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Avalanche safety training in Val Thorens/ Trois Vallees

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hello everyone!

We are a group of 4 students and we are going to the Trois Vallees area in the beginning of febuary. I am looking for an Avalanche safety training simmilar to the AST 1 course I took in Canada so that we can safely ski the back and slackcountry together. I have been in contact with 5 ski schools all, of which only offered us to hire a guide for everytime we want to leave the groomers. That is not what we are looking for tough. Does anyone know of avalanche skill training, or even better has taken such a course before, in the trois vallees area?
We are from Germany so UK based training will not do us much good either sadly. I am writing to you because lots of you seem to travel to france for skiing vacation and are probably in a similar situation as us.

best wishes from the currently snowy west Germany,
Lukas
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Not used it, but perhaps: http://ski-resort.meribel.net/activities/1/4859248-avalanch-camp.html
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Great! Thank you very much. I will contact them.
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SkiikS wrote:
I am looking for an Avalanche safety training simmilar to the AST 1 course I took in Canada so that we can safely ski the back and slackcountry together. I have been in contact with 5 ski schools all, of which only offered us to hire a guide for everytime we want to leave the groomers.


I'm not being difficult but maybe you could listen to what they are saying?

I think the point that they are getting across is that 1 day of avalanche safety training does not make it necessarily safe for you to ski backcountry terrain on your own without a guide.

I suspect that from a litigation point of view, when you say to people "I want to ski backcountry without a guide, what courses do you offer", they are rightly saying "none - but we can hire you a guide".

So really your choices are to suck up their advice and get a guide... which might prove to be beneficial in terms of extending your life expectancy... or take the risk on your own shoulders, and not tell them that you want to do the course for purpose of skiing sans guide.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Hey,
I did not expect the course to be just one day. I am sorry if what I wrote gave you that Impression. In fact the course I took in Canada was a three day course as well. The courses offerd by SAAC in Austria are one and a half day courses. The first afternoon beeing theory and the second day a field day. I have not taken a SAAC course though so I cant say anything about how in depth they are. From my understanding they have quite a good reputation tough. I am just really surprised that it was that hard to find an avalanche safety course in France espacially since going off the beaten track has been very popular for years now and there being plenty of courses in other parts of the alps.
How would you suggest I should go about finding such a course? Or are you suggesting there are none? I am sorry if I am being Ignorant here Puzzled
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Sorry RE 1-day course that's my bad. I wasn't reading it properly and where it said "AST 1 course" I read "AST 1 day course"

One suggestion I might have is that you could do the week long off piste intro course with UCPA. They have a centre in VT.

But my point remains the same. The guides have to amass a lot of knowledge, experience and skills... the point is that no course provider will ever want to come across as suggesting that doing their course would save you from needing to hire a guide.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@SkiikS, I think what the schools are suggeting, not very well, is that they don't have specific courses available, but you can hire a guide who will of course tailor the day around you - so if you said up front that you want to focus on skills, avalanche awareness etc, I can't see any guide saying they wouldn't teach that! I can however see all of them saying that they can't guarantee you'd be safe off piste after - as @dp says, that's never guaranteed.

In Chamonix, Avalanche Academy do offer courses, at different levels, each one a full day with a guide, and it's a mixture of theory and skiing/practice. I do at least one day with them every year, it's awesome.

In the 3Vallees, I think your best bet would be to go back to the ski schools and ask a slightly different question:
Quote:
Do you offer short (2-3 day) courses on avalanche awareness offpiste, which offer a mix of theory and practice, and some skiing?
If not, can you offer us a bespoke 2 or 3 day course with one of your guides who would be willing to take us offpiste, and mix in learning, rescue practice, and theory with skiing? What would that look like, and how much would that be?


I'm pretty sure they'll be able to put something together for you, and give you a better idea of what that would be.

Have a great time!
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
P.s. Personally I'd say get in touch with Prosneige in Val Thorens, and ask for Phillippe, or one of their guides. I did my initial offpiste training with another of their instructors, who is brilliant, as is Phillippe (and very highly regarded on here). They have a few guides, and I know would be very capable of putting together an excellent bespoke day or two for you.
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Hey Fixx,

I might be a bit late to answer but in Val Thorens, Oxygène ski school have highly qualified ski instructors who take training at the start of every ski season with ski patrol and the ANENA (Chamonix mountain awareness ski academy) to refresh their techniques. They are qualified to take you offpiste and know all the security tips, avalanche rescue policy and will always teach you those techniques before you go offpiste. If you're looking for a specifi training they will focus on that, on your demand. I'd go and ask for Pierre or Yohann, the directors of Oxygène ski school in Val Thorens, but any fully qualified instructor will know the safety techniques. Same in Méribel, Courchevel or La Tania as well, you'll find trained instructors who practice skiing offpiste often and keep up to date with the snow conditions and safety techniques.

Enjoy your holidays! Very Happy
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The Meribel Guides are offering occasional, 2 hour, Mountain Safety Training sessions for 20 Euros. The next is being held on Tuesday, 2 Jan, from 5 - 7 pm, in the Parc Olympic. I don't know if they are planning any courses in February. Tel: +33 (0)6 43 89 72 91 guides.meribel@gmail.com
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