Week-by-week in Fernie

Our 11 week instructor course in Fernie serves up expert coaching in one of Canada’s most powder-heavy resorts, combined with a menu of epic mountain experiences, freeride time and weekly social sessions. You’ll be out on the hill every day with Canada’s best coaches, developing your riding and teaching to achieve your CSIA/CASI Level 1 qualification, followed by Level 2 or All Mountain Pro (AMP).

You’ll live in the heart of Fernie, close to the downtown action in either our lodge or local houses. To truly maximise your time here, you can get involved in everything from avalanche safety training, to backcountry touring and heli-skiing through our MORE program. Here’s what to expect.

Part 1: weeks 1-5

The first part of the course is focussed on improving your skiing or snowboarding and developing your teaching skills for the CSIA/CASI Level 1 assessment. You’ll be pushing your all-mountain riding to the limit and notching up plenty of vertical across Fernie’s steep and deep terrain. Coaching takes place four days per week with days off for freeriding, away trips and extra courses. You’ll be getting to know the local bars, hanging out as a group and throwing yourself into life in the Rocky Mountains. 

Week 1

Welcome to Canada. Hop on our transfer from Calgary to Fernie and meet your coursesmates and instructors at the Welcome Dinner. We’ll give you a tour of our favourite hangouts and bars around town, and our equipment workshop will help you decide what gear you need for the season. On-snow, the first few days are designed to get you settled into training. We’ll show you around Fernie’s five bowls and start to break down your riding with improvement coaching. Injuries are common in snowsports and we’ll expand your awareness with an injury prevention talk. Après always book-ends the week where you’ll swap stories from your days on the hill.

CSIA/CASI Level 1

• On-snow tour of Fernie
• Basic technique coaching and video analysis
• Tech talk: equipment seminar
• Tech talk: injury prevention

MORE Program options

• Snow biking – Explore Fernie’s snow-covered trails on a fat bike with nothing but your quads for power. A great way to experience the outdoors.
• Lake skating – A nearby frozen lake provides the perfect venue for an ice hockey dual. Losing team buys the first round.
• Ghostriders – Cheer on the local ice hockey team in what is a Canadian rite of passage. Come prepared to chant and mock.
  

Week 2

This week is about exploring the mountain and nailing the fundamentals. We’ll focus on stance and ironing out bad habits through drills and video analysis. We’ll also introduce you to CSIA/CASI teaching methodology, developing your understanding of instructor techniques in preparation for the Level 1 exam. This week’s tech session on ski/snowboard tuning expands your technical know-how, and on day’s off you’ll be clocking up vertical and relaxing in the hot tub. Weekly yoga sessions get underway to keep your body strong and supple for the season.

CSIA/CASI Level 1

• On-snow fundamentals – stance
• Technique drills and video analysis
• CSIA/CASI teaching approach
• Tech talk: tuning and waxing workshop

MORE Program options

• Yoga – Our weekly sessions get underway to help you to avoid injury, build strength and recover from big days on the hill. Aimed at all abilities.
• Photography course – Over two-days you’ll learn photography theory before getting behind the lens for an on-snow shoot.
• XC-skiing – Discover a new discipline as you explore local Nordic trails. Timing and rhythm are essential.

Week 3

CSIA/CASI Level 1 preparation really takes hold this week. The intensity steps up and you’ll be exploring more challenging terrain and steeper pitches. You’ll learn how to demo CSIA/CASI teaching techniques and get involved in simulated scenarios. To mix things up, we’ll head over to neighbouring resort Kimberley: uncrowded with a ton of epic terrain. A tech session on ski/snowboard biomechanics builds your knowledge base and the weekend is reserved for avalanche training.

CSIA/CASI Level 1

• Kimberley Alpine Resort
• All-mountain riding
• Simulated teaching
• Tech talk: ski/snowboard biomechanics

MORE options

• Avalanche Safety Training Level 1 – Boost your resume and backcountry skills by getting certified in avalanche safety. Essential if off-piste is on your agenda.

