At a glance
- 8, 9 or 13
- weeks, one January start
- £6,950
- from, in a shared room
- 10
- places a winter, by interview
- 13 Jan
- 2027, the 8 week start
The training
- Course type
- Vocational ski patrol training. Not an instructor course.
- Dates
- 13 January to 10 March 2027. The 9 week route starts 7 January.
- Venue
- Panorama Mountain Resort, living in Invermere
- Discipline
- Skiers and snowboarders, on the same course
Certified on the course
- NUEC A
- Advanced Protocols
- Avalanche Skills Training 1
- AVSAR Level 1, when it runs
- CSIA Level 1, 9 week route, on passing
Rope rescue, lift evacuation, toboggan handling and the mentoring days are training, not certificates. Instructor certificates are awarded when you pass.
Good to know
- Taught by paramedics, patrol trainers and Panorama's Mountain Operations team
- Ten mentoring days on real patrol shifts
- Ten places, entry by interview
- Season lift pass included
- ATOL protected when you fly with us
Is This Ski Patrol Course Right for You?
You'll Love This If.
- You want to work patrol next winter and you're happy to earn your place.
- You can ski or ride any black run in flat light and poor snow.
- You'll trade the pub for first aid reading most nights of the first fortnight.
- You're a skier or a snowboarder. Both are welcome on the same course.
Probably Not for You If.
- You need wages this winter. An instructor internship pays you while you train.
- You want a big winter of skiing with no plan to work in the industry. All Mountain Performance and Freeride is built for that.
- You're still building confidence on blacks. Do an instructor course first, then patrol.
Still deciding whether patrol is for you at all? Read the free Ski Patrol Guide first, on how to become a ski patroller. It's written with working patrollers and it doesn't pull punches.
Your Eight Weeks, Stage by Stage.
Built around the 2026/27 operations schedule. The mountain has the final say, so expect the weather to move a day or two.
Week 1: Arrive and Settle.
Fly into Calgary on 13 January and we transfer you to Invermere. Orientation on the 14th, passes and gear sorted, then a few days learning the mountain and working through your pre-reading.
Weeks 2 and 3: Advanced First Aid.
Twelve days of NUEC A with practising paramedics or full time patrol first aid trainers, then two days of Advanced Protocols. Written, medical and trauma assessments at the end. The toughest fortnight of the course, and the one that makes you useful on a real call.
Week 4: Onto the Hill.
Your first patrol and mentoring shifts, then two days of Avalanche Skills Training.
Week 5: Avalanche Rescue.
A patrol day, four mentoring days over the long weekend and, if there are enough bookings, four days of AVSAR Level 1.
Weeks 6 and 7: Working With the Team.
Patrol training blocks and mentoring shifts: rope rescue, lift evacuation and self evacuation, toboggan handling, risk management and real incidents.
Week 8: Heli Rescue and Home.
The heli rescue scenario on 8 March, a day to breathe, and home on 10 March.
Adding Level 1: the 9 Week Route.
Arrive 7 January for a compressed CSIA Level 1 instructor course, then roll straight into the patrol course. Snowboarder? Call the Winter Sports team to enrol on CASI Level 1 and ski patrol.
Adding Level 1 and 2: the 13 Week Route.
Level 1 and the patrol course at Panorama, then Level 2 training and exams, which may take you into the mighty Revelstoke, finishing 7 April.
Two resorts, one programme
For all our patrol, ski and snowboard instructor programmes, we may run a dual resort programme, taking you into the mighty Revelstoke as well as working with Panorama's Mountain Ops team. Between both resorts, there's a thorough training programme to fit into a busy schedule. Instructor training options stay fluid through the booking season, so always ask us for the latest ways to add to your course.
Training days start around 10am, mentoring days around 7.30am. Expect about thirty hours of pre-reading before you fly.
What You Leave With.
NUEC A with Advanced Protocols.
Certified. Non-Urban Emergency Care, Advanced, plus Advanced Protocols. The first aid tickets BC patrol teams look for.
Avalanche Skills Training Level 1.
Certified, with companion rescue as part of it, to the Avalanche Canada standard.
AVSAR Level 1.
Certified when it runs. Added to the course when there are enough bookings, and the key to Avalanche Operations Level 1 later.
