Essential pre season training for off piste skiers and ski mountaineers, this intensive weekend of avalanche safety training covers both the theoretical aspects of avalanche awareness and off piste safety - together with practical sessions learning how to use avalanche transceivers effectively and conducting group searches and avalanche rescue scenarios.
Making full use of the time available, the course involves a combination of illustrated talks on avalanche theory and safety, together with practical sessions learning how to use transceivers efficiently, dealing with single and multiple burials and conducting group searches as part of a team.
Venue The course is run in the Yorkshire town of Ilkley, gateway to the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Ilkley is easily reached by either train or car and home to some of the finest scenery (and tea shops!) in Northern England.
Sample Itinerary We follow the general format below:
Day 1
Sat
AM Introductions
Talk - Avalanche types and causes
Talk - Avalanche terrain
Prac - Safety kit + introduction to transceivers
PM
Prac - Transceiver Training 1 - single & multiple burials
Talk - Weather, Snowpack + European avalanche scale
Prac - Transceiver Training 2 - group search scenarios
PM
Talk - What to do if you are caught, survival chances
Talk - First aid, rescue and emergency services
Prac - Probe searches and transceiver competition
PM Final Q+A session, course debrief and advice for the future.
Food and AccommodationFood and accommodation must be paid for seperately. Ilkley has numerous local hotelsand B+Bs available at a wide variety of prices - full details and recommendations are provided with your joining instructions.
Equipment You just need to bring along suitable outdoor clothing for the practical sessions - all other avalanche safety equipment is provided by us. We are delighted to be running this course in association with Back Country UK, the leading retailer of ski mountaineering equipment in the UK, who are also based in Ilkley. Backcountry staff will be available during the weekend to answer questions on equipment and other ski related topics.