Week 4

The final week before your Level 1 exam. You’ll be tackling the whole mountain, dialling your technique on and off -piste. To get your teaching up to scratch, you’ll be leading your peers in simulated lessons and scenarios. We’ll also roll out a series of one-to-one private coaching sessions to work on individual areas of improvement. A workshop on working as an instructor gets you thinking about the future, plus we’ll take you through Level 1 theory. You’ll be fully initiated into Fernie life and set to notch up a weekend of backcountry adventures.

CASI/CSIA Level 1

• On and off -piste riding practice
• One-to-one development coaching
• Simulated lessons and Level 1 scenarios
• Tech talk: CSIA/CASI Level 1 theory
• Tech talk: Working as an instructor

MORE Program options

• Backcountry touring – Head into the wilderness and learn to ‘earn your turns’. You’ll climb to nearby summits for untouched descents down.
• Snowmobiling – A adrenaline junkie's dream. Weave through high alpine passes and blast through backcountry powder bowls.

Week 5

CSIA/CASI Level 1 exam. Your three-day assessment is challenging but super fun. Teaching and riding are assessed in two parts – pass both and you’ll be a qualified instructor. Nonstop has a 100% pass rate and we’ll celebrate with a blowout end-of-exam party. Next up: choosing your focus for the next six weeks, whether that’s Level 2 training or the All Mountain Pro (non-teaching) route, plus options for a race coach or snow park course. You’ll also be ready for one of the biggest highlights of the season – a backcountry cat skiing/boarding day with Fernie Wilderness Adventures.

CSIA/CASI Level 1

• 3-day CASI/CASI Level 1 exam
• Level 1 Nonstop party
• Tech talk: CSIA/CASI Level 2 or AMP

MORE Program options

• Cat skiing/boarding – Like heli-skiing/boarding but with about 10 drops. Head up the mountain in a snowcat, pick your line, and tear through untouched powder. Then cap it all off with a beer on the ride back down.

Part 2: weeks 6-11

Congrats. You’re a qualified instructor and will be charging around the mountain with extra swagger. Coaching will take place in two groups from here on out: CSIA/CASI Level 2 or All Mountain Pro (AMP). CSIA/CASI Level 2 is a big jump from Level 1 and there is a bigger emphasis on developing practical teaching strategies. AMP focuses on all-mountain riding and each week has a different focus. Away from coaching, you’ll still be hanging out as a group and scoring plenty of powder days.

Week 6

You’ll have a few days off to freeride before your Level 2 or AMP training gets underway. The Level 2 group starts with dynamic performance and carving skills, plus practical teaching sessions. If you’re thinking about becoming an instructor, our workshop on application tips is invaluable. In the AMP group, you’ll be honing your carving skills and speed control as you explore the whole mountain. Towards the end of the week, the AMP Stage 1 ride-off goes down, assessing your drop-ins, free runs and more. The week is capped off with an epic trip south of the border to Whitefish, Montana for an away weekend.

CSIA/CASI Level 2

• Practical on-snow teaching development
• Dynamic performance and carving
• Tech talk: application and interview techniques

All Mountain Pro

• Carving, dynamic performance, speed control
• Boom Chair challenge
• Stage 1 ride-off

MORE Program options

• Whitefish weekend – Make your way south of the border to hidden gem Whitefish in the USA. Shred, party or both – what happens in Whitefish, stays in Whitefish.

Week 7

A jam-packed week. You’ll tackle steeper pitches, narrower chutes and deeper powder, ready for a mid-week jaunt to legendary Castle Mountain. For Level 2s, teaching and riding go hand-in-hand as you hone your skills for moguls, off-piste and short radius turns, before teaching these skills to your peers. For AMP-ers, your riding reaches new heights as you hone your short radius turns and off-piste skills through terrain-led coaching. You’ll finish the week in Kimberley for a carve-off. The weekend brings local festival Griz Days to town – think axe throwing, live music and dummy downhill.

CSIA/CASI Level 2

• Moguls, off-piste and short radius turns
• Teaching Children module
• Tech talk: Level 2 teaching strategies

All Mountain Pro

• Exploring the whole mountain
• Moguls, off-piste and short radius turns
• Kimberley session

MORE Program options

• Castle Mountain – Steep chutes and deep snow are the order of the day at Castle. For adrenaline-seekers only.
• Pass Powder Keg night skiing – Night skiing in BC is like being on the moon. Featuring an epic park and rowdy Canadian pub crawl.

