 chopper at the landing pad in the woods. We all clung to our gear as it flew in, whipping up a snowy vortex and landing on the pad above us. One by one we handed the guides our gear to stow in the basket and then climbed in. It was grins all round in the tiny cabin as the rotors sped up and the full realisation of our situation hit home. The backcountry landscape looks incredible from the vantage point of a helicopter, it’s the ultimate mountain exploration tool.

Our first stop was in a high clearing above a gladed tree run. We stepped down onto the snow into a safe, crouched huddle formation in preparation for the helicopter to take off again, right next to us. The snow was deeper and heavier than the other powder I’d experienced on the cat-boarding trip, but just as fun and floaty. The first couple of runs were through tress, then on the third we got to explore some higher, open terrain which the majority of the group preferred; beautiful, untouched rollers, open pow fields and plenty of fresh tracks for everyone to enjoy. When the helicopter comes to collect us at the end of each run, it lands between the huddled group and the gear pile, a space roughly five meters wide, it’s extremely impressive and a little intimidating the first couple of times!

The fifth run out of a total of six was my absolute favourite. Named ‘Big Judy’, she starts high up on a pillowy bowl next to a huge cornice that you negotiate around to find yourself above a perfectly pitched pow field with tiny trees and an incredible view down into the valley and creek below. I got some of the best pow turns I’ve ever had on that run when I ended up at the top of an untouched line of fresh snow that stretched all the way to the bottom; I’ve ran out of superlatives to describe it adequately! 

On Friday a bus load of us opted to go night skiing/riding at a small hill in Alberta called Pass Powderkeg. The main highlight was the terrain park, everyone was sending it of the kicker line and generally having a great time! Serviced by a couple of T-bar lifts, it was super easy to lap the floodlit runs continuously. We rounded off the night with some aprés at a nearby country bar.

This weekend was the beginning of the famous Fernie Griz Days festival, where the whole town comes out to enjoy live music, fun, food and games in honour of the legendary ’Griz’, the mythical mountain man that shoots the clouds with his musket and makes the massive amounts of snow fall here in Fernie. Events included axe throwing, a bacon eating contest, fireworks display, a float parade up the main street and so much more, it was impossible to witness it all!

Here’s hoping Griz continues firing that musket of his and we hold on to these great conditions for the weeks ahead!

The Ultimate Winter

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