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Avalanche
Awareness
Day 2011
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FEEDBACK:
"It's amazing how little you really know about snow,
and this course really made me
aware of the risks I had been taking" Rob G, York,
2006
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| Course
Overview |
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Can
you ever put a price on safety? No you can't, but these
Avalanche Awareness & Snow Safety days only cost
£49! The course takes place in the Chamonix
valley, and you are taught the use of avalanche tranceivers,
shovels, and probes. You also focus on avalanche prediction,
construct snow pits, and do Rutschblock tests to assess
the snowpack. Led by a British leader. |
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Our
key focus when designing this course was to make it accessible
to both skiers and boarders. You spend the day on snow
shoes (rentable from our Chamonix office for just £5
a day), as this needs no previous experience, so you can
concentrate on learning as much as possible during the
day. We provide the avalanche tranceivers, snow shovels
and probes for the day, but if you have your own you are
recommended to bring them to learn how to use them better. |
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The days are led by qualified Guides or International
Mountain Leaders, and due to the huge instructional element,
we ensure that the leader is British so that they can
explain all the essential safety information really informatively.
If you are planning on any off piste, snowshoeing, or
ski touring this winter, this course will provide you
with essential safety skills. |
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Dates: Run every day during the winter season
from mid December to early May, as long as there are three
people minimum. If you have a group of four or more wishing
to book together, the price is further reduced to only
£40 each, for six or more it is only £30
each! |
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Read
all about the course! Kelly, the snow reporter from Chamonix.net
came along on one of these days. See what she thought.
Click to read the report
on Chamonix.net (or on the logo to the
right), or click here to see
PDF version of article. |
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The
course at a glance... |
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1 day course, run every day in the winter. Price £49pp
(cheaper for group bookings). |
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No experience necessary. All avalanche safety kit is provided
for the day. |
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Top tip... combine with a weekend course or a day during
your ski holiday. |
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You could also consider; Intro
Ski Tour weekend
or
Snowshelters
& Survival weekend |
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Course
Photo Gallery
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Course Itinerary |
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the morning you meet in our centrally located Chamonix office,
and meet with your instructor who will be an expert in backcountry
travel and snow safety. Over a coffee they will talk through
the plans for the day, and the latest conditions. Then it's
time for a quick route safety plan, and sorting out any safety
kit that is needed. There is a great choice of locations to
operate these courses, such as the Plan de l'Aiguille, Berard
Valley, or La Tour. We can always find a suitable and safe location
to react to the snow conditions and avalanche forecast. |
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the days are conducted in rolling nordic syle terrain, where
you can study the snow pack safely. To access the region you
either drive up the Chamonix valley, or take a cable car, and
then walk in on snow shoes to reach the region. This means that
the course is equally accessible to skiers with no touring experience,
winter walkers / climber, or boarders. The key learning points
of the day are as follows: |
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Evolution of the snow pack |
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Crystal metamorphasis |
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Avalanche tranceiver
searches |
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Slab formation
and layering |
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Rutschblock
stability tests |
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Victim recovery
methods |
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Tranceiver
detection fields |
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Travel techniques
on snowpacks |
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Trip planning
and preparation |
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Assessing different
snow profiles |
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Avalanche form
/ release patterns |
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Decision making
processes |
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Different types
of avalanches |
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Weather &
climatic influences |
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day should give you a greater level of autonomy for your off
piste days or winter walking. The day is quite long as there
is so much to cover, but you normally return to the Chamonix
valley in time for aprés! After a long day you have earned
yourself a congratulatory beer, over which you can discuss and
refect on all that you have learned. If you would like to read
a bit about avalanche avoidance skills before your course, read
this article written by one of our instructors: click
here to view article. |
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| ITINERARY
NOTES: Where possible we follow itineraries. Mountain
adventures are weather and conditions dependant, so occasionaly
we are forced to alter the plans. If this is the case,
suitable alternatives are offered. Please use this outline
itinerary as a guide to the types of route / activity
that you will attempt. |
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Photo
of soft slab avalanche debris near the Leschaux hut, Chamonix
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| Course
Prices |
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Standard
course
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1
days guiding, up to 4 people in group |
£49 |
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Premium
course
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1days
guiding, 2 days holiday in total
(Standard course plus 2 nights B&B
gite accommodation) |
£99 |
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Secure
online booking system |
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Course Inclusions: 1) IFMGA Mountain Guide or UIMLA
International Mountain Leader for one day, 2) Chamonix course
hosts for logistics & briefings, 3) Pre course information
booklet, 4) Equipment discount voucher for UK shops, 5) Chamonix
office support, 6) Free course instruction crib sheet. |
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| Exclusions:
1) Travel to & from Chamonix, 2) Cable Cars (approx £15),
3) Accommodation, 4) Personal laundry, telephone calls, lunches,
& any purchases in mountain huts / hotels / restaurants,
5) Activities insurance, & excess baggage charges. |
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| Notes:
The
loan of harness and avalanche safety kit is included (tranceiver,
avalanche probe and shovel). |
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| Upgrade
options |
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Acclimatisation
Weekend
£99
(throughout the season) |
To
get the most out your course, acclimatisation is essential
so that you minimise the chances of AMS (altitude sickness)
later on during your course,
details. |
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Avalanche
Skills Day
£49
(throughout the season) |
To
learn avalanche prediction, reutschblocks and use of avalanche
tranceivers. Course is available on any day during the
week (includes ARVA),
details. |
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