One of the UK’s most respected IFMGA ski Guides – Bruce Goodlad, has teamed up this winter with American Avalanche safety experts Ski The Mountain, to offer structured avalanche education to Brits skiers in the Alps.

Mike Austin from Ski the Mountain said: for a long time now, Canada and the United States has been offering evaluated structured avalanche education to keen skiers and snowboarders who want to be responsible for their own safety. This has become increasingly pertinent in recent years with the massive growth in off piste and backcountry skiing.

"In Europe we’ve been way behind the curve in offering something similar. There are some good instructors out there, but knowledge is being passed on piecemeal. There’s no linear progression in the learning: in North America you can start off by attending a basic avalanche awareness lecture, and by working through a series of courses and examinations, build year on year upon that basic knowledge, leaving the student with a very strong skill set. This is a big and complex subject. Anyone who thinks they’re safe to ride in the backcountry because they’ve attended a two hour avalanche safety lecture are frankly kidding themselves"

What we offer is formalized education that conforms to the American Avalanche Assoc (AAA) syllabus. By teaming up with a great ski guide like Bruce who lives in the valley, we can deliver courses in the heart of Chamonix’s avalanche prone terrain, and of course get some great turns in along the way.

Two -day Level 1 courses provide students with 24 hours contact time. They comprise morning classroom sessions followed by afternoons in the mountains putting the theory to test.

This years course has been cancelled but we can run peivate courses on request

More detailed information on all aspects of the course can be found using the menus on the left.

If you think avalanche education is not for you have a look at this video.