Canada Has An Igloo Building School That Will Teach You How To Build One And Spend the Night In It
Want a true Canadian experience? in British Columbia, a specialized institution called the Canada West Mountain School has an igloo building course that will teach you to make one in the mountains and survive the night in it.
“Spend the night in an Igloo or snow cave with your friends,” reads the course description. “This is an excellent and fun introduction to Winter Snow Camping where you will learn the skills needed for overnight winter camping, including basic survival techniques for winter travel and Avalanche skills training. This is also an excellent course to prepare for any larger mountaineering expedition that requires extensive winter camping.”
The entire experience spans a total of two days in the field. The first day is spent travelling into the backcountry to establish a base camp. Participants will learn how to properly use equipment, track routes, analyze weather patterns, select campsites, and review avalanche safety procedures. There will also be some free time to do some skiing and snowshoeing to explore the surrounding area.
The second day is a follow-up of the first, with instructors leading the way through mountain tours and backcountry experiences.
The igloo building course costs $265 per personand includes:
- A classroom session
- Instruction by professional guides and instructions
- 2.5 days of direct instruction
- Use of their 4-season mountain tents
- Instructional manuals (incl. CAA "Avaluator")
- Use of their avalanche beacons
- Use of G3 probe
- Use of G3 Avi-tech shovel
- Use of G3 "Bonesaw" snowsaw
Participants would also need to take an Avalanche skills course for safety reasons, since the course does take place in the snowy mountains.
For more information, visit TheMountainSchool.com.