Alan Rousseau – 2016 Recipient of the Doug Parker & Roger Baxter-Jones Memorial Scholarship
Enjoying the powder on Grizzly Shoulder – Photo: Alan Rousseau
Half way down the Forever Young Couloir – Photo: Alan Rousseau
This past August I received a phone call explaining I had been chosen for the Doug Parker & Roger Baxter-Jones Memorial Scholarship for my Ski Guide Exam. I was incredibly touched that I’d been chosen to preserve the memory of these two men. Speaking with Richard on the phone, through a spotty connection, it was crystal clear to me the depth of what this memorial fund means to him. I hope the words and photos below help the memory of Doug and Roger live on.
Getting the news from Richard made my final exam on the AMGA guide track a reality; it also added some pressure to deliver. I wanted to make the most of the opportunity awarded. When the phone call with Richard ended, the waves of anxiety began. My examination was scheduled to take place in Rogers Pass B.C. in late February. The Ski Exam requires candidates to ski guide through glaciated and technical terrain, over the course of eight days. I wanted to be as prepared as possible for it.
We barely made it back to the heli LZ in time to fly out, narrowly avoiding a 12 km slog to the road – Photo: Alan Rousseau
A week before the exam, I headed up to Revelstoke, B.C. with a couple of friends to try and get dialed-in on the conditions and snowpack. During this time, large amounts of snow and low visibility largely shut us down. Fortunately, the skies cleared and conditions were prime for getting into the alpine just in time. Throughout the exam, even with the weather clearing, there were still some major lingering avalanche concerns: Of particular interest was a buried surface hoar layer 80-100 cm deep in the snowpack; a classic case of low-likelihood, high-consequence. We started off with conservative objectives, and then began to step out onto bigger features with more committing zones as we gathered information, and saw how the snowpack was reacting.
Crossing the Illecillewaet Glacier – Photo: Alan Rousseau
I have been a student of the AMGA since 2007. A lot has happened to me in the last decade: I went from living in a car single, to owning a home with my wife; from learning how to climb big walls in Yosemite, to climbing big alpine walls at altitude. I believe that when I look back at my twenties, years from now, it will be a decade devoted to professional development and maturation as a climber. I look forward to the opportunities IFMGA Certification will provide, however, I view it as starting point more than a capstone. I excitedly await learning new ranges and receiving feedback in the never-ending game of refining a complex skill set. Thank you to the AMGA instructor/examiner team, friends/family, and of course the “Doug Parker and Roger Baxter-Jones Memorial Scholarship” for making my Ski Guide Exam possible.
