Avalanche awareness courses and talks - Europe

• Foundation-level avalanche awareness
This 2.5 day course is ideal for skiers with no previous knowledge (or those who need to refresh their skills). It gives a comprehensive introduction to avalanches, avalanche terrain, decision-making, and rescue and is split between 4 hours in the classroom instruction and 10 to 12 hours in the snow.

Course information for the 2007/08 winter season:
7-9 December 2007 in Leysin, Switzerland
14-16 December 2007 in Leysin, Switzerland
14-16 December 2007 in Morzine, France
21-23 December 2007 in St Gervais, France
4-6 January 2008 in St Gervais, France
11-13 January 2008 in Leysin, Switzerland
25-27 January 2008 in Leysin, Switzerland 

• Advanced avalanche awareness
The 4-day is for experienced skiers, boarders and mountaineers who want to increase their understanding of avalanches and of travelling in avalanche terrain.

The Course runs on:
13-16 December 2007 in Leysin, Switzerland
20-23 December 2007 in St Gervais, France
31 January-3 February 2008 in Leysin, Switzerland

This not-for-profit organisation, launched in 2005 and based in Verbier, Switzerland offers a free information resource for skiers and snowboarders. This winter they will run a series of one-day avalanche safety courses in the Swiss resort.

• Level 1 - Introductory/Refresher
A broad overview including transceiver use for those with little, no or rusty experience.
December 6, 13 & 27, January 10, 14 & 31, February 14 (young freeriders, under 18s), March 7 and April 7

• Level 2 - A safer way to freeride
For those with a grounding who want to learn more - includes slope identification, snow assessment, multiple burial search & rescue.
December 20 & 21, January 3 & 4, February 21 & 22 (young freeriders, under 18), and March 21 & 22

• Level 3 - Mountain Safety Aimed at the big mountain freerider, ski tourer, mountaineer - more in-depth study of how, why, where avalanches form, weather, trip planning, navigation, glacier travel & crevasse rescue.
February 3, 4 & 5

FREE RESPECT, Les Deux Alpes, France
Now in its 8th consecutive year, "Free Respect" promotes mountain safety. Les Deux Alpes runs the free "Free Respect" programme over 2 days every week from January 1 to April 17, providing theory and practical tips in how to behave, what to do and how to better understand the dangers and risks.

HENRY'S AVALANCHE TALKS, Val d'Isère, France
90-minute talks in English on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Dick's Tea Bar Val d'Isère at 6pm, during happy hour. Tuesday sessions (€10) introduces safe skiing, avalanche avoidance and search and rescue, with a slideshow to highlight possible problems in the Espace Killy ski area. There are also practice sessions during the week with avalanche transceivers. Thursday talks generally have a guest speaker and a more in-depth discussion. There is also an introductory talk on Wednesdays 6pm at the Micro Brasserie Chamonix .

ESF Tignes, France
The French ski school organises avalanche transceiver practice sessions.

• Courses, North America
• Avalanches? A guide
• A day with ski patrollers

RELATED PAGES
• Off-piste skiing
• Extreme Classics

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Resort shortcuts

Avalanche guide

Some passages in this section are extracted from Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper, Director of the Utah Avalanche Center.
Buy this book...

Avalanche safety

Safety equipment

? Buy a transceiver (beacon), collapsible probe, and a shovel
? Owing and carry equipment is not good enough - practise with it
? Carry a compass and inclinometer
? Take an avalanche awareness class

Avalanche gear

Away from the marked runs, you depend on your friends and your equipment should anything go wrong.

Make sure you have the best gear, available from Facewest.