SAFETY PROGRAM

Return to Safety

AM & PM Guides Meetings
All guides and drivers for Island Lake Catskiing take part in daily morning and afternoon meetings. As a team, we evaluate the weather and snow stability and create a 'Run List" for the day. The final decision to ski a run is based on the team's decision, and nothing is skied that the group is not comfortable with.

Weather
We continually monitor weather and record it twice daily. This information is incorporated into our morning and afternoon guides' meetings. Check out our "Current Weather" page for the latest updates.

Information Exchange
During the morning meeting, condition and snow stability reports from all of the other Cat-ski and Heli-ski operators in the province are reviewed. This allows guides to look at the 'big picture' and compare our conditions to neighboring operations. For more information check out: Canadian Avalanche Association

Explosives
Explosives are used as part of our safety program at Island Lake Catskiing. By artificially triggering snow instabilities on a regular basis, the risk of large scale avalanches is reduced. This allows us to safely access ski terrain that otherwise might not be available.

Snow Safety
Daily, a team of two guides are assigned to assess the snow stability. Their focus is to provide the safest and most enjoyable ski product we can offer. They perform snow stability tests and field observations. They also work directly with our Road Cat to build roads into new terrain and participate in explosive avalanche control work. This maximizes the amount of safe skiing terrain that we have to offer our guests.

Guest Training and Back Country Safety Talk
Each guest takes part in a safety briefing on the first morning of their visit. This includes instructions on the use of avalanche transceivers, skiing safely as a group and general backcountry safety topics. All guests, guides and drivers wear Barryvox transceivers while skiing.

Guest and Guide Packs/ Radios
Each Island Lake guide carries a pack with avalanche safety rescue equipment and a first aid kit. In every group two guests each carry a 'guest pack'. A probe, shovel and small first aid kit are in each guest pack. All Island Lake guides and drivers, as well as the lodge and office staff carry radios at all times during the day.