The ACC Comes East
The ACC Comes East
The first ever ACC National Winter Leadership course offered in Eastern Canada.
By Isabelle Depault and Bill Barrett, ACC-Ottawa/Outaouais
On Sunday, Feb 1, 2026, seven members of The Alpine Club of Canada and their two guides checked in to the Intervale Cooperative near St. Donat, QC, excited to be part of the first ever ACC National Winter Leadership course offered in Eastern Canada. The course aimed to support members who are trip leaders or are interested in leading alpine touring section trips. While the East lacks the high-altitude terrain of Western Canada, alpine touring continues to grow in popularity. Each of the sections represented on the course – Toronto, Ottawa, Outaouais and Montreal – has an active backcountry and alpine touring community. For example, every Tuesday evening throughout the winter, a collaborative effort between the Outaouais and Ottawa sections offers an “uphill skiing” evening at a local resort, welcoming both those with experience and those looking to get into the sport. Many members organize trips to the eastern mountains regions where backcountry skiing is possible, including Gaspésie and the Laurentians in Quebec as well as parts of New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. Others are developing their skills with the goal of alpine touring in the western mountains and the Alps. Bringing trip leaders together through a national course proved to be a meaningful way for the ACC to support this growing interest. All participants echoed how unique and meaningful the experience was.
The course was led by two Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) certified guides, Pancho, who came in from Canmore and Philippe, who is based in Gaspésie. They were superb: deeply experienced, patient, and incredibly knowledgeable. Having two very different instructors was great — their complementary communication styles and different perspectives reinforced key concepts in a way that really elevated the learning. David, from the Montreal section, said, “As leader of several winter outings a year, absorbing the knowledge of two experts in preparing and running outdoor winter outings was important for me”. One of the biggest highlights of the leadership course was the learning environment the guides created.
They gave us room to make mistakes — getting slightly “misplaced” on Mont Kaaikop, debating our route up Montagne Noire when things didn’t go quite as planned, and fumbling in a leadership role during the multi-victim avalanche scenario. They intervened only when necessary for safety and that freedom to experience real‑world uncertainty was invaluable. As a particular example, we were genuinely surprised by how chaotic a multi‑victim avalanche scenario can be. Most had only ever practiced single‑burial searches, so managing several beacons at once was incredibly eye‑opening. It really underscored the importance of calm leadership, communication and teamwork under pressure. The daily debriefs were rich, informative and constructive.
There was a lot of other learning as part of the course. Nick, from the Ottawa section, said, “I took the course to develop my leadership skills in a ski touring setting, for both club and friends. But I also appreciated the ski technique tips from the guides, helping me understand the mechanics behind high quality and safe ski touring, both on the ascent and descent”. As well, we came away with our Avalanche Skills Training – Level 1 (AST‑1) certification. This is available in the East but this was the first time it was offered through the ACC. There is some avalanche terrain in the East but more importantly we learned processes that makes for safe decision making. We were reminded that our activities can be fun and safe and as trip leaders we are responsible for both.
We also really appreciated that this was a regional event. Most of our ACC experience has been with our particular section. We enjoyed talking to members of other sections about the kinds of activities and trips they participate in, the terrain they explore, the types of outings they lead, and how their local ACC communities operate. We came to realize that the ACC is bigger than our local section. This is a learning that is especially true for eastern members who tend to have less connection with the hut system and course offerings out west. This connection led to concrete action when David (Montreal) reached out to Isabelle (Ottawa) to co-lead a backcountry day trip to Mont Grise, just two weeks after our course. Ten members of the two sections came together for a day of skiing and fun together!
Overall, it was a great experience, challenging, confidence and skill building, and very rewarding. Hopefully it promotes more ACC activity in the East, both at the section and national level.
We’ll give the last word to Isabelle. When asked why she decided to sign up for the course she said: “I was interested in the AST‑1 component, but also very much the leadership aspect. I absolutely love splitboarding. I love everything about it: being immersed in nature, the physical effort, the fresh air, and the feeling of “earning your turns”. I love how sustainable it is vs lifts, snowmobiles, and helicopters. I appreciate the calmness and stillness of the winter backcountry, and how it lets you reach areas that would otherwise be inaccessible to many. Touring also takes me out to Western Canada each year where I experience the breathtaking vistas, those huge, untouched landscapes that make me feel so very small and in awe of Mother Nature. All of that fuels my desire to help elevate this sport, introduce more people to it, and share these extraordinary experiences through ACC organized touring trips. And all this is now at the back of my mind as I head out West for a week of touring…” Be safe Isabelle and have fun!
Thanks to the Adventures team at the office in Canmore for getting the ACC out east. Thanks to everyone who joined for a great time together!
– Isabelle Depault and Bill Barrett, ACC-Ottawa/Outaouais
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