Skiers and snowboarders in Revelstoke were treated to a unique sight this week.
The Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association held training sessions at the ski hill.
Dogs and their handlers were put through their paces, taking on drills such as searching for clothing buried in the snow and helping the dogs work up to tracking actual avalanche victims.
Once fully trained, the dogs can be an important tool for search teams, even stepping in when technology fails.
“A guy gets in an avalanche, he goes through some trees or over some rocks, his avalanche transceiver hits something and it is broken,” said Bruce Watt, one of the founders of the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Assocaition (CARDA).
Dogs and handlers from around B.C. and the United States came to Revelstoke for the training.