Provision of Avalanche training
A major part of the Trust’s work is to provide CPD funding for the provision of professional Avalanche Awareness Training in Scotland. In January 2012, based in Fort William, Mark Diggins of the Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) ran the first of these one-day courses entitled: ‘Avalanche Hazard Evaluation considerations for a Scottish snowpack’.
Find out more about Avalanche Awareness Training.
Initially, funding was available only to British Mountain Guides and members of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors.
Since that first year, driven by popular demand for these successful and well-regarded courses, the Trust has expanded funding to include a spectrum of Mountain Training award holders and trainees and ranging from Trainee Winter Mountain Leaders right up to Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructors, then onwards to British Mountain Guide level.
Training is aimed at the ever-changing Scottish snowpack and based at Nevis Range, Glenmore Lodge and Cairngorm Mountain Ranger station. To date over 400 professional mountaineers have received training. The training is free and is part-funded from participant donations. Other funding sources include various fund raising events and gifts, both from the public and via the continued interest and generosity of Chris’ parents, Geoff and Gill Walker.
During the winter of 2020/21 the Trust delivered a number of online workshops due to lockdown restrictions precipitated by Covid-19.
TODAYS WORKSHOPS AND WEBINARS
The most recent avalanche training workshops and webinars are delivered by the Trust, in conjunction with Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS). These sessions are delivered not only by SAIS Forecasters and Senior Forecasters, but by mountain professionals who understand the challenges of working in the Scottish mountains in winter.
Most recently the Trust has received support to continue this valuable work from sportscotland, Scottish Avalanche Information Service, The