The Lisa Korthals Memorial Bursary provides financial aid to those women who are pursuing a career in mechanized ski guiding through the CSGA. Eligible for any women applying to CSGI accredited courses such as CSGI Level 2, 3, SGSC or Touring Module. Preference will be given to someone that has already completed the Level 1 CSGI course and is looking to advance through the CSGA program.
The committee reserves the right to not award a bursary in any given year if a suitable candidate has not applied. At the discretion of the committee, there may also be multiple recipients in a given year. Funds will be transferred at the completion of the course. The course must initially be paid in full by you. Applicants should apply online. The following should be included in your application package:
An essay describing your development as a guide, how you feel you embody Lisa’s adventurous mountain spirit, your contribution to supporting others, female or otherwise, in the mountain environment and your future goals.
A reference letter from a mentor in the guiding industry
A resume of work experience and relevant personal adventures
CSGA is happy to announce a Touring Module will be held this Spring near Kaslo BC, at Mt. Carlyle Lodge. Dates are April 24 – 26, 2019, cost is $750.00 plus tax.
This course will be run in 2 parts:
A three day course (April 24-26, 2019)
Following year, 3 day exam (Date TBD)
Seats are limited to 8 people. Get your application in ASAP to ensure a seat on the course, first come first serve.
Level 2 – April 9-19, Blue River and the Monashee Chalet
The level 2 program had 16 students, 9 Candidates were successful, 3 will have to complete hard skills re-testing (beacon or rope rescue) and 4 candidates were unsuccessful.
Level 3 Course April 9-14, 2018
This is the second year for the 2 part program, the first 5 days consists of a training course with no exam. The emphasis for the course is on demonstration, coaching candidates and setting out the L3 standards. The instructors (and the students also) believe that this year’s program was successful.
4 candidates participated and were exposed to 3 instructors during the 5 days. At the end of the program all candidates were given feedback on their performance and given suggestions on areas to improve. A big emphasis for all candidates is to keep training and use mentorship to build skills and experience.
All L3 course participants will be able to attend the L3 exam next year if they feel they are at the standard.
Level 3 Exam: April 15-19, 2018
This is the first year where L3 exam candidates must have attended a L3 course at least 12 months before taking the exam. The L3 exam has no training or coaching component but jumps straight into testing and assessing candidates’ performance in relation to the L3 standard. The program consists of 4 full days of testing and assessment with final evaluations completed on the day after the exam.
This year 2 candidates attended. During guiding demonstrations 2 examiners were present to ensure consistent and fair assessment of candidate’s performance. Both candidates will have to re-test some hard skill in the next 12 months.
Weather and Venues
Mike Wiegele Heli-skiing, Guides Haus was used for all meetings. Daily filed trips consisted of Heli assisted ski touring, Mechanized (Heli) skiing and valley training and practice stations
All students were required to snow camp for nights, based around the Monashee Chalet, owned and built by the Teufele family, kindly allowed by Bernie Teufele.
We were challenged by highly variable weather and in-accurate weather forecasts so the instructors and students had to remain flexible as to the daily (and hourly) plans. Despite the weather the objectives of the course were achieved. Blue River is an excellent course location since there is a large range of terrain close to the lodge.
We were supported by Yellowhead Helicopters who supplied an A-star B3, which has great advantages especially when mechanized skiing with up to 5 groups. Pilot, Steve Tosh is a great asset as he enjoys teaching and coaching candidates.
Curriculum, Marking and Feedback
Student evaluation feedback and Marking
A draft Marking and assessment document was created by the L2 & 3 instructor team.
This was distributed to the students at the start of the course and we think was worthwhile but is a work in progress
Candidate hard skills re-testing
As in the past, if a candidate fails a hard skill (rope or beacon exam) but performs at the standard in all other areas, then they are able to attend a re-test. To ensure consistency between courses, a draft hard skills re-test procedure has been developed. It will be posted to the website and discussed early in all courses.
INSUREDS: All eligible guides (Canadian residents covered by Provincial Health Care) who are registered with the Policyholder (under age 70).
MANDATORY BENEFITS: $25,000 Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)
$1,000 Accidental Dental Reimbursement Benefit
$10,000 Accidental Medical Reimbursement Benefit
$15,000.00 Family Transportation Benefit
$5,000 Funeral Expense
$15,000.00 Home Alteration & Vehicle Modification Benefit
$5,000 Identification Benefit
$15,000.00 Rehabilitation Benefit
$1,000 Rehabilitative Physical Therapy Benefit
$15,000.00 Repatriation Benefit
OPTIONAL BENEFITs: $800.00 Weekly Accident Indemnity (Total Disability – payable on the 21st day for 26 weeks, must be gainfully employed and under age 65)
Diagnostic & Specialist Access Insurance (DSAI). This allows for insured members to have access and treatment within 3 weeks for MRI, CT scans etc for injuries.
