Avalanche Safety Training Courses

Avalanche Safety Training Courses

One-day and three-day avalanche- and snow-safety courses teaching risk assessment, route choice and rescue, run across Northern Finland and Norway.

Anyone who hikes or skis in snow-covered mountains should be able to evaluate avalanche risk from the route-planning stage onwards. AMG therefore offers both an introductory one-day course and a more in-depth three-day course on the risks and hazards of this mountain phenomenon. Courses run in a number of locations, including many of Northern Finland's ski resorts, the Kilpisjärvi region of Finnish Lapland and Norway's Lyngen Alps.

  • Snow-Safety Day: 1 day (c. 8 hrs), Dec–Apr, €340 for 1–10 persons (+€30/extra person)
  • Avalanche Course: 4 days, Jan–May, €380, 3–5 participants
  • Ski-Safety Day: 1 day, Dec–Apr, €340 for 1–10 persons
  • Covers transceivers, probes, shovel tests and rescue scenarios
  • Run in Northern Finland ski resorts, Kilpisjärvi, Lyngen and Tromsø

About the Courses

In the three-day course, clients learn to recognise areas and snow layers that present a high risk of avalanche, to assess these various avalanche zones when choosing safe routes through mountains, and to test the stability of the snow-pack itself. There is also a considerable amount of time spent practising rescuing — and providing immediate first-aid for — victims, using a variety of transceivers, probes and snow-shovels. Learning how to read the weather is also an important part of making decisions, since this can have a significant impact on the snow and therefore on avalanche risk.

Snow-Safety Day

This is a one-day course targeted at those looking for a quick insight into avalanche- and snow-safety, or for those wanting a quick refresher course. No special outdoor skills are needed so anyone interested is welcome to join in. During the day we discuss the theory behind how avalanches start, dig some snow-profiles to talk about how the different snow layers affect overall snow-pack stability, and reinforce that learning by carrying out a shovel test — a great evaluation tool for assessing avalanche risks. We conclude with a practise rescue scenario.

Place: Northern Finland's ski resorts, Kilpisjärvi, Lyngen, Tromsø. Time: December – April. Duration: 1 day (about 8 hours). Participants: 1–20. Price: €340 for 1–10 persons, additional people at €30 per person. Includes instruction and required snow-safety equipment.

Avalanche Course

This three-day course gives a comprehensive overview of avalanche risk and safety assessment for everyone who travels in the mountains. We start with how avalanches form and how to choose a safe route through mountain areas, then cover snow crystal types, snow-structure and their impact on snowpack stability. Practical exercises and rescue scenarios follow, using different avalanche transceivers, with techniques for judging snowpack stability and running an independent rescue, and a look at how weather, slope orientation and altitude play a role.

By the end, each participant can evaluate avalanche risk, choose a safe route and carry out a rescue. Place: Kilpisjärvi, Lyngen, Tromsø. Time: January – May. Duration: 4 days. Participants: 3–5. Price: €380. Includes guiding and required avalanche equipment.

Ski-Safety Day

Skiers are at particular risk of avalanche because their tracks cut across slopes. This version of our snow-safety day covers the same basics — how avalanches start, snow profiles and shovel-tests for snow-pack stability, and rescue scenarios using transceivers — but focuses on the hazards skiers face and how good route choice reduces the risk of triggering an avalanche.

Place: Northern Finland, Kilpisjärvi, Lyngen, Tromsø. Time: December – April. Duration: 1 day (about 8 hours). Participants: 1–20. Price: €340 for 1–10 persons, additional people at €30 per person. Includes guiding and required avalanche equipment.