Each mentor and mentee fill out an application providing details on who they are, their experience as well as their goals. Kootenay Wild Mentors pairs mentors and mentees together based on these applications, with the aim of creating successful 1-on-1 mentorship partnerships. The more information you share on your application the better picture we have to try and create a good match. Throughout the season mentorship pairs agree to meet once a month from December through March. 

The program is currently open to all marginalized genders including women, women-identifying individuals, non-binary and gender non-conforming people. We ask that all applicants are 19 years or older.

Mentees are required to have their AST 1 (or taking AST 1 before the program start date). As well as access to backcountry skiing equipment, including all avalanche rescue equipment. 

Mentors are required to have multiple years of backcountry experience, AST2 or higher, or are able to demonstrate sufficient competence and experience in the backcountry.

There is a participation fee for each mentee that gets paired with a mentor. Mentees pay $60 which covers the insurance for both them and their mentor and a few dollars worth of the program operating cost. There is a $10 fee for mentors, which helps support our programming. If the $10 mentor fee is a limiting factor, it can be waived.

Each mentor and mentee is insured through the Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC, and will be required to sign a waiver.  

Each mentee and mentor will need access to skiing or splitboarding equipment, as well as avalanche rescue equipment. This includes:

-Touring skis or splitboard/Touring ski boots or snowboard boots/Ski poles/climbing skins

-Avalanche transceiver (3 Antennas, 457MHz)/Avalanche shovel (lightweight)/Avalanche probe

-Day touring backpack, medium sized (about 35-40 liters)

Kootenay Wild Mentors serves communities in the West Kootenay area. Applications are accepted for Nelson, Castlegar, Rossland, Slocan Valley, Nakusp, Kaslo and everywhere in between.

Kootenay Wild Mentors recognizes that it is based on the unceded traditional territories of the Sinixt, Ktunaxa, Syilx and Secwepemc Nations. We acknowledge and honour all nations across BC on whose land we live, play, learn and grow.

We anticipate having more mentee applications than mentor applications, so we unfortunately may not be able to find a match for everyone.

It is expected that each pair will go out a minimum of once per month from January to March/April (depending on spring conditions), so it is asked that you are able to commit to one day per month during this time.