Click here to read the full article by Patti Lefkos  in North of 50 Magazine, describing her experience with an intermediate group at Big Red Cats, with photos.

The leap from the security of groomed runs to the challenge of backcountry powder can be daunting. Heli skiing seems terrifying and ski touring requires incredible endurance. So what are those of us slightly over 30 and still up for a new adventure to do? Paula and Kieran Gaul of Big Red Cats near Rossland, BC have just the ticket to ride.

I’m precariously perched on a slippery bench inside what seems to be an aluminum box. I jam my knees against the seat ahead to prevent sliding forward as we rattle along in the red piston Bulley cat. We jiggle gently over every rut of the snow-packed corduroy road. Hemlock branches brush the steamy windows. 

There are 12 of us; most aged 25 to 35, and two couples in their 60’s and 70’s, from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US. As usual, the majority are men. 

“How many times did you fall yesterday?” I ask the 30-something guy sitting behind me. “At least ten,” he says with a laugh. “Most of us tasted snow.” I begin to feel more comfortable. A seasoned resort skier but backcountry neophyte, I am as nervous as I am excited about the day ahead. At 60, I’m afraid to be the only one who falls, worried about being the person who will hold up the hard core powder hounds and terrified of losing control and hitting a tree.   Click to go to full article 

We're pleased to announce that Kieren has passed the final level of the Canadian Ski Guide Association training, and is now a Level 3 guide!

Every 2 years (for the last 20 years) the Canadian Ski Guide association holds a 9 day long exam for ski guides that want to lead or supervise a cat or heliskiing operation operation.    The exam involves terrain selection, group management, rescue, crevasse rescue,  transceiver search and much more.    The crevasse rescue was held at 9,000 ft in the northern Monashee range.   This course was hosted by Mike Weigle Heliskiing.

The Level 3 qualification allows guides to supervise a cat or heliskiing operation.   The level 3 takes a minimum of 6 years to complete and involves:

• 6 years of mentoring from senior guides - in an apprenticeship model
• 3 levels of guide exams and training
• The highest level of courses and Certification from The Canadian Avalanche association.
• Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance Level 1 -2 course
• Current 80 hour 1st aid course

Big Red Cats' Paula and Kieren Gaul. Kieren packed in his Sydney gig in treasury finance to set up the Big Red Cats Skiing operation in Red Mountain Canada and never looked back. A former member of the Australian Ski Team, Kieren grew up in Canberra before moving to Sydney to pursue a career in finance but his love of snow took over and he and his Canadian wife, Paula, now spend the northern winters guiding clients in the backcountry of British Columbia through 18 500 acres of terrain. The envy of their friends, the Gauls have over 250 runs in deep powder for intermediates to experts in their own backyard.

Click here to read the entire article featured in the Syndey Morning Herald

Here is the link: http://www.aftenposten.no/reise/article2204251.ece

The above link is to a review in a Norwegian newspaper.  Anyone know what it says?

Article by Rachael Oakes-Ash

Cat skiing is oft referred to as the lazy man's way to see the backcountry. These giant groomer style machines with a purpose built cabin to seat up to fourteen people transport skiers and boarders to the backcountry. Most cat ski companies have a set and limited tender of hectares they can utilised for their guests.

Skiers and boarders take on virgin snow with a lead and tail guide for safety while the cat makes it's way back to the bottom to pick them up and take them to the next terrain. When the helicopters don't fly due to weather conditions the cat can still go out and most guarantee around ten runs in a day.

Canada's Powder Mountain and Big Red Cats offer day trips while Selkirk has lodges for overnight stays. South America's Ski Arpa offers steep and deep powder perfection in the Andes.

Read the entire article here: http://blogs.smh.com.au/travel/archives/2008/07/the_worlds_best_off_piste_ski.html

Good fortune begets great skiing

Bill Jennings
March 28, 2008

To find great skiing, you can prepare to be in the right place at the right time. Or just get lucky. Last week I asked Loulou Kneubuhler to join me for some "research" on Schweitzer's trees. He freed up Friday.

Last fall Ski Magazine rated Schweitzer among the top three resorts for tree skiing in North America. A day there in the forest was on my list.

Loulou and I carpooled to Schweitzer with my friends, Jim Joy and Dave Watling. We picked a perfect day. A storm that dropped a half-foot-plus was playing out. Attendance was sparse.

Schweitzer is rich with terrain – and trees. Choose a glade from any lift. We didn't ski the same trees twice. People will argue about the top three for trees. But the attention Schweitzer has attracted is understandable.

 

Check out this article just published in the UK's SNOW Magazine!

The fine folks at SNOW! Magazine, the UK's largest snow sports magazine, were gracious enough to write a little article about our operation. Flip back to the inside cover, that shot is us too!

http://www.powdermag.com/features/columns/redcats/

RED (GREEN) MACHINE: Corn-fed cats

Efforts to give the ski industry a greener shade have been slow to progress and met with skeptical stares. Whenever a company makes headlines for implementing an environmentally sustainable practice, one must question: Is this “true-green” or merely “green-wash?” Are said changes actually being implemented, or is it just empty rhetoric designed to elicit valuable PR attention?

One outfit in particular, Big Red Cat Skiing located just a few miles away from Red Resort in Rossland, B.C., has paid close attention to other true-green stewards of the environment, like Aspen Skiing Company. Through implemented policies, Big Red is committed to mitigating skiing’s environmental impact.

Though only in its third year, Big Red Cat Skiing has made its position clear by embarking on a path towards a diminished dependence on petroleum-based fuels.