MANDATORY ANNUAL PREMIUM: AD&D $105 per guide per year.
OPTIONAL ANNUAL PREMIUM: WAI $420 per guide per year.
DSAI $139.00 per guide per year.
$278.00 per Member & Spouse only
$416.00 per Member, Spouse and dependent children
INFORMATION
Aircraft exposure while travelling aboard regularly scheduled airlines and while flying as a passenger and/or observer, but not as a pilot or crew member (pilot in command). Coverage includes a flight in connection with any authorized guiding (helicopter skiing).
WAI definition attached in separate document.
Coverage for contractors and sole proprietors. Proof of income required.
Mandatory coverage for all members.
Policyholder to maintain a proper record of the member listing and remit premiums.
Guides must be Canadian resident and have provincial health coverage.
The CSGI held a successful level 1 course based at Keefer Lake Lodge on April 3-13. Instructors were: Mike Hainult, Tyler Toews, Jason Martin, Ron Betts and Matt Devlin. There were a total of 19 course candidates hailing from various parts of the world including: Japan, England, Utah, the Yukon, B.C and Alberta. Many of the students are already working in the cat or heli industry as tail guides.
The course started out cold, turned warm and ended windy and stormy which challenged the candidates at many levels especially on rope rescue day!
Keefer Lake Lodge was a very nice venue for everyone to enjoy, their staff was super attentive, and the food was great. Most of the course utilized two snowcats with Keefer Lake in their terrain, and Kingfisher Heliskiing hosted one day of heliskiing close by Keefer Lake.
Of the 19 students, 16 passed the course, 2 had a conditional pass requiring a retest in a hard skill, and 1 did not meet the level at this time.
On behalf of all the instructors and the CSGI, we wish all the candidates the best of luck obtaining work in the mechanized skiing industry and further education in the mountain environment.
Level 2, April 9-19, Blue River and the Monashee Chalet
The level 2 program had 16 students, 9 Candidates were successful, 3 will have to complete hard skills re-testing (beacon or rope rescue) and 4 candidates were unsuccessful.
Level 3 course April 9-14, 2018
This is the second year for the 2 part program, the first 5 days consists of a training course with no exam. The emphasis for the course is on demonstration, coaching candidates and setting out the L3 standards. The instructors (and the students also) believe that this year’s program was successful.
4 candidates participated and were exposed to 3 instructors during the 5 days. At the end of the program all candidates were given feedback on their performance and given suggestions on areas to improve. A big emphasis for all candidates is to keep training and use mentorship to build skills and experience.
All L3 course participants will be able to attend the L3 exam next year if they feel they are at the standard.
Level 3 exam: April 15-19, 2018
This is the first year where L3 exam candidates must have attended a L3 course at least 12 months before taking the exam. The L3 exam has no training or coaching component but jumps straight into testing and assessing candidates’ performance in relation to the L3 standard. The program consists of 4 full days of testing and assessment with final evaluations completed on the day after the exam.
This year 2 candidates attended. During guiding demonstrations 2 examiners were present to ensure consistent and fair assessment of candidate’s performance. Both candidates will have to re-test some hard skill in the next 12 months.
Weather and Venues
Mike Wiegele Heli-skiing, Guides Haus was used for all meetings. Daily filed trips consisted of Heli assisted ski touring, Mechanized (Heli) skiing and valley training and practice stations
All students were required to snow camp for nights, based around the Monashee Chalet, owned and built by the Teufele family, kindly allowed by Bernie Teufele.
We were challenged by highly variable weather and in-accurate weather forecasts so the instructors and students had to remain flexible as to the daily (and hourly) plans. Despite the weather the objectives of the course were achieved. Blue River is an excellent course location since there is a large range of terrain close to the lodge.
We were supported by Yellowhead Helicopters who supplied an A-star B3, which has great advantages especially when mechanized skiing with up to 5 groups. Pilot, Steve Tosh is a great asset as he enjoys teaching and coaching candidates.
Curriculum, Marking and Feedback
Student evaluation feedback and Marking
A draft Marking and assessment document was created by the L2 & 3 instructor team.
This was distributed to the students at the start of the course and we think was worthwhile but is a work in progress
Candidate hard skills re-testing
As in the past, if a candidate fails a hard skill (rope or beacon exam) but performs at the standard in all other areas, then they are able to attend a re-test. To ensure consistency between courses, a draft hard skills re-test procedure has been developed. It will be posted to the website and discussed early in all courses.
This fund is designed to create a living legacy to the memory of Lisa Korthals. It is intended to create a bursary to be used by women to help them get a start in their Mechanized Ski Guiding career. This campaign is the first step in creating the bursary. Once the bursary is established, we are hoping to get corporations and people to commit to an annual contribution to facilitate the long term viability of the bursary.
It is with a tremendous sense of loss I am updating the members of the guiding world and members of the CSGA that on March 28, 2018 we lost one of our brightest stars. Lisa Korthals, age 49, mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend – died in an avalanche while guiding in the mountains near Pemberton BC.
Lisa was known to many, carving out a life in the mountains surrounding Whistler and Pemberton for the past 30 years. As one close friend remarked, she was “a proper legend”.
Lisa was born in Toronto and raised there with her two brothers. She attended Brown School and Branksome Hall before moving out to the west coast in 1987 to attend UBC. Her adventurous spirit and athletic passions chafed under the confines of university life. Being an accomplished canoeist ,perfected over many summers attending Camp Wapomeo, she began to heed the calls of nature and started venturing to Whistler . Having learned to ski in the hills of Ontario under the guidance and inspiration of her mother Judy, and also having taken a trip to Whistler during her last year of high school, the temptation was too great.
Getting a job with the Whistler Mountain Ski School sealed her fate, and she began a love affair with the Coastal Mountains that refused to abate. Lisa began to pursue perfection on skis and quickly started adding qualifications to her list of impressive achievements that culminated with her reaching the pinnacle of ski instruction , the Level IV certification. Not slowing down in her summers off the slopes, she continued to pursue her passion for canoe tripping, specifically long and remote adventures down the Moisie and Coppermine Rivers. These were unsupported missions in the barren landscape of Northern Canada that she co-led with her dear friend Andrea Dorfman. In hindsight, they are truly epic accomplishments.
At this point other passions called. Lisa was always a peripathetic adventurer constantly looking for new challenges. Her close friend Leeanne Patterson introduced her to rock climbing and Lisa took to it like any skill she perfected, with drive and determination.The natural outlet to this was attending Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops to study in the Outdoor Adventure Program. These college years were punctuated with working at Outward Bound leading river rafting trips in Idaho and rock climbing trips to places like Joshua Tree and Smith Rock.
In 1997 Lisa moved to Pemberton, fleeing the perpetual housing crisis of Whistler. She immediately fell in love with a piece of property 10 kms north of town in a small nascent neighborhood called Walkerville. She homesteaded here in true Lisa fashion, getting a friend to build her a tiny 10 x 10 shed that she lived in for 2 summers. At the same time she met her future husband and life partner, Johnny Foon Chilton, in a skiing contest. They proceeded to build their dream home on the hill.
Soon after settling in Pemberton Lisa decided to concentrate on ski guiding as a winter profession and began the Canadian Ski Guide Assoc. certification. This led to working at Mike Wiegele Heli skiing and gaining a Level 3 ticket. Her summers were occupied with horticulture, working for the municipality of Whistler.
Climbing and big mountain skiing became central to her life , taking on big objectives with her husband Johnny, culminating in the climbing and skiing of University Peak in Alaska. A daunting feat, skiing 2,700 meters at 50 degrees plus, Lisa became the first woman to log a descent of this face.
By this time family beckoned and Lisa gave birth to son Tye in the summer of 2005. Settled into her cozy neighborhood , living alongside close friend Wendy Brookbank and raising their son, she decided to stay close to home and took a job as a guide with local Pemberton heli ski operation Coast Range. Again she excelled here and became the operations manager for 2 seasons.
Lisa was a sublime skier. Fluid. Graceful. Powerful. An absolute dream to watch. Her son Tye has learned the trade well from this incredible athlete and is becoming a complete skier at the tender age of 12. Her passion for skiing and adventure were matched by her dedication and love for Tye.
She transitioned from rock climbing to mountain biking. She was dogged in her pursuit of excellence in this sport like everything else. Her texts to me about “cleaning” a trail became legendary between Lisa and Johnny.
Lisa is survived by her husband Johnny, her son Tye, her mother Judy, her father Robin, her brother Jamie and a colossal list of friends . She was pre-deceased by her brother Chris. She was a connector, a truly social being, a hugger and a kisser. She made people feel special. She was full of raw emotion and deeply felt love for everybody who crossed her path. She lived life INTENSELY. She leaves a massive hole in this community and in so many hearts. Her smile was extinguished by the whims of nature but it’s luminosity and power will forever be etched in our minds.
This fund is designed to create a living legacy to the memory of Lisa Korthals. It is intended to create a bursary to be used by women to help them get a start in their Mechanized Ski Guiding career. This campaign is the first step in creating the bursary. Once the bursary is established, we are hoping to get corporations and people to commit to an annual contribution to facilitate the long term viability of the bursary.