Rope rescue and lift evacuation.
Training, not a certificate. Drilled until the knots are automatic.
Toboggan, risk management and incident investigation.
Training, not a certificate. The daily craft of the job.
Ten days of references.
From a working patrol team who've watched you on real shifts.
Level 1 instructor ticket.
CSIA Level 1 on the 9 week route, certified when you pass. Snowboarders, ask us about CASI.
After the course
“The Tickets Get You Noticed! The Shifts Get You Hired!”
What's Included.
Training and exams.
NUEC A and Advanced Protocols, Avalanche Skills Training 1 with companion rescue, rope rescue, lift evacuation, toboggan and risk management modules, ten mentoring days and the heli rescue scenario. On the longer routes, instructor training, exam fees and CSIA membership.
Season lift pass.
Arrive early or stay late and it still works.
Accommodation.
Shared apartments in Invermere for the course, with a free shuttle to the hill. Full detail below.
Airport transfers.
Calgary to Invermere and back, at scheduled times.
Also included.
The avalanche pack (transceiver, probe and shovel), a WSC rep in resort, the welcome gift bag, the WSC network for job hunting, the WSC Collective referral scheme and 25% off our online store.
What's Not Included.
Flights.
About £700 to £750 return. Fly with us and you're ATOL protected.
Insurance.
About £300 for course only cover. If you'll be working in Canada later, that's a different, dearer policy. Read the course insurance guide.
Food.
Self catered. Budget about £120 to £150 a week.
Your own kit.
Skis or board, boots, helmet, goggles and proper layers. Budget £450 to £1,000 if you're buying.
Own room.
A supplement, as per your quote.
Optional extras.
Avalanche Operations Level 1, heli skiing, Park 1, adaptive (CADS) and touring. Ask us for prices and timing.
Twenty minutes, no pitch. Tell us where your skiing and your background are, and we'll tell you whether this course, an instructor course first, or waiting a year makes more sense.
Book a callSki Patrol Course Prices and Dates, 2026/27.
Ski Patrol plus Level 1, 9 weeks
Dates
7 Jan to 10 Mar 2027
Shared room
£8,350
Own room
£9,550
Ski Patrol plus Level 1 and 2, 13 weeks
Dates
7 Jan to 7 Apr 2027
Shared room
£12,300
Own room
£14,200
What the Whole Winter Costs.
The course is £6,950. Add flights at about £725, insurance at about £300 and food and living at about £1,080 for eight weeks, and most people spend £9,000 to £9,500 across the course. Stay on for the rest of the winter and it can reach £10,000 to £12,000.
Earning While You Train.
You don't. Patrol is vocational: you train this winter and work the next. Starting patrol pay is usually a dollar or two an hour above a new instructor's, on a steadier forty hour week.
How Payment Works.
A £300 deposit holds your place, £1,000 is due twenty weeks before you fly, and the balance twelve weeks before you fly.
What Past Trainees Say.
The detail behind the courseWant To Go Full Snow Geek?
Your trainers, where you live, who's got your back and the what-ifs. Open whichever catches your eye.
Who Trains You.Your trainers, and the patrol role and career after the course
Who Trains You.
Your first aid is taught by practising paramedics or full time ski patrol and first aid trainers. Everything on the hill is taught and mentored by Panorama's own Mountain Operations team, the patrollers who open and sweep that mountain every day. Mentoring is one to one or two to one on real shifts, so you learn how they make decisions, not just what's in the manual. Engage and they engage back, and that's where your references come from.
The Role, and What Comes After.
What a Patroller Actually Does
Open terrain in the morning, mark hazards, respond to injuries, evacuate lifts, move patients by toboggan and sweep the hill at close. At avalanche prone resorts, patrol also run avalanche control.
A Day on Shift
Full time is usually four days of ten hours. A briefing before seven, standby and manual jobs through the day, calls whenever they come, and a sweep by head torch in midwinter.
The Tickets Patrol Teams Ask For
There's no single worldwide patrol licence. Every team wants a serious first aid ticket, avalanche training, rope skills and strong skiing or riding. This course covers the first three. You bring the fourth.
