York House School Blog
During the month of January, all of our primary classes enjoyed a snowy outdoor education experience at Cypress Mountain. Led by our Outdoor Education Coordinator, Robin Friesen, students and teachers experienced hiking, digging, and sliding in the snow and learned about winter plants.
Our active Yorkies have been involved in so many exciting pursuits, both inside and outside of the school. Ms. Matthews and Ms. Robin took a very keen group of Grade 9 students on an Avalanche Training course from January 19-21, 2018. The girls were hosted by one of our families and enjoyed a fabulous weekend of adventure, fun, and friendship! Watch the video here.
The girls learned the basics of how to determine whether a slope is likely to be safe to ski, how to travel in the mountains, how to use rescue equipment, and much more. Most of the course was spent out on the mountain. We were able to go beyond the “out of bounds” signs and explore places beyond the resort.
Certification achieved at the end of this avalanche course is AST-1. The benefits of gaining this certification are vast for anyone who enjoys playing in the snow. It is recommended that people who at any point in their life would like to travel on snow out of a controlled area have this certification, to keep themselves safe. This includes snowshoeing, skiing, sledding, and more. It is also beneficial for people who ski in bounds, as it helps us understand snow behaviour and areas that may be more high-risk.
Topics covered this in the course:
