Placeholder photo Smithers · Bulkley Valley · Northern BC
Guided ski trips and avalanche training throughout northern BC, led by an ACMG ski guide with 25 years in these mountains. Small groups, professional safety systems, and an eye for fresh powder.
ACMG
Ski Guide — Association of Canadian Mountain Guides
CAA L3
Level 3 Professional Member, Canadian Avalanche Association
25 yrs
Guiding and avalanche safety work in northern BC
Max 6
Small groups on every guided ski trip
The guide
Hyland Backcountry Services Ltd is operated by Sean Fraser — 25 years of backcountry ski guiding and avalanche safety work in northern British Columbia. Sean is a member of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) and a Level 3 Professional Member of the Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA).
His guiding background spans ski touring, catskiing and heliskiing across the North Coast, North Rockies and Selkirk mountains — plus international seasons in New Zealand, Europe, Norway and Greenland. On the industrial side, Sean has provided avalanche control, forecasting, assessments and mapping from Golden to the Cassiar Mountains, across the mining, forestry, highways, railway, hydro and government sectors.
Both professional organizations require continued training, so what you get on every trip is current practice — not habits from decades ago.
Placeholder photo Guided ski trips
From the rugged Howson Ranges near Smithers to the North Coast Mountains of Terrace and the Boundary Ranges of Stewart, there are infinite possibilities — high glaciers and peaks, couloirs, tree skiing, or mellow alpine cruisers. Guiding season runs November through May, with groups of up to 6 guests.
Placeholder photo Nov – May · daily
Daily tours in the Smithers area or throughout the northwest — logistics handled, terrain matched to your group.
Placeholder photo Multi-day
Ski, eat, sleep, repeat — remote backcountry lodges in northern BC, including the Babine Mountains’ Joe L’Orsa Cabin.
Placeholder photo Spring · heli access
4-day tent basecamps in reliable high-alpine spring snow — peaks, glaciers, couloirs and light-pack days.
Why hire an ACMG-certified guide? Your safety, comfort and enjoyment are the job — a comfortable pace, a well-set track, and terrain chosen for your group.
All trip details →Avalanche skills training
Hyland Backcountry is one of the largest providers of avalanche courses in northwest BC — regular scheduled courses and private custom courses, for skiers and sledders, taught by a long-term local professional certified in both the CAA and ACMG.
$375 + GST
Most popular — fills fast
The Avalanche Canada entry course for anyone new to backcountry travel, ski or sled. Classroom (in person or online) plus a full field day near Smithers — quick access, no long drives.
$775 + GST
1 classroom + 3 field days
The next step after AST 1 — for backcountry travellers with some experience and intermediate ski ability. Expect real touring days: 800–1,000 m of climbing over 8–12 km.
$200 + GST
1 day — great refresher
Beyond what the AST 1 teaches: single, multiple and deep burials, advanced transceiver functions with demo gear, mock scenarios, post-rescue care and incident debriefs.
$200 + GST
1 field day
A focused field course that expands on AST 1 terrain management — honing terrain evaluation and travel skills to mitigate your risk. Take it after AST 1 or as a refresher.
$1,000 + GST
Season-long — beyond AST 2
Follow the Smithers snowpack through a whole winter: monthly virtual sessions and field days tracking real conditions, weather and avalanche problems as they develop.
Scheduled AST 1 dates run November–January and fill fast; AST 2 runs in late February. Private courses are available on demand — ask about dates for this winter.
Ski & learn
Struggling with gear, technique or confidence? These courses pass on years of experience so you move through the mountains safely — and have more fun on your skis.
Enquire
2 days for skiers new to touring — equipment, trip planning, navigation, tracksetting, routefinding and backcountry preparedness. Min 4 / max 6 students.
Enquire
2 days of theory, rope work and field travel — basic glaciology, self rescue, hauling systems and roped travel. Min 4 / max 8. A great option for a group of ski friends.
$200 + GST
1 day on maps, compass and altimeter, route plans, GPS phone apps and digital imagery — for when the squiggly line fails you. Min 4 / max 8.
$100 + GST
An evening classroom session on local weather influences, forecast products and meteograms — and how weather drives the avalanche hazard.
Avalanche services for industry
Risk assessments, avalanche safety plans, ATES terrain ratings and worker training for mining, forestry, hydro, rail, highways and film — including a dedicated avalanche awareness course for helicopter pilots. BC Mines Act avalanche safety regulations are in effect at all mining and exploration properties.
How booking works
01
Call or email with your dates, group and objectives — or ask what’s still open on the scheduled calendar. Winter books up through the fall.
02
Sean matches terrain and pace to your group’s ability and the conditions — from mellow alpine cruisers to couloirs and glacier objectives.
03
Every guest signs a waiver before a trip. You’ll get the guiding info package with pricing, gear list and meeting details.
04
Logistics, tracksetting, routefinding and snowpack evaluation are looked after. Your job is the skiing.
Depending on schedule and conditions, Sean can sometimes take custom trips or courses on short notice through the season — it never hurts to ask.
What clients say
“Take an AST course with Sean”
My wife and I organized a private AST 2 course with Hyland Backcountry Services and it was awesome! Sean is a wealth of information, a great teacher and really works hard to get the most out of each day spent in the mountains. We all came away with a much stronger sense of awareness in avalanche terrain and feeling way more confident in our decision making and trip planning skills. I can’t recommend this course enough.
“An outstanding guide”
I have had the privilege of being guided by Sean Fraser several times at the Burnie Glacier Chalet. We even took the show on the road one spring to the Ortler in Europe. Sean is an outstanding ski guide — he is safe, professional and has a keen desire to make sure his clients always have fun. Sean is also excellent company over a beer at the lodge.
Contact
A quick call or email is the fastest way to check dates, plan a private trip, or get your group on a course before it fills.
