Mountain Safety Preparation Course

This is an archive page left up for information only. We no longer run this course, but get in touch if you’d like us to put together something similar on a private basis.

 

Overview

Over five days we will take an in-depth look at the skills needed to lead groups in the mountains.
We will begin with three mornings skiing on the Les Deux Alpes glacier. Afternoons activities in the Alpine environment will be followed by classroom sessions. On-snow we will cover navigation, snowcraft, the basics of ski touring, and transceiver skills. Off-snow we will reinforce all of the above. Expect transceiver practice, navigation exercises and ropework. In the evenings, we will have short classroom sessions on avalanche awareness, navigation and weather.

The final two days will consist of an overnight expedition, staying in a mountain refuge. This will give us plenty of time to focus on navigation, leadership, group management and the mountain environment.

Course content

• Navigation – on- and off-snow, use of compass/altimeter/apps, slope angles, relocation
• Snowcraft– snowpits, weather interpretation, shear tests, quick stability tests
• Emergency ropework – useful knots, buried ski belay
• Transceiver search and self-rescue – personal skills, teaching to clients
• Avalanche awareness – snowpack, terrain management, weather, human factors
• Leadership – group management, hazards, the mountain environment

 

Practical Information

Additional Costs: The cost of the course will be €300 per person, this is for the course only. It does not include accommodation (see below), food and transport costs. In addition, a 3-day lift pass will be required. 

Accommodation: There is no shortage of quality hotels and apartments in Les Deux Alpes during the summer months. The resort caters for anything from budget to luxury accommodation. However, if you are having trouble finding something suitable, please get in touch.

The last night (night 4) will be spent in a mountain refuge. The price of this will be in the region €60 including evening meal and breakfast.

Getting to Les Deux Alpes: The easiest way to get to Les Deux Alpes is by car. If flying, Lyon and Geneva airports offer a good selection of reasonably priced car hire options. Turin airport is also an option, but flights here are often fairly limited. Drive time from Lyon Airport is roughly 1hr45 and from Geneva Airport around 2hr45.

It is possible to take a shuttle bus from both Lyon and Geneva Airports to Grenoble Bus Staion. They run roughly hourly, and cost between €10-30. From Grenoble there is a very cheap local bus service to the resort. However, this service only runs once or twice a day. For more information, see https://www.transisere.fr .

If you are having difficulty organising transport please get in touch!

Download detailed trip notes here 

Booking

For further information, or to book onto the course, please contact us at bookings@whitemarmotte.com.