Why avalanche courses?
Backcountry skiing (skitouring), splitboarding and snowshoeing are exciting sports but without proper knowledge, enthusiasts often take unnecessary risks. Educate yourself with an investment in AST Avalanche Skills Training Course. Proper training will make your winter travels in avalanche terrain safer and more enjoyable. AST avalanche courses are designed by Avalanche Canada, one of the world-leading organization in recreational avalanche education and safety. The courses contents are continuously updated and developed by dozens professionals, to guarantee the best training possible. Also, these courses are prerequisite for Canadian Avalanche Industry Training Programs (ITP CAA Level 1).
There are currently 170+ licensed AST course providers worldwide. Besides Canada, these courses are taught in Chile, Argentina, Norway, Russia, Japan, Georgia, Spain and Australia. Every year more than 10.000 people take the AST 1 course and more than 1000 - AST 2 course.
I run several avalanche courses that complement each other. There are two basic courses: 2-days AST 1 and 4-days AST 2 and two additional field courses: Managing Avalanche Terrain (MAT) and Companion Rescue Skills. (CRS).
AST 1/2 courses are run on a regular basis and can be combined, but MAT and CRS courses are run for private groups only or as an addition to AST 1 course, upon request of the participants.
Your instructor
I am a licensed provider and instructor of AST courses, professional member of Canadian Avalanche Association and ACMG Ski Guide. My experience in teaching avalanche courses is more than 10 years and since 2018 I teach AST courses. My extensive personal experience in winter guiding, avalanche operations and forecasting will add an extra dimension of interest to your training.
Courses are delivered in Chamonix valley, Aravis range and Grand Massif area. I also can deliver private avalanche awareness courses anywhere in the Alps and Northern Europe for groups or individuals.
Courses are taught in English.
Basic and advanced avalanche courses:
The Avalanche Skills Training Level 1 course is an entry-level avalanche course for recreational skiers, snowboarders and snowshoers travelling in avalanche terrain. You don't need any experience to take this course. It is a must for everyone recreating in the backcountry, skitouring and other winter activities. It may also be a good overview for people who have some experience but no formal training. You’ll learn avalanche basis, how to recognize avalanche terrain, how to do companion rescue and many more. You need to take this course first and so should your friends because just one person trained in a group is not enough. Everyone in your group should take an AST 1.
Duration - 2 days, one classroom day and one field day.
The Avalanche Skills Training Level 2 is the next step in your avalanche education. This is an advanced avalanche course for those who have taken AST 1 already and have experience in the backcountry.
An AST 2 course builds on the foundations of your AST 1, and provides a more advanced decision-making framework for travelling in avalanche terrain. The course has extensive practical field time in real avalanche terrain. We focus on students creating a decision-making framework for themselves that is based on correctly interpreting avalanche bulletins, understanding weather, making fact-based weather and snow observations while in the field, and working together as a team. We also learn about risk - how to determine what risk you are exposing yourself to, whether that risk falls within levels acceptable to you, and how to reduce risk through the terrain you select for your routes both on ascent and descent. Last but not least, there is a lot of good skiing on the course!
Duration - 4 days, one day classroom and three field days.
Additional, 1-day field-based courses:
The Managing Avalanche Terrain is a very focused field-based 1-day course designed to expand on the terrain management taught in the AST 1 course, and to develop more advanced winter backcountry travel skills. This course will help you mitigate your risk by honing your terrain evaluation and travel skills.
To get more information about this course, please contact me.
Companion Rescue Skills course is a must-have for all backcountry recreationists in any sport because it teaches life-saving search and rescue techniques.The CRS course is an important refresher for those with previous training and a great way to improve the rescue skills you learned in your AST 1 or similar courses. 1-day field base course.
To get more information about this course, please contact me.