Avalanche Safety Course – Level 1

Bookings Closed

Do you like to get off the beaten path and ski/snowboard/snowshoe away from the crowds? Are you interested in learning more about the complexities of snow and how they contribute to avalanche risk?

Course Aim:
To learn the basics of avalanche safety, how to make easier decisions for your own safety based on basic knowledge and to develop an understanding of the relationships that affect more complex situations. The course will be run by local mountain guides.

Who is this course for?
Anyone who likes to participate in winter sports outside of the marked and prepared runs in a ski resort. This includes those who plan on doing itinerary routes, marked freeride runs or skiing between marked runs in ski resorts.

Level 1: Introduction to Avalanche Safety
You have little no or previous avalanche safety experience. In this course, you will learn about the risks when leaving the marked ski pistes. You will be introduced to the safety equipment, learn what to do in an emergency situation and also how to recognise and avoid dangers you might experience in the mountains in winter.
Max Participants: 8

Course Location:
Oberalppass

Course Content:
• Snow accumulation (Layers)
• Tour planning
• Reduction method (risk reduction method)
• Understanding the avalanche bulletin (Regional and National)
• Awareness of danger signs
• Learn to recognise topographic features
• Learn to estimate slope steepness.
• Correct use of Transceiver, shovel and probe.
• Staged Incident

Day 1:
Meet, drop our bags and get ready before going outside to learn the correct use of our transceiver, shovel and probe and learn about how the local topography can affect the avalanche risk.

Day 2:
On a short training tour, the theory will be put into practice. The versatile area with several hollows, ridges, slope exposures and steepness’s will provide a perfect opportunity to learn how to assess snow conditions and learn the optimal route choice.

Course Cost: 425CHF

Payment:
Payment is due at the time of registration. You will receive an email with payment details shortly after registering for this event. 

Refund Policy:
As we have taken a firm booking on the number of attendees the course fee is non-refundable. However, your place on the course is interchangeable. If for some reason you can’t attend the course we will offer your place to the next person on the waiting list. Once this person has confirmed their place and paid their deposit we will return your fee. we can only return the fee if your place on the course is filled by another participant. 

What is included: 

• Mountain Guides
• Accommodation
• Evening Meal
• Breakfast
• Course Theory Information

What is not included:

• Transport to and from Oberalppass
• Equipment

NB: In the event of the weather or avalanche risk being too bad in the planned course area the course may be moved to a different resort. If this happens we may have to stay in a hotel rather than the SAC Hut. This will result in a small increased cost for the difference between the overnight in the hut and the overnight in a hotel. This is a worst-case scenario event, but if it happens this can not be avoided.