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Pro Guiding Service
Domestic & International Trips & Courses with Professionally Trained Mountain Guides
Course

Navigation Course

Overview

Navigating in the mountains is one of the most important skills a backcountry traveler can acquire. This course consists of an indoor lecture in North Bend followed by a nighttime ski tour conducted entirely in the dark.

$275 Per Person
1 Days
Difficulty
Ratio:
5:1, 10:2

Trip Information

$275
Price based on 3-5 skiers/snowshoers. Please contact us directly for private courses. 425-888-6397 x2 | info@proguiding.com

The course consists of an indoor study session  in North Bend followed by a ski tour that will be conducted entirely in the dark. The study session/lecture will be in the afternoon (usually 2-5 PM) followed immediately by an evening ski tour. The total course time will be roughly 8 hours including the indoor portion. Get plenty of sleep the night before as we might be out late! This is a fantastic way to learn about navigating in the dark or whiteout conditions and course participants are always amazed how much they get out of this format.

Important: This course is only suited for strong skiers with advanced skiing skills or snowshoers with very strong fitness.

 

Duration: 1
Ratio: 5:1, 10:2
Difficulty Level:
Click here to learn more about difficulty ratings.

Overall Difficulty Level: Moderate to Difficult

Skills Required: Advanced skiing skills or snowshoeing skills. Skiing skill cannot be a concern when navigating at night. 

Fitness Level: Strenuous


Private Trips Available

Don't see a date that works for you? Pro Guiding Service offers any trip or courses on a private basis. We are flexible! Call or email to inquire.
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Itinerary

Afternoon Indoor Session (2:00 pm - 5:00pm)
During the three-hour class, we will review the “anatomy of a map”, explain tour planning, time calculations, compass use, and elementary GPS use.

Evening Tour (6:00pm - 11:00pm)
During the tour in the Snoqualmie Pass backcountry we will apply all the things we learned in the classroom session. This tour will obviously only be conducted in safe snow conditions. It is an amazing experience. Treat yourself to this.

Course Curriculum
• Review of the make-up of a map
• Review of time calculation and tour plans
• Putting a bearing on a map
• Translating the bearing into the landscape
• Translating the bearing onto the map from the landscape
• Whiteout navigation in a winter environment
• The UTM grid system
• Introduction to GPS use modern navigation apps like Gaia or Caltopo.

Private Trips

Pro Guiding Service proudly offers the most diverse ski touring and ski mountaineering programs of any guiding service in the Northwest. Smaller, more intimate custom itineraries or instructional tours are available for any of our destinations. Tell us what you want to do, and we can create a customized plan for you.
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Pricing

$275
per person
Price based on 3-5 skiers/snowshoers. Please contact us directly for private courses. 425-888-6397 x2 | info@proguiding.com
View Dates & Availability
Payment Policy
If booking a domestic trip that is over 60 days away or an international trip that is over 90 days away, you can book your trip by paying a 20% deposit.  View Full Policy
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel for any reason 60 or more days before domestic trips or 90 or more days before international and Alaska trips, we will refund everything you have paid minus half of your deposit. No refunds will be provided if you cancel your trip for ANY REASON (this includes but is not limited to illness including CoVid-19, injury, or work-related issues) within 60 days of the start of domestic trips or 90 days of international and Alaska based trips.  View Full Policy

Equipment List

Clothing
Base Layer
  • Lightweight or midweight top (avoid cotton)
  • Lightweight or midweight long underwear bottoms, may omit depending on the warmth of your pants
  • Warm ski socks
Mid Layer
  • Fleece or wool or similar warmth layer
  • Wind shirt or soft shell jacket - wind & water resistant, breathable
Outerwear
  • Waterproof/breathable jacket with hood
  • Ski/snowboard pants - either softshell or waterproof/breathable pants depending on weather)
  • Down or synthetic puffy-type jacket
  • Warm hat - should cover ears
  • Sun hat - baseball type or visor
  • Lightweight gloves
  • Ski gloves or mittens
  • A 3rd pair of gloves - recommended for temps above freezing in case your gloves get wet (lightweight or midweight)
Personal Gear
  • Day pack – large enough to fit everything inside (around 30 liters) - dedicated shovel pocket preferred
  • Water bottles - enough for a full day - wide mouth best to prevent freezing shut, hydration systems are okay if the temps are going to be above freezing
  • Lunch and snacks - enough for a full day
  • Sunglasses - adequate for snow travel
  • Goggles
  • Sunscreen - SPF 25+, waterproof
  • Lip Balm - SPF 15+
  • Headlamp - lightweight LED recommended
  • Face mask/covering - for when close contact is unavoidable
Technical Gear

Snow Travel Gear

  • Snow travel equipment - alpine touring or telemark skis or splitboard
  • Boots - touring ski boots or snowboard boots
  • Poles - adjustable poles are ideal so you can adjust the length when going uphill/downhill
  • Climbing skins
  • Ski brakes or removable ski leashes
  • Ski or splitboard crampons - ensure they are compatible with your bindings and ski/board width

Safety Gear

  • Avalanche Beacon
  • Shovel - compact, lightweight, metal blade preferred
  • Probe - dedicated probe only (240cm or longer strongly recommended)

 

Optional Items
  • Basic snow study kit - dial stem thermometer(s), crystal card, magnifying loupe, ruler
  • Notebook and writing utensil
  • Thermos - with a hot drink
  • Compass - adjustable declination a must
  • Altimeter watch
  • Maps - contact guiding office for appropriate quadrangles
  • Map case - large Ziploc bags work well
  • Camera
  • Hand sanitizer
Equipment Sales & Rental

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FAQs

I have map and compass skills, will I get anything out of this class?

The real life nature of a night tour challenges even our guides! We can pretty much guarantee that you will learn a lot from this class.

Where will the indoor component be conducted?

The indoor component of this course will be conducted in North Bend at a designated indoor classroom space. The specific meeting location will be announced 10 days prior to the start of the course.

Where will the night tour be conducted?

The tour will be conducted in the Alpental backcountry. The specific location will be determined by the instructor depending on conditions and weather.  

Should I tip my guide?

Although tipping is not a requirement, it is considered standard practice in the guiding industry and is appreciated by our guides. We generally recommend roughly 10%-20% of your course or trip cost or a flat amount that you are comfortable with.

Why Book With Us? 

Certified Professional Guides & All Access
All of our guides have the highest quality training and certification in the industry, and you can be sure that we have the permits, licenses and insurance in every location we operate.
Safe, Well-Planned Tour Design
Every tour has a carefully thought-out guide-to-customer ratio. You always get a safe, high-quality trip or learning environment with us.
Pioneers In The Industry
You will travel and learn from experts. We've pioneered several alpine climbing routes, ski descents, and traverses and we've written books on skills and routes in the industry. 
Read Our story
Resources

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