 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm doing the L3 mountain safety course in January and can't find info about what equipment I need. Can anyone help? In particular, do I need a real touring setup - touring boots, lightweight skis, tech bindings? Advice and opinions gratefully received.
Also, someone told me today that the common theory course is going online? Is that true?
TIA
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Most, if not all f the people on my MS course were in alpine boots and regular skis (rather than super-lightweight tourers) topped with frame bindings.
The CT course has changed since I did it a few years ago, but I don't think it would be possible for all of it to be done online. There are practical elements, such as strength and conditioning, that don't lend themselves to being done in front of a screen. I be surprised if it became an online course, and haven't heard any rumours that it will.
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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?
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Great, thanks Rob. That's saved me a few quid. I've got frame bindings on white dot rangers. I've skinned 250m vertical on them and my alpine boots, but wouldn't fancy a lot more. Is that ballpark for the MS course?
The way I heard the CT thing was one of the instructors this year apparently opened the course with 'welcome to the last classroom based common theory course'. But it did seem a bit too good to be true. Anyone else heard anything?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| turbosmurf wrote: |
| Great, thanks Rob. That's saved me a few quid. I've got frame bindings on white dot rangers. I've skinned 250m vertical on them and my alpine boots, but wouldn't fancy a lot more. Is that ballpark for the MS course? |
I'm sure frame bindings on those skis will be fine. Can't remember how much skinning we did, 400m one one of the days rings a bell, but I might be imagining that. Most days there wasn't a huge amount of skinning, but I guess that depends what resort you do the course in (I did mine based in Courchevel). We had a few steep bootpacks, a few short skins, some hairy traverses along some precipitous ridges, and one big uphill day. Worst part of that course was the 1.5km uphill skate on the x-country tracks that we finished most days with 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks kitenski - I had found that thread, all interesting. Think I'm just going to do a couple of modules and a tech prep course this season. Haven't decided whether to really go for L3 yet, but the MS sounds well worth it regardless.
I've since found this thread http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=119721 with contributions from rob@rar which is also helpful
I think there is supposed to be a doc on the BASI website with equipment requirements, but I can't find it. And the website doesn't seem to be searchable.
So far I think in addition to my alpine gear I need shovel, transceiver, probe, pack with ski carrying capability, skis with touring frame bindings, skins, the relevant map, and a compass. Am I missing anything?
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altimeter
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@turbosmurf, there is definitely a doc detailing what you need!!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Depending on the conditions you are also recommended crampons for the skis, although I dutifully carried them round all week never to need them.
As well as all the equipment, knowing how to use it is very handy. Quite a few on my course struggled with maps and compasses which are things you can practice away from the mountains.
Altimeter is useful but not essential.
Everyone on my course was using alpine skis (with touring bindings) and boots rather than the full touring setup. You can hire these without too much problem. If you're heading to Courchevel then I can recommend Le Camp de Base as a good place to hire stuff.
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The way I heard the CT thing was one of the instructors this year apparently opened the course with 'welcome to the last classroom based common theory course'. But it did seem a bit too good to be true. Anyone else heard anything?
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Very disappointing if true - the Common Theory is in my view one of the best courses BASI offers, but then I've never been afraid of a classroom! More than half of the course is practical and outdoors etc already, so calling it classroom based is a bit of a misnomer.
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| kieranm wrote: |
| As well as all the equipment, knowing how to use it is very handy. Quite a few on my course struggled with maps and compasses which are things you can practice away from the mountains. |
I'd second this. On my course there was more focus on Nav than actual touring.
Frame bindings and Alpine boots were fine.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@turbosmurf, normally there is a link in your joining instructions?
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| kitenski wrote: |
| @turbosmurf, normally there is a link in your joining instructions? |
I'm doing it with ICE. They have a link to the BASI website on their course info site, but the link is broken (it was to the doc I found via wayback above).
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You know it makes sense.
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| turbosmurf wrote: |
Also, someone told me today that the common theory course is going online? Is that true?
TIA |
So looks like this is actually true, per the recent BASI mail. Some elements absorbed into other L3 courses and the remainder online.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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anyone heading out to the meeting in Morzine end of Jan? It appears that would give me a CPD point to avoid having to do a refresher???
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Poster: A snowHead
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| kitenski wrote: |
| anyone heading out to the meeting in Morzine end of Jan? It appears that would give me a CPD point to avoid having to do a refresher??? |
Attend a meeting, get a CPD point. Seems wrong 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@stewart woodward, ah, it appears to actually be a CPD day with the meeting tacked on now reading the email properly!!
If it's forecast to snow I may try and get out there..
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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?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Just back from the mountain safety, thanks all for the advice. Really good course, as everyone says - I learnt a lot and had a lot of fun. Despite the stick BASI gets from a lot of people on here, my experience has been very positive.
Everyone in my group was on full on touring set ups (mostly rented) at the beginning of week, although a couple switched back to alpine boots after problems with the pin bindings. But my relatively heavy setup was still ok - the longest skin was only around 300m vertical. Like @kieranm my ski crampons are still unmarked - but you do have to have them.
We had quite a catalogue of misfortune in our group - one poor chap fractured the top of his tibia on literally the second run of the first day. 
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