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Snowshelters
& Survival 2012
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| Course
overview |
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Course
dates & availability |
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You
are learning skills that could save your life, if
you were to be caught out in the future, whether
in Scotland or the Alps. For just £199 for
the weekend, you can't afford not to book on one
of these popular safety courses. |
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We
care for the environmental impact of snowholes,
and all these courses are planned in line with our
role as a UIAA environment label holder and a Leave
No Trace partner. |
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We
fully check your equipment, to ensure it is up to
the task, and that your safety is not put in jeopardy.
It is essential that you have a four season sleeping
bag of your own, but we provide waterproof bivi
bags to keep your sleeping bag dry, as well as a
foam roll mat. |
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Once
you book you are sent a dossier with a full kit
list, which even advises what food to take, for
ease of cooking and low weight! This is key information,
as you will be carrying all your personal kit and
food, as well as some shared group equipment (e.g.
stoves) too. |
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Snow
safety and avalanche awareness is a key focus of
the weekend, and you will be wearing avalanche tranceivers
throughout the course. Safety kit such as tranceivers,
shovels, probes & snowshoes is provided. |
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On
demand: if
no scheduled course dates are showing in the column
on the right, we can still operate a course on demand
for just two people booking together, on any dates
that suit from January through until the end of
April. |
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Dates:
these
are listed in the column on the right, and they
show the live availability from our secure online
booking system. When you book online, you receive
immediate confirmation, your Alpine Information
Booklet, course specific kit list and invoice. |
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Course
Photo Gallery
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Brief
Course Itinerary |
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the morning you meet at 09:00 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 next days, 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 take the train 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 these courses are as follows: |
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Avalanche tranceiver
searches |
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Slab formation
and layering |
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Kit selection for Alpine winters |
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Winter navigation 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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Construction menthods of snowholes |
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Choosing sites for snowholes |
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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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the day you will learn about snow pack evolution, crystal metamorphasis,
and layering. You also judge snow stability, and are taught
how to react to an avalanche in terms of tranceivers, probing
and search patterns. Later in the day you reach the area for
the snowholes and are taught how to construct one. Even with
snow shovels, it takes about one hour per occupant to construct
your shelter, and good teamwork is required. You learn how to
look after your kit, then move in to your snowhole! |
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well built snow shelter will be relatively warm and will protect
you from the elements. As darkness falls you cook dinner and
go to bed. Your
instructor will ensure you have built a good shelter, so you
should get a good nights sleep. In the morning you wake up,
and get the stove on for some hot drinks to coax you out of
your sleeping bag. Then you pack up, and set off on the second
day of your winter journey. The trek ends back in the valley,
and you travel back to Chamonix to arrive around mid afternoon
back at the Icicle office. |
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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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| Course
Prices |
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Standard
course
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2
full days UIMLA guiding, 1:6 max ratio
2 days holiday in total, Saturday-Sunday |
£199pp |
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Live
availability
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Click
on the planner logo to the right to
see the real time live course availability
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Secure
online booking system |
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Course Inclusions: 1) IFMGA Mountain Guide or UIMLA
International Mountain Leader for two days, with their kit and
food, 2) Chamonix course hosts for logistics & briefings,
3) Pre course information booklet, 4) Equipment discount voucher
for UK shops, 5) Chamonix office support, 6) Group cooking equipment
& fuel. |
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| Exclusions:
1) Travel to & from Chamonix, 2) Cable Cars (c.£15)
or in-valley travel (c.£5), 3) Accommodation, 4) Personal
laundry, telephone calls, lunches, & any purchases in mountain
huts / hotels / restaurants, 5) Your food and bowl, fork &
mug, 6) Activities insurance, & excess baggage charges. |
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| Notes:
The
loan of all technical equipment for each client is included*
in the course price as required: snowshoes, avalanche tranceiver,
avalanche probe and shovel. |
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| Upgrade
options |
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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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