A NZ Mountain Safety Council (MSC) accredited course delivering quality avalanche education
With the syllabus supplied by the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council, the Avalanche Skills Course (Level 2) is designed to deliver quality avalanche education with the addition of accessing our private hut at Black Peak (weather permitting) using a helicopter. A non-helicopter based option is also available at a lesser rate.
The course is designed for people who want to ski & snowboard tour outside patrolled ski area boundaries and in the big hills. The focus is on preparation for a backcountry ski or snowboarding trip, decision making in avalanche terrain, and rescue skills. While the goal is to not be caught in an avalanche, time will be spent learning and practicing companion rescue.
To get the most out of this course you should have some knowledge of backcountry touring and be familiar with transitioning and traveling on ski touring gear. Note that there IS also a requirement to attend the Avalanche Skills Course level 1 Prior to this course, it is a progression of the initial introduction and training to learn the skills. All our avalanche courses are run by Avalanche Risk Management (Level 6) qualified mountain or ski guides with many years of experience in ski tour guiding, heli-ski guiding, and in ski patrol avalanche control work. Ski touring equipment is required and can be rented from local providers.
book now Pricing Skills Form
Pre Course
Before the start date we often help people with equipment and gear so that the morning the trip starts we are ready to go. Feel free to ask questions or let us know if you need anything.
Days One to Four
For the non-Helicopter, town based option, each day we meet at the Aspiring Guides office in Wanaka at 8:30am. After a gear check and a short theory session which plans for the days travel, we then go to that day's field destination. Your instructor will pick which venue is most appropriate for the day's weather and snow conditions. Instruction will start at the beginning and learning will be broken into manageable parts.
For the Helicopter access version of this trip, the itinerary is similar to a Black Peak ski tour. Gear check the night before, fly in on the first morning and ski tour for the day. Night sessions of theory and practical rescue training the next day. Then it's rinse and repeat for the next few days as you drill the skills and practice moving in avalanche terrain to the forecast. Flying home on the last afternoon and drive back to base.
The course will be taught using a variety of local backcountry access points such as local ski areas at Snowfarm, Remarkables and Treble Cone.
Course includes:
- Assessing avalanche danger and understanding of specific avalanche problems and characteristics
- Terrain assessment, route selection and safe travel techniques
- Decision making in avalanche terrain
- Companion rescue; including group management, transceiver searching, probing and shoveling
- Mountain weather
- Navigation strategies
- Trip planning and preparation
At the end of the course you will be a competent member of a ski or splitboard touring group, being able to plan trips appropriate to the group and conditions. It will give you the tools to begin to make your own assessments of the avalanche danger based on information gathered from past and current weather observations, and contribute to safe decision making as you venture into more remote areas of the NZ backcountry.
Availability
| Trip Date | Available |
|---|---|
| July 24 - 27 | OPEN |
| August 7 - 10 | OPEN |
| August 23 - 26 | OPEN |
| September 2 - 5 | OPEN |
| Dates can be either helicopter access or drive-up trips |
Pricing
| Client Ratio | Price |
|---|---|
| 1:1 | $7,200 |
| 1:2 | $3,950 pp |
| 1:3 up to 1:6 4 days | $2,850 pp |
What's included
- NZMGA/IFMGA Qualified Guide
- Helicopter access In and Out of our Private hut at Black Peak (reduced trip cost if drive based)
- MSC Backcountry Course - Participant workbook
- MSC Backcountry Course and Transciever Competence Certificates
- Avalanche Awareness in the New Zealand Backcountry (2008, NZ) Penny Goddard
- Food and accommodation for the duration of the course.
What's not included
- ski touring & backcountry snowboarding equipment (can be rented in Wanaka
or Queenstown) - Treble Cone backcountry 3 ride pass ($75 invoiced post trip) only required if weather contingency.
Frequently asked questions
Our offices are at 58 McDougall St, Wanaka, a 10-15 minute walk from the centre of town. Here's a google map of our office location.
Unless otherwise instructed, for summer trips your guide will meet you at 8.30am on the morning of day 1 of your trip. For winter trips we usually meet at 5:30pm the evening before the trip starts. We will confirm this meeting at the time of booking.
If you require pick up from your accommodation, please let us know.
At this meeting your clothing and equipment is checked and the final details of your trip are discussed. There will be time for last-minute purchases if required.
Equipment Detail
I feel more knowledgeable, yet realistic that there's so much more to learn and get time in the mountains. There's so much to know and it's super interesting. Four days is just the tip of the iceberg, but it really supports everything else I know abo...read more
Nik, New Zealand, Backcountry Ski & Splitboard Touring Course
Black Peak
