Winter Skills
Safety & Awareness
When
Mid-December to May. December-January is always a good time to review our knowledge before the season.
Avalanche Courses
Course details
Maybe the most essential of winter skills. Learn how to plan, make decisions and travel in avalanche terrain. Get an introduction to structured decision making and dealing with the all important social dynamics in winter-sports risk management. We look at the basic technical aspects of snow science and how the snowpack evolves. Learn or perfect partner rescue for the worst case scenario.
One day Avalanche course:
Three hours of theory:
- Planning your ski day using the avalanche and weather forecast.
- Adaptation and decision making using the 3X3 system.
Four hours in the terrain
- Finding the right terrain for the condition on the day.
- Ski tactics off-piste
- Partner rescue with transceiver, shovel, probe.
Mail us for detailed program
Three day Avalanche Course
- Tour planning using map, compass, guidebooks etc.
- Using the 3X3 and simple reduction method when planning and in the terrain to double check your decision making.
- Human factors and group dynamics.
- Skiing and skinning tactics in avalanche terrain.
- An introduction to the snowpack and how it evolves.
- Partner and multi-victim transceiver rescue.
Mail us for detailed program
Glacier Ski Course
Course details
Learn how to plan properly for a high mountain ski trip. How to choose the right team, equipment and conditions for the route to be undertaken. We’ll deal with route choice, risk management, white-out navigation and group dynamics in the terrain. Learn the necessary rope skills, partner rescue and self-rescue from a crevasse.
We offer a one day course for those wanting to hone their existing skills. If you ski on glaciers on your own and are familiar with rope-work, navigation, avalanche theory and partner avalanche rescue techniques, then this is for you.
If you’re working towards feeling confident to ski with your friends on glaciers, we offer a three day course covering the same subjects in more detail and starting with the very basics.
- Route planning
- Skiing tactics
- Navigation
- When and how to use the rope
- Crevasse rescue
Mail us for detailed programs
Ski Touring Skills
Course details
Learn ski touring skills for skiing and skinning in challenging conditions. Become efficient using the rope, ski crampons, boot crampons, ice axe and avalanche safety gear. We look at route planning using available resources for multi-day ski tours. Manage the risks and learn to deal with a survival situation or rescue in case of no available helicopter rescue.
This winter skills course is best done after an Avalanche course and ideally a Glacier travel course as well. With that background you’ll have the basics of travel in avalanche terrain, using the rope, route planning and navigation covered.
We offer this as a three day or six day course. It’s a lot to cover and the more practice the better. The course is mainly in the terrain.
Course covers:
- Preparing a multi-day tour with all the variables and decision points
- Skinning and skiing technique in different conditions
- Setting a skin track
- Group organization
- Route choice for the descent
- Boot-packing, cramponing
Mail us for detailed itineraries
Ice Climbing Skills
Course details
Learn about ice climbing technique, using the equipment correctly, the dangers that need to be considered and how to get on the sharp end if you’re ready for it.
We offer one to six day ice climbing courses. We adapt the course to your level and cover different skills depending on what you’d like to learn.
Courses include some or all of the following:
- Assessing the natural hazards surrounding ice climbing, namely avalanches, structural stability and falling ice.
- The equipment, its proper use and maintenance.
- Climbing technique on different ice types and steepnesses .
- Mixed climbing techniques.
- Learning or perfection of leading ice climbs efficiently with good risk management.
- Placing protection, building belays and abseil stations.
- Accident management.
Mail us for a detailed program
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