Avalanche Awareness
Become a safer off-piste skier!
Venturing off-piste can provide skiers with the ultimate exhilaration of remote locations and fantastic powder, but being away from it all on unpatrolled slopes is not without danger. The hazards of avalanches are always present in the mountains.
Avoidance of risks is the principle safety policy, but should accidents occur, the nature of being off-piste means dealing with the scenario without external assistance.
Course description
This one-day course covers the basics of avalanche hazard recognition and avalanche rescue. Avalanche hazard is complex, and this day is designed to convey some of the crucial topics involved in beginning to understand the avalanche phenomena. This, combined with rescue training, makes this course a must for anyone spending time in the mountains during the winter months.
Course Curriculum
Avalanche terrain recognition
• Slope angle
• Aspect
• Terrain traps
• Common trigger points
Terrain selection and travel techniques
• How you ski, snowboard, climb or snowshoe in avalanche terrain
• Where you stop and where you do not
• Communication
Recognizing red flags
• Significance of recent avalanches
• Signs of unstable snow as you travel
• Precipitation
• Wind effect
• Temperature changes and solar radiation
The Avalanche Danger Scale
• How to interpret and use avalanche bulletins
Basic companion rescue
• Visual clues
• Transceiver search
• Probing and digging techniques
Find out what mountain awareness is all about by watching Seb Montaz films “Free ride top tips” and “Off-Piste safety”.
Course Details
Duration: 1 day
2010 Dates: Every Wednesday and Saturday from mid-December to the end of April. Already made groups of 4-8 people can book any day.
Group Size: 4-8
Ratio: 1:8
Included: Guide fee, avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe, group technical equipment.
Not included: Personal equipment, mountain rescue insurance, lifts, food, transports.
Equipment: See Equipment List or contact our office.
Price: 80€ per person.
For whom: While not a substitute for the experience of a guide, our one day Avalanche Awareness course is ideal for those who want to start acquiring the knowledge and skills needed for safe travel in mountain environments.
For skiers and snowboarders of all levels. We strongly recommend anyone who skis off-piste or who is going ski touring, for example on the Haute Route, to do a course like this first.
