Avalanche Awareness accredited courses now offered in Australia
PRESS RELEASE
After last season’s successful winter, Avalanche Training Australia in conjunction with Avalanche NZ is proud to offer accredited 2-day Avalanche Awareness (AST 1) and 4-day Backcountry Avalanche Avoidance (AST2) courses during the 2018 Australian winter.
Avalanche Training Australia (a partner organisation to Whiteroom Tours) is the only training provider running these New Zealand accredited courses outside NZ. The provision of these worldwide recognised courses allows both industry professionals and recreational backcountry enthusiasts the chance to gain practical skills during the Australian winter that they can take with them wherever they travel in the mountains throughout the world.
Staffed by accredited skilled trainers who have run these successful educational programs for multiple years in Japan, New Zealand & Australia, our course dates for Victoria and New South Wales are;
VICTORIA:
Falls Creek Avalanche Awareness (AST1) course dates:
24 – 25 August
26 – 27 August
29 – 30 August
31 August – 1 September
Falls Creek Backcountry Avalanche (AST2) course dates:
24 – 27 August
29 August – 1 September
Victorian private courses are available upon request.
NEW SOUTH WALES:
Thredbo Avalanche Awareness (AST1) course dates:
3 – 4 September
5 – 6 September
7 – 8 September
9 – 10 September
Thredbo Backcountry Avalanche (AST2) course dates:
3 – 6 September
7 – 10 September
NSW private courses are available upon request.
NOTE – One lucky participant will WIN a full course fee refund, drawn at the completion of all courses for 2018
Avalanche Awareness (AST1) Course
Our Avalanche Awareness course is designed for people that want to step out past the resort boundaries and learn the fundamentals of avalanche avoidance. This 2-day course will have a mixture of theory and practical application in the field. The focus of this course will surround avalanche terrain identification and own party rescue. As we know 90% of avalanche accident are caused by the victim or someone in the victim’s group. Learning how to use an avalanche rescue transceiver alongside other rescue techniques will begin to lay down the building blocks of what is needed if something goes wrong.
Backcountry Avalanche Avoidance (AST2) Course
The next step on avalanche education pathway will be the 4-day Backcountry Avalanche Avoidance Course. When travelling in the backcountry identifying avalanche terrain is a must. Great days can be had during higher periods of danger if you can read the terrain you are in. This 4-day course will begin to teach the students how to pre-trip plan for a day out past the rope lines and look at weather forecasting and basic avalanche forecasting to have a safe day in the snow.
These courses are not only important skill sets to obtain if you plan on travelling in the backcountry but can also be used as a pathway to jobs in the snow industry. They provide the prerequisites for professional courses in the study of Avalanche Phenomena as well as a requirement for Instructors to obtain the ISIA stamp.
With the backcountry becoming more accessible to people, better equipment and a greater desire for people to find new terrain, we are excited to further the provision of these course in Australia. For further information please follow the link www.avalanchetraining.com.au and we look forward to seeing you out there.
Ronan Maguire
Head Trainer & Avalanche Forecaster
Avalanche Training Australia
Email- [email protected]
www.avalanchetraining.com.au
