Welcome to www.avalanchetraining.info

This website is for winter sports enthusiasts who want information and training for safe travel in avalanche terrain.  You will find information, documents and links to other resources on relevant pages.  The training programme is at 3 levels (see overview), focuses on the key principles, and teaches students how to answer the basic questions that anyone travelling in avalanche terrain should be able to answer:

• What do you need for an avalanche to occur?

• How do you avoid being caught in an avalanche?

• What should you do if you are involved in an avalanche?

The training is mostly practical and focuses on the knowledge and skills that skiers, boarders and mountaineers need for safe travel in avalanche terrain.  The theory materials that support the practical activities have been developed for easy recall of the most important principles.  Some examples are used from the Alps and North America, but other examples could be used from other parts of the world.

The structure and content of the training programme has been developed by Roger Payne with contributions from a small group of international mountain guides who are experienced avalanche instructors working in the European Alps (see below).  In developing the training programme Roger Payne was able to draw on his experience of developing international standards for instructor training for the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation and a common international approach to avalanche hazard information (see www.rogerpayne.info/work).  Other contributors include:

Julie-Ann Clyma (see www.skioff-piste.com/guides)

Steve Jones (see www.euro-avalanche.com/about)

Nick Parks (see www.mountaintracks.co.uk)

Andy Perkins (see www.climbex.u-net.com)

Comments and suggestions for improving the training programme and this website are most welcome.