Canada West Mountain School (CWMS) has been providing excellent mountain safety instruction and services to backcountry enthusiasts of all abilities since 1982. Our goal has always been to give our students safe, high quality instruction. While offering a wide variety of scheduled, guided and custom services, our focus remains on educating backcountry recreationists in the skills to become self-sufficient in the mountains of Canada.
Canada West Mountain School has it's roots in the development of instructional
services for the member clubs of the Federation of Mountain Clubs
of BC (FMCBC), a non-profit organization that is dedicated to promoting
and preserving the interests of non-mechanized mountain recreationalists.In
1990 the FMCBC Instructional Programs formally adopted the name of
Canada West Mountain School (a division of the FMCBC).
Canada West Mountain School, or "CWMS", has now become the
largest and most established mountain skills and guiding center in
British Columbia, continuing to grow and evolve at the forefront of
the outdoor adventure industry in North America.
The trip leader, Conny Amelunxen was born on Oct 7 1975 in Williams Lake, BC. He grew up living and traveling throughout South and Central America with his family. Fluent in Spanish, Conny started guiding exploratory trips in South America in 2001.
Conny started climbing indoors in 1993 and shortly after started making
weekly pilgrimages to Squamish. In 1996 while living in Switzerland
he climbed several alpine classics including a winter ascent of the
north face of the Eiger. With a passion for exploration Conny focussed
his energy on the Americas making the first ascent of the east face
of the Mummer and first ascent of the SE buttress of the South Tower
of Paine, both in Chilean Patagonia. With several different partners
he has then made many first ascents on the Stawamus Chief, Alaska,
Peru and throughout the Coast Range of BC.
In 1998 Conny started in the Association of Canadian
Mountain Guides certification program. He currently holds an Assistant
Alpine Guide ticket. He guides and instructs on the rock and the mountains
in the summer and patrols at Castle Mountain Resort in the winters.
A certified Occupational First Aid Technician, PADI Divemaster and
Rescue Diver, Amelunxen also instructs Improvised High Angle, Orienteering,
and avalanche safety courses.