Crevasse Rescue for Skiers

“Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere."

- Chinese Proverb -

This course aims to teach participants safe travel techniques on glaciated terrain and how to respond in case of a crevasse incident. The training will focus on the use of specific light ski touring safety gear, including light rope sets.

To start off, we will review glacier morphology so participants could learn how to "read" a glacier to safely navigate it. We will also go over risk management assessment tools to help you identify various situations that make glacier travel safer or riskier and how to mitigate those scenarios. We will discuss the pros and cons of two and three-person teams.

After that, we will review basic techniques of rope management, knots, belay, and such, before moving into more advanced, specific ones, such as how to "rope up" and safely move and protect the team in different circumstances.

The course will also cover how to properly and safely react if someone falls into a crevasse. We will practice simple scenarios and gradually advance to more complex situations so that you can help your partner in this situation and be ready when self-rescue is more effective and faster.

This is a full day in the field following a well-established curriculum but is flexible to accommodate students' knowledge and experience.

By the end of this course, you will have learned about glaciers, safe travel, and crevasse rescue.

Glacier Travel

  • Basic equipment and knots.

  • Snow and ice protection.

  • Roping up.

  • Progression styles

  • Route finding.

  • Moving, Fall-Arrest, Belay and Protection.

  • Going up and skiing down

Crevasse Rescue

  • Crevasse rescue sequences:

    a. Arrest the fall

    b. Build an anchor

    c. Check on safety

    d. Check on the fallen

    e. Rescue options

  • Hauling Systems.

Glaciers Anatomy

  • Morphology.

  • Cycles.

  • Crevasses & Bergschrunds.

  • Glacier rivers & Moulins.

  • Glacier weather.

  • Snow cycle on a glacier.

  • Keeping glaciers healthy.

Crevasse Rescue & Glacier Travel Program includes:

  • Professional ACMG Guide

  • Group climbing gear such as ropes and ice screws.

Crevasse Rescue & Glacier Travel Program does not include:

  • You should have your own personal gear (such as harness, helmet, ski touring skis and boots) (ski crampons and ice axe are also welcome, but not mandatory)

  • Transportation / Parks fees / Meals

Crevasse Rescue & Glacier Travel program:

  • Full Day: $215.00+ GST.

    Minimum Group Size 3 - Maximum Group Size 6

Additional information

Please keep in mind that prior to to heading out for our Crevasse Rescue & Glacier Travel Program all participants are required to read and agree to waiver terms and conditions prior to booking completion. A copy of which can be found paramount-guides.com/waivers