A NZ Mountain Saftey Council (MSC) accredited course
Avalanche Awareness for Skiers, Snowboarders, Hikers & Climbers
The Aspiring Guides Avalanche Awareness course is an introductory short course that should be your first step to understanding avalanches. On this course you will focus on trip preparation, route selection, decision making and rescue skills. It will suit people interested in travelling out of bounds at ski areas for ski touring as well those who may encounter low-angled snow and alpine terrain as part of a tramping trip, hunting or other outdoor experience.
If you are wondering about taking a more advanced avalanche course, this is the perfect way to introduce yourself to the concepts that you will need to know.
book now Skills required
I took part in the one and half day avalanche awareness course with Aspiring Guides and learnt so much!! All the staff and guides are super lovely people, very knowledgeable and experienced, and I came away from the course with some awesome photos, v...read more
Bethany, New Zealand, 1.5 Day Avalanche Awareness Course
Day One
Three Hour Evening Session: We meet at our office in Wanaka at 6pm. After introductions your instructor will cover avalanche terminology and information gathering. The emphasis is on giving you the tools to make decisions based on science rather than emotion.
Day Two
Field Day: We head up to one of the local ski areas (depending on weather and conditions) where your instructor will do a gear check and introduce you to avalanche safety equipment. The morning will be used learning about safe travel and relating evidenced based decision making clues to the environment. The afternoon will be spent learning small party rescue techniques including using transceivers and shovelling.
The course will start to develop an understanding of the characteristics of avalanche terrain as well as indicators of dangerous avalanche conditions.
You will learn a system to make good decisions about personal safety in order to avoid avalanche danger, as well as rescue techniques and what to do if you or someone in your party is caught in an avalanche.
Course includes an introduction to:
- Identifying avalanche terrain.
- Making observations to avoid avalanche danger.
- Route selection and safe travel techniques to minimise exposure to avalanche danger.
- Trip planning and preparation for ski touring, climbing, tramping or mountaineering including interpreting weather and avalanche forecasts.
- Companion rescue, including transceiver search, probing and shovelling.
Availability
| Trip Date | Available |
|---|---|
| 1-2 August | open |
| 8-9 August | FULL |
| 16 August (field day for online participants) | open |
| 21-22 August | open |
Pricing
| Client Ratio | Price |
|---|---|
| 1:1 - 1:6 | From NZ$450 |
What's included
- course certificate
- course handbook
What's not included
- If the course field day runs at Treble Cone then you will require a single ride lift pass - (or you can use your season pass) - let us know on booking if you would prefer another location.
Frequently asked questions
The closest airport to us is in Queenstown. There are regular shuttles between Wanaka and Queenstown airport (one hour drive). For shuttle and taxi information:
Queenstown -Wanaka
Ritchies Connectabus
Yello Taxi Service
KT Sightseeing Taxi Service
Christchurch - Wanaka
InterCity Coachlines
We offer a number of different options for you to make payment for your trip:-
Web-based Foreign Exchange Dealers
Bank Transfer - NZ Domestic & International
Credit Card - Visa, MasterCard only (3% fees apply)
Equipment Detail
