Avalanche Awareness for Hill Walkers
Learn LEVEL | 2 day(s) | Ratio 1:6
Overview
Are you new to winter hill walking? If you would like to learn how weather influences avalanche hazard and how to use this knowledge to develop your observation skills and decision making, then this course will tick the box. Our Avalanche Awareness for Hillwalkers course is 2 days, providing time to develop your knowledge and skills, and to answer any questions you may have. We’ll use the Be Avalanche Awareness guidelines for planning a hill walking day, through journeys and terrain choices at key places.
DETAILED INFO
AIMS
This course will develop your knowledge and skillset using the Be Avalanche Aware guidelines. We will explain how weather influences snow pack changes and avalanche hazard, how this knowledge increases your observation skills and in turn enables better decision making. In addition, we will use journeys on the hill to develop human factor awareness and mitigation strategies and terrain choice tactics.
PRE-REQUISITES
Winter walking essential. Be comfortable in use of crampons and ice axe.
Please watch the following video for a bit of pre-course learning prior to attending: Avalanche Awareness Lecture
IS IT FOR ME?
This course is ideal for those who may be new to winter hill walking and want to gain more than a basic introduction to avalanche awareness, or more experienced walkers looking to improve their understanding of avalanche hazards. The course will be classroom & hill based with the intention to provide enough information and practical experience to give you confidence on your independent hill walks. This course will also help you become an independent learner with information on how to stay current with advances in avalanche avoidance and education. The programme will take into account individual needs and aims, weather, etc.
This course is also excellent CPD for trainees or holders of the Winter Mountain Leader Award.
CONTENT
Meeting your instructor on the first morning provides an opportunity to discuss everyone’s experience and aspirations enabling the instructor to plan the programme based around these. The main topics to be covered are:
The Be Avalanche Aware guidelines and the Scottish avalanche context
Mountain weather and it’s influence on the snowpack
Avalanche hazard, snow stability and spatial variation
Avalanche terrain and choices for hill walking
Human factors
Scottish Avalanche Information Service, understanding and using the detail
Planning hill walks that avoid avalanche hazard
Observation skills on hill walks
Decision making and human factor mitigation strategies
Terrain choice for hill walkers
Sources of continuing education and learning
The programme is fairly flexible taking into account individual needs and aims, weather, etc.
Media Gallery
USEFUL INFORMATION
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
• Instruction
• Use of kit
• Packed lunch and afternoon tea each day
• In-course transport
NEED TO KNOW
WHAT WILL I NEED
Listed here are the essentials; this is not an exhaustive list.
- Personal clothing
- Winter outdoor wear
- Insulating layers
- Winter climbing / mountaineering trousers
- Hat & gloves, several pairs of.
- Whistle
- Compass – Silva type 4 recommended with a 1:40,000 romer ***
- Waterproof map case.
- Headtorch
- Rucksack liner (or sturdy bin liner) / dry bags
- Hydration system (water bottle / flask)
- Box or bag for packed lunch.
- Personal first aid kit
- Survival/Bivi bag
YOU WILL NEED (Glenmore Lodge can provide if required)
- Waterproof jacket and trousers
- Insulated synthetic jacket with hood
- Winter Boots
- Gaiters
- Crampons
- Ice Axe
- 40lt rucksack
- Walking poles