Where It Leads
Patrol work is earned, never guaranteed. Panorama hire from the course, and if they don't offer you an interview, we'll help you get one at other resorts such as Sun Peaks. Be prepared to work at a smaller resort in your first season. Earning your patrol wings is part of the process, and being patient often means starting at a resort you didn't have in the plan.
Where You'll Live: Invermere.The house, the rooms and the town
Where You'll Live: Invermere.
The Apartments.
Modern lakeside apartments, two bedrooms (some ensuite), full kitchens, proper living space and big TVs, with a communal hot tub and gym. Supermarkets, bars, restaurants and ski shops are all close by.
Getting to the Hill.
A free shuttle, 20 to 25 minutes to Panorama. It picks up along a route, so be at your stop five minutes early, especially early season. You don't need a car.
Food.
Self catered. Bulk cook and you'll spend less than the £120 to £150 a week we budget for. Eat out and you'll spend more. The days are long, so plan on eating more than you think.
The Town.
Invermere is a real Canadian mountain town, not a tourist trap. Thursday night hockey, a huge frozen lake to skate on, quiz nights and trips to other resorts on your days off. If you want nightclubs and neon, go to Banff. If you want something genuine, this is it.
13 week route. The Level 2 weeks are at Revelstoke, in shared rooms at the Cube Hostel. You can add a three week meal plan of four breakfasts and four dinners a week. More on the resort and the town: Panorama and Invermere.
Who's Got Your Back.Support before you fly and all winter
Who's Got Your Back.
Before you go.
A consultation call, eTA and visa guidance, kit advice, your pre-reading, and our patrol onboarding guide, Before The First Shift.
In resort.
A rep or manager on the ground in the resort.
Straight to Winter Sports Company.
One of the team will always be on hand to pick up. WhatsApp +44 7535 424781.
After the course.
Help applying to resorts, references, and the WSC network of graduates already on patrol.
What If...?Injury, visas, weather and the other worries
What If...?
What If the Weather Moves the Schedule?
It will, at some point. Storms and avalanche control days shuffle training around. The plan bends, the training doesn't disappear.
What If I'm Injured Before I Fly?
You'll need to rely on your course insurance to cover the money you've paid us. Where we can, we'll try to defer your place, but depending on how close you are to departure, that isn't always possible. Please read our terms and conditions.
What If Panorama Don't Offer Me an Interview?
We help you get an interview elsewhere, starting with resorts such as Sun Peaks. Be ready to start at a smaller resort to earn your patrol wings. Findlay applied to fourteen resorts and had four offers. Resorts start hiring from August, so start early.
What If I Have to Go Home Early?
Let us and the Mountain Ops team know before you leave. At that late stage it's unlikely we can recover what you've spent on the course, which is where a good insurance policy gives you peace of mind.
From People Who've Done It.
Watch the course
Before You Book.
How do I get from Calgary to Invermere?
We meet you at Calgary airport and transfer you to Invermere at scheduled times on the start date, and back again at the end. Book flights that land with time to clear border control, and we'll send you the transfer times once you've booked.
How much do I need to read before I arrive?
Plan on about thirty hours of pre-reading, mostly first aid. Graduates are blunt about this: the ones who read properly pass comfortably, the ones who skim struggle. Learn the knots you're sent and, if you've never used an avalanche transceiver, borrow one and practise.
Do I need my own avalanche kit?
No. We provide the avalanche pack, so transceiver, probe and shovel are covered. Some people prefer their own, which is fine, but it isn't a cost you need to carry. Your skis or board, boots, helmet and layers are on you.
Is AVSAR Level 1 included?
It's added to the course when there are enough bookings to run it, and we'll confirm it on your quote. It matters because Avalanche Operations Level 1 can't be booked without it, and some avalanche heavy resorts want Ops 1 before they'll hire.
Can I have my own room?
Yes, for a supplement. The 8 week own room price is £7,750. Ask on the call and it'll be on your quote.
Can I arrive early or stay on afterwards?
Yes. Your season pass covers the whole winter, so arriving early or staying on to free ski is easy. Extra weeks of accommodation and extra courses can be added. Ask us what fits.
What happens after I book?
A £300 deposit holds your place. You'll get your pre-reading, the patrol onboarding guide, eTA guidance and a kit list, and we'll stay in touch on WhatsApp until you land.
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