Avalanche rescue course

The avalanche rescue course Chamonix focuses on essential avalanche rescue techniques and principles. You will learn in detail about avalanche safety equipment, companion rescue procedures, and basic patient care for avalanche victims.

Avalanche safety courses

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Why Take Our Avalanche Rescue Course in Chamonix

This A3 certified avalanche rescue course in Chamonix is essential for anyone planning to venture off-piste in the mountains. It is highly recommended to repeat the course at the start of each winter season to refresh critical life-saving skills that could one day save your life.

Expert Instruction by UIAGM Guides

Our courses are unique because you will learn from fully qualified UIAGM mountain guides with years of professional experience managing avalanche terrain. All instructors follow the A3-approved curriculum, ensuring high-quality, standardized training.

Course Objectives

The main goal of the course is to prepare you to respond effectively in the event of an avalanche, whether you or someone else is caught. You will learn to:

Assess avalanche situations under pressure
Lead and manage a rescue team efficiently
Use avalanche rescue equipment (transceiver, probe, shovel) to locate and extract victims
Provide basic medical care to avalanche victims
Apply skills in realistic rescue scenarios designed for practical learning

Certification

At the end of the course, each participant receives a certificate acknowledging successful completion, recognized for professional requirements such as AMGA and AIARE.

Who Should Take This Course

This course is mandatory for anyone planning to take the A3 Recreational L2 or PRO 1 courses, providing the foundational knowledge required for advanced avalanche rescue techniques. It is also strongly recommended for anyone seeking to improve their off-piste safety skills and best practices in avalanche rescue.

From: 199 €

Price per person for groups from 4 students

Beginner

Beginner avalanche safety courses are for those with no previous experience in avalanche safety education or training. You need to know how to ski or snowboard to be able to get down over an easy off piste terrain. You need to know how to use ski touring or spliboarding equipment to be able to do short walk but no extensive experience in touring is needed.

Dates on demand
Guiding ratio 1/6
Groups of 12 maximum
1 day course
Available December – April
Chamonix or La Grave
A3 Certificate

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Dates

Avalanche rescue course

Start date	End date	Space	Price
Monday 15 December 2025	Monday 15 December 2025	Guaranteed	199 €	Make enquiry
Monday 22 December 2025	Monday 22 December 2025	Available	199 €	Make enquiry
Monday 29 December 2025	Monday 29 December 2025	Available	199 €	Make enquiry
Monday 12 January 2026	Monday 12 January 2026	Guaranteed	199 €	Make enquiry

Dates

Avalanche rescue course

Start date	End date	Space	Price
Monday 15 December 2025	Monday 15 December 2025	Guaranteed	199 €	Make enquiry
Monday 22 December 2025	Monday 22 December 2025	Available	199 €	Make enquiry
Monday 29 December 2025	Monday 29 December 2025	Available	199 €	Make enquiry
Monday 12 January 2026	Monday 12 January 2026	Guaranteed	199 €	Make enquiry

Learning outcomes

Avalanche Rescue

Survival rates and timing
Avoiding the avalanche
As a victim what should I do
Rescuer response: use rescue card for checklist

Avalanche safety Equipment

Transceiver types
Probes and shovels: lengths, materials, types
Understand airbags/avalung/recco

Companion Rescue techniques

Use the rescue card
Single rescuer, and multiple rescuer scenarios
Trouble shooting common problems
Group management in a rescue scenario
Deep burials
Multiple burials
Close proximity burials

Patient Care

Role of first aid and emergency response – emphasize that a first aid course is a useful addition to this course
Briefly describe common medical and trauma problems to manage in an avalanche rescue
Transport — PGHM — and what if the helicopter can’t fly?

Level requirements

The Avalanche Rescue Course is designed to be an introduction to the search and rescue training as well as a refresher course for experienced skiers. This course is also a prerequisite for the PRO courses.

You will use the ski touring / splitboarding equipment on the course. You do not have to have a profound ski touring experience but you need to know how to use the equipment and be able to go for a short walk.

Equipment

Included or not

Clothing

Warm hat

Clothing

Thermal underwear

Clothing

Fleece or woollen layers

Clothing

Light puffer jacket

Clothing

Windproof and waterproof jacket

Clothing

Windproof and waterproof trousers

Clothing

Warm gloves

Clothing

Thin gloves with leather palms for better grip

Technical gear

Splitboard

Technical gear

Snowboard boots

Technical gear

Ski goggles

Technical gear

Ski touring skis

Technical gear

Ski touring boots

Technical gear

Ski / splitboard skins

Technical gear

Ski poles

Technical gear

25 – 30 litres rucksack

Safety Equipment

Avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe

Other essentials

Sunglasses

Other essentials

Water bottle – Ideally two 1L bottles

Other essentials

Sun cream high protection (for lips and face)

Included in price

Guiding & Tuition

1 full day of guiding and instruction by a UIAGM qualified mountain guide and an AIARE qualified course leader.

Certificate

American Avalanche Association course certificate of completion.

Not included in price

Accommodation in Chamonix

Accommodation in Chamonix is not included in the price but we would be happy to advise or organise it on request.

Personal Equipment

Please see the “Equipment” tab to find out what you will need on this trip / course. For private customised guiding, please contact us directly to confirm your personalised kit list.

Food & Drink

The price does not include lunch or snacks. You can bring your own food and we can stop for a picnic, or there may be the option to buy lunch at a mountain hut. Please make sure that you are carrying sufficient water and snacks as we will be in the mountains for a number of hours.

Lift Passes

We will advise you on which lift passes you will need prior to your trip. If lift passes are required we can preorder them for you on request.

Travel to Chamonix

The price does not include flights, airport transfers or any other travel to/from Chamonix. However, we can organise airport transfers for you on request, please contact us for details.