Selkirk Powder Descents - Revelstoke, British Columbia

Ian B.

Our small group booked a series of guided day tours with Selkirk Powder Descents. Before our trip, John and Katherine provided friendly, timely, and informative communication. During our trip, we were guided by one of the Selkirk team, Mike Smallwood. Mike is both super friendly and professional. We worked together to set an agenda that included fantastic terrain, views, and awesome skiing. We were in great hands and had an absolute blast. Highly recommend. 5 stars for sure.

Johann S.

AST-2 course. John is an absolute legend and lead our course everyday with the primary goal of "Everyone comes home alive."

His knowledge is thorough and well communicated, the experience he creates is exceptional, and all-in-all a well rounded course of learning, exposure to avalanche environments/terrain and wicked riding. Personally, I do wish there was a bit more structure in the teaching style, but he really tailored the course to what YOU want to learn which allowed us to focus on what we the students were most interested in while also making sure we covered everything we needed/should be.

If that's enough of a review, he's patient and nonjudgmental towards students and their learning at all levels. Passionate about the subject, you can see the amount of care he puts into the courses and making sure the students understand. It's also clear to see from multiple other skitourers and guides we met along the way the amount of respect the community has for John and his practice. 10/10 will come back for more courses and guiding in the future.

Mike R.

John and his team are top-notch professionals. We were supposed to do Roger’s Pass - but due to weather concerns John was able to provide a fantastic alternative off the backcountry of Revy. John also spent time to give us some science education of reading snow packs that aligned to our already AST1 education we learned years ago. Book these guys.

Kale T.

Recently did the ast2 with John, he was a great guide with endless knowledge about snow conditions and local terrain. He took our small group to a different location every day and even took us skiing on a glacier. I would highly recommend booking with John for any type of course or guided backcountry missions, a guaranteed sick day!

Shota I.

Took my AST 2 through Selkirk Powder Descents and can’t recommend it enough! John was an awesome instructor and everything from the pre course material to the daily learning objectives were awesome. Highly recommend any courses through Selkirk Powder Descents for anyone looking to further their backcountry education!

Michael C.

Completed my AST1 course with John after multiple positive reviews from friends and it did not disappoint!! He took the avalanche theory and communicated in practical and understandable methods. Also the nicest classroom I’ve ever been in!

Ryan J.

John’s expertise as a guide was evident from the moment we hit the trail. He has an in-depth understanding of the terrain, weather patterns, and potential hazards. Throughout the trip, John kept us informed about every aspect of the ski journey—whether it was explaining the history of the area, pointing out wildlife, or discussing the importance of avalanche safety. His leadership skills were exceptional, always ensuring we stayed on track while maintaining a positive atmosphere.

Pat W.

Spending the week with John in Revelstoke is like having backstage passes to the world's best skiing, with the most fun, gracious, and thoughtful host you can imagine. He always seems to be thinking about safety, each group member's ability and comfort level, and how to maximize the stoke in every situation. It was one of the absolute best weeks of skiing of my life!