Week 8

This week adds to your arson of on-snow skills by developing your all-mountain expertise, ready for the Nonstop heli trip in BC backcountry. In the Level 2 group, you’ll expand your knowledge of CSIA/CASI teaching methodology and refine your all-terrain prowess. Skiers with a passion for freestyle can complete the CSIA Park course. One-to-one private coaching maximises your training, and you’ll finish the week putting your Level 1 to use by teaching at a nearby ski hill. In the AMP group, you’ll focus on trees and glades, choosing your lines tactically and developing a better awareness of your personal performance. Toast with week with a bonfire party and head into the wilderness for winter survival camping.

CSIA/CASI Level 2

• Developing your CSIA/CASI teaching methodology
• All-mountain skills
• CSIA Park course (optional) – two-days
• One-to-one development coaching 
• Practical teaching experience

All Mountain Pro

• Trees and glades
• Personal performance development
• 'Peak-2-Pint' challenge
• Teck talk: big mountain riding

MORE Program options

• Heli skiing/boarding – Chopper into BC backcountry and feed on endless lines of virgin powder. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for all winter.
• Winter camping – Build and camp in your own snow-cave, plus fresh tracks at sunrise the next morning.
• Bonfire party – But not as you know it. Stargazing, S’mores and, of course, a very Canadian bonfire.
• Community Days – Put your teaching skills to the test and gain valuable experience. This is an opportunity to volunteer at Wapiti ski hill.

Week 9

You’ll feel confident on a huge range of terrain types and snow conditions by now, and our one-on-one sessions will maximise every opportunity for progression. In the Level 2 group, you’ll be fine-tuning your demonstration technique and student feedback, getting your CASI/CASI teaching approach right up to scratch. Bumps and jumps are the AMP focus for week nine – you’ll be picking the best lines and perfecting your landings. Skiers can complete an optional CSCF race coach course, while snowboarders can challenge for the CASI park exam.

CSIA/CASI Level 2

• Developing your CSIA/CASI teaching methodology
• CSCF Race Coach course (optional) – three-days
• CSIA All-Terrain module
• CASI Park course (optional) – two-days
• One-to-one development coaching

All Mountain Pro

• Bumps and jumps
• Personal performance development
• 'Fingers Bumps' challenge

MORE program options

• Heli tour – Fly over the Rockies for a birds-eye view of your epic surrounds.

Week 10

The penultimate week, it’s time for that final push towards your goals – whether that’s becoming a Level 2 instructor or getting big air. Level 2s will be fine-tuning their demo runs and teaching, and skiers will take the first part of the CSIA Level 2 – a mandatory two-day training component. For AMP-ers, it’s time to pull out all the stops as you learn to guide. You’ll be tackling tighter lines off-piste and dropping bigger than ever, before testing your metal in Fernie’s famous Saddles. Our AMP talk is a chance to review your progress and look towards the future.

CSIA/CASI Level 2

• Final teaching and riding practice
• CSIA Level 2 training – two-days

All Mountain Pro

• Focus on getting air and riding tighter lines
• AMP progression talk and review
• ‘Saddles’ challenge

Week 11

The last official week of the program, it’s Level 2 CASI/CSIA exam and AMP assessment time. You’ll be evaluated on your teaching and riding and, when you pass both, you’ll be qualified to teach internationally in places like Japan, New Zealand and Switzerland. Skiers will take the second component of the CSIA Level 2 with two-days of assessed training, and snowboarders will have four back-to-back exam days. This all culminates with an almighty Nonstop Graduation Party. The final week of AMP coaching heads around Fernie’s best in-bounds terrain. They’ll be a skier/boarder cross challenge before the AMP Stage 2 ride-off. Hot Dog day hits the hill mid-week and we’ll finish with a Farewell Party.

CSIA/CASI Level 2

• CSIA/CASI Level 2 assessment
• Graduation party

All Mountain Pro

• Extreme off-piste
• Skier/boarder cross
• AMP Stage 2 ride-off

Sign up

Like the sound of living and training in Fernie on your way to becoming a qualified instructor? Sign up for our ski instructor course / snowboard instructor course, or get in touch with our team.