About this Event
Join the 12th Annual SheJumps Alpine Finishing School presented by Arc'teryx: An all-women's ski and splitboard mountaineering course led by ACMG ski guides Kate Devine, Shannon Werner, and Christine Feleki. Alpine Finishing School will take place April 26-May 3, 2025 at the helicopter-accessed outside of Revelstoke, British Columbia.
The 2025 SheJumps Alpine Finishing School is led by ACMG-certified ski guides, in collaboration with SheJumps, a US public charity (68-0662227) dedicated to increasing the participation of women and girls in outdoor activities. This course is an opportunity for advanced backcountry skiers and splitboarders to learn the skills of ski mountaineering in a supportive and encouraging environment. Topics covered include terrain management, glacier travel, crevasse rescue, route planning, companion rescue, navigation, and more.
TRIP COST
The TOTAL cost of the course is $3,700 USD. A $500 USD non-refundable deposit is required to hold your space. You will receive instructions on final payment (less your $500 USD non-refundable deposit) upon acceptance of your application. (If you are paying in CAD, please pay your deposit in USD, and then contact us to pay your balance in CAD.) The full tuition amount for the course is due January 15, 2025. Payment plans are available.
The price of the course reflects equitable wages for our guides, access to online Alpine Development School training, on-site curriculum, and a guided educational experience in the mountains. The Alpine Finishing School strives to provide a space for women to grow not only in technical skill set, but also their confidence in tackling bigger objectives, while chasing their backcountry ambitions. Our focus is teaching safe backcountry travel with emphasis on hazard and terrain assessment, decision making and technical systems for keeping you and your team empowered and knowledgeable in the backcountry. This price includes helicopter transportation to and from the lodge, all meals and snacks, guiding, course instruction, and lodging. Gratuity for the guides/lodge caretakers is not included. It's customary to tip the guides at the end of the trip, and we recommend 10-15% of the trip price. All tips are shared by guides, and lodge staff. Please note that you are under no obligation to tip, but it's highly recommended.
Cancellation policy
Once you are accepted into the course, your deposit is non-refundable. If you cancel your reservation more than three months from the start of your trip, we will refund your payment, less the non-refundable deposit. If we receive your cancellation request within 31 to 90 days of your start date, we will retain 50% of your payment and refund the balance. If you cancel within 30 days of your start date, or fail to appear, you are responsible for and will be charged/billed the full amount of your trip.
**We strongly recommend purchasing trip insurance for this event.** Previous years have included medical helicopter evacuations from the lodge and last minute cancellations due to injuries or unexpected family obligations. We always hope that everything goes smoothly, but it's best to be prepared for the unexpected.
IS THIS COURSE FOR ME?
You should have AT LEAST three prior seasons (50+ days total) of human powered backcountry skiing/splitboarding experience and previous avalanche education in order to get the most out of this course and be able to participate fully in the experience. This includes having a strong level of fitness at elevation, familiarity with your equipment (especially your boots & bindings), and physical stamina. The lodge sits at 7,200 ft and will be the base of all our tours - that's high! It is crucial to already have advanced backcountry skiing/riding skills, an elevated fitness level, and avalanche education, so that you are capable and fully present to learn new skills without being fatigued and physically exhausted. Please read the FAQs or contact us if you have questions on skill level. Beginner and intermediate backcountry skiers and riders should not apply for this course. If you are an intermediate backcountry skier/rider, you may want to check out our .
Pre-Course Requirements
- Completed A IARE/AAI/AST level 1 or equivalent
- 50+ days of human powered backcountry skiing/splitboarding experience
- High fitness level. Ability to comfortably climb and ski at least 3,000 vertical feet/1,000 vertical meters in a day with a 20 lb pack on, multiple days in a row without rest days. Can push 5,000 vertical feet for a big day.
- Advanced ski or snowboard ability. Ski or ride confidently in all types of backcountry snow, on up to 40 degree slopes. (Experience with snow conditions including: heavy powder, dust on crust, set up snow, chunder, wind affected snow, hot and sticky snow, icy conditions, etc.)
- Willingness & commitment to learn knots via provided curriculum prior to the course date.
- Have experience with multi-day ski trips. There is a difference between doing one big backcountry tour a year and having back to back big tour days for 3+ days in a row.
Application Process
Upon submitting your $500 deposit, you will be asked a series of questions pertaining to your skiing/splitboarding abilities and experience in the backcountry. You are also required to provide a couple of references; these should be people with whom you have spent time in the backcountry. SheJumps staff and the course guides screen all applicants prior to acceptance into the course to ensure the course maintains a similar skill level between participants. However, please keep in mind when signing up for this course that we do our best to screen, but on large group trips, ability levels will likely still vary.
Upon acceptance into the course, we will then provide you with a comprehensive gear list and logistical information to help you plan your trip.
This course is designed to teach ski mountaineering skills and advanced decision making in challenging and complex terrain, while providing a safe learning experience. The aim is NOT to ski the most vert possible or the biggest lines. That isn't to say that you will get bored or not get any fun skiing in! Our goal is to ski everyday, however some days may be half days. We have a lot of course material to cover, some of which is in the classroom. Timing of the classroom sessions is always dictated by the weather conditions. As always, weather and avalanche conditions are outside of our control and will dictate where we can go, and there is a chance that we may not be able to ski some days or venture too far from the lodge. However, over the course of the week, we typically try to summit several peaks, ski some great runs, travel on big glaciers, and complete some amazing tours!
For a look into past year's Alpine Finishing School courses, check out this video of the SheJumps Alpine Finishing School Presented by Arc'teryx and this write up from Spring McClurg about the 2017 course.
About the Guides:
Kate Devine, ACMG Ski Guide, Owner/Operator of the Selkirk Lodge: Kate Devine was born into a mountain lifestyle. Her family built the Selkirk Backcountry Lodge near Revelstoke, BC and she started ski touring there as a kid with her parents. Kate went on to pursue a guiding career, passing her first guides exam at 24. Kate is a great role model for young, independent mountain women. She has been teaching for the Alpine Finishing School since its inception and brings an amazing amount of experience to the course. She has an incredibly thorough knowledge of the terrain surrounding the lodge and is passionate about sharing it with people from all over the world.
Christine Feleki, ACMG Ski Guide: Based in Ucluelet, B.C., Christine is one of the hardest working women in the industry. An ACMG hiking guide in summers and Canada’s first woman to be certified as a snowboard guide; no matter the season, she is teaching safe backcountry travel. Christine is ahead of the game in so many ways, behind her friendly smile lies a calculated and driven mind that will get you to the goods without sacrificing a good time. Her passion for sharing the mountains with other inspired women is only outmatched by her ability to out-ride most of the guys out there. In 2021, Christine became the first fully certified female ACMG splitboard guide in Canada.
Shannon Werner, ACMG Ski Guide: As soon as Shannon could walk her parents put her on skis. The Lake Louise Ski Resort became her stomping grounds. Over the years, Shannon dabbled in different competitive aspects of skiing including racing, mogul, big mountain, and, she shyly admits, ballet competitions. She quickly discovered her heart belonged to ski touring and ski mountaineering, seeking those endless powder turns in the backcountry with her passionate partners in crime.
Shannon spent just over a decade Ski Patrolling for Lake Louise & Revelstoke Mountain Resort, and then ventured to the Southern Hemisphere to work as an Avalanche Forecaster in New Zealand. In 2010, Shannon started working for Avalanche Canada as a Public Avalanche Forecaster and coordinates the Youth Program. She became an ACMG Ski Guide and fully enjoys sharing mountain experiences with others. This combined with avalanche education and enabling people to have confidence in decision-making, and enthusiasm for mountain sports and culture is what drives her.
FAQs:
Q: How strong of a skier/boarder do I need to be to take this course?
A: You need to be able to ski or snowboard in a variety of backcountry snow conditions. For example, that doesn’t mean you need to be shredding flawless turns in breakable crust, but you would need to be able to negotiate breakable crust relatively efficiently.
Q: How fit do I need to be?
A: You need to be able to climb and ski a MINIMUM of 3,000 vertical feet/1,000 vertical meters with a 20lb backpack, comfortably, for multiple days in a row. The reason we say minimum is because if this amount of skiing pushes you to your limit, it will be difficult for you to focus on the learning objectives.
Q:How much backcountry skiing experience do I need to have?
A: You should have a minimum of 3 years, totaling AT LEAST 50 days. Be an honest judge of your skills and experience level when it comes to basic ski touring objectives. If you are feeling maxed out most of the time, then you may benefit from waiting one more year.
Q: Is an avalanche course a prerequisite?
A: Yes. You must have completed AIARE/AAI/AST level 1 course or equivalent. It is expected that you have a solid understanding of avalanche types and familiarity with your local avalanche bulletins. We will be reviewing avalanche rescue basics, however it will be just that, a REVIEW. We will be talking about terrain management, decision-making, and risk management so it will be necessary to have prior avalanche education.
Facility information: There are gender neutral restrooms available. This is not an ADA accessible trip.
Gear and logisitcs information: Upon acceptance into the course, we will then provide you with a comprehensive gear list and logistical information to help you plan your trip.
We want to support all participants in enjoying this event to the fullest. Please let us know if you have any accommodation requests ahead of the event and we will provide accommodations as we are able to.
Questions?
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All participants must sign the r prior to participating in this event.
Spanish version of our waiver: Todos los participantes deben firmar la antes de participar en este evento.
To prioritize the health of our community, please do not attend a SheJumps event if you are experiencing any cold-like symptoms.
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SheJumps increases the participation of women and girls in outdoor activities to foster confidence, leadership, and connection to nature and community through free and low-cost outdoor education.
SheJumps is an inclusive organization. We welcome all women and girls—transgender and cisgender, as well as non-binary people.
SheJumps strives to fight against racism and acknowledges that our events and programs take place on traditional, unceded Indigenous lands.
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www.shejumps.org
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Selkirk Backcountry Lodge, Selkirk Lodge, Revelstoke, Canada
USD 535.38