Avalanche safety course Level 2 and First aid course – winter profile
Updated itinerary for winter 2024
This course is suitable for skiers and snowboarders that want to deepen their knowledge regarding safety in the winter mountains – route planning, line of ascent and descent. We will practice those skills in the mountains in real life situations. First aid training will be held in the evenings on weekdays and we will do accident simulation on our day out in the field.
The course includes 2 evenings during the week for the First aid practice and 3 days of field work in the mountains. It will include everything that you need in order to be a confident backcountry skier or snowboarder – how to plan a safe day in the mountains and how to react in case of an accident.
Dates: upon request
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Conditions to participate: Completed Level 1 Avalanche safety course. Experience in ski/splitboard touring and off piste riding. Valid insurance.
Course topics:
- First aid, winter profile. Course leader – doctor Vitan Vitanov from Academy First Aid.
- Travelling in winter mountains – choosing your route. Ascent and descent. Equipment, preparation, group dynamics.
- Snow, precipitation, snowpack formation.
- Algorithms for searching more than one victim.
- Risk management and decision making.
- Snow profiles and stability tests.
ITINERARY:
- Day 1: Monday (evening)
- First aid course:
– First aid specifics
– What do we need to have in our first aid kit
– Basic principles in first aid
– Checking the victim’s condition
– Unconscious victim – assessing breath and heart activity - Day 2: Tuesday (evening)
- First aid course:
– Traumas – основни положения и реакции
– Types of traumas – arms, legs, torso, head
– Hypothermia – обработка на измръзнал (hypothermia wrapping)
– Bleedings – arteries and veins
*The First aid course will be held in Bansko from 18:30 till 21:00 Sofia from 18:30 till 21:00. Местата ще се уточнят непосредствено преди началото на курса. - Day 3: Thursday
- Arrival and check in in Bansko.
Gear check
Planning the next day - Day 4: Friday
- Topics of the day: Planning a route; Group dynamics and decision making; Group safety; Risk management.
We are going to plan and perform a ski touring outing and we are going to discuss all details throughout the day:
– Choosing a line according to conditions and weather.
– Choosing a descent line. Planning and organizing a descent.
– Comments about the day.
– Night in Bansko. Evening lecture/discussion:
– Rules for moving in winter conditions, equipment, preparation, group dynamics, decision making.
– Algorithms for searching of more than 1 avalanche victim, Risk management.
– Planning the next day. - Day 5: Saturday
- Topics of the day: Algorithms for searching more than 1 avalanche victim. Practice and simulation. Safety and Risk Management. First aid scenarios.
– Meeting in the morning.
– Short touring day and organizing a training field.
– Practicing with an avalanche transceiver, simulating complex scenarios (more than 1 victim).
– Tactics and search algorithms
– First aid rescue scenarios. Avalanche accident simulation.
– Feedback for the past day.
– Staying in Bansko.
Evening lecture/discussion:
– Snow, precipitation, snowpack formation.
– Snow profiles and stability tests.
– Planning the next day. - Day 6: Sunday
- Topics of the day: Snow profiles, Stability tests and Risk assessment. We will use all skills accumulated during the course in order to plan and carry out a ski touring day and organize an avalanche rescue.
– Meeting point in the morning.
– Choosing an ascent route.
– Snow profiles and stability tests.
– Descending according to the group’s planning.
– Avalanche rescue simulation with First aid cases.
– Feedback for the past few days.
– Course Final
Price: 480 BGN / 245 EUR
Minimum number of participants: 4 Maximum: 12
Deadline for signing up: 10 days prior to the course
Our Terms & Conditions apply
Price includes:
Training (1 guide per 6 participants)
Price does not include:
Avalanche equipment, accommodation*, food, transportation, personal equipment, lift ticket, insurance.
Necessary equipment:
- Avalanche equipment (Transceiver, shovel, probe)*
- Splitboard or touring skis + poles*
- Alpine crampons*
- Appropriate backpack (around 30L)
- Appropriate clothing
- Ski Helmet
- Insurance
Important information:
- The training groups will be guided by certified mountain guides Nikolay Pavlov – Nikyata and Pavel Peev
- First AID course leaders is Dr. Vitan Vitanov and Dr. Vladimir Stoichkov.
- Maximum 6 participants per 1 guide.
- Minimum number of participants: 4 Maximum participants: 12.
- Equipment rentals for the duration of the course: Splitboard and poles – 190 BGN/97 €, snowshoes and poles – 60 BGN/30 €, avalanche equipment – 80 BGN/40 €, touring ski – 190 BGN/97 €.
- We can recommend a family guesthouse in Bansko.
- The organizers reserve the right to make any changes to the itinerary and location in case of bad weather or snow conditions.
For additional information:
info @ splitthemountain.com | + 359 878413012
Galleries from previous courses:
In order to sign up for the course, please fill in the form below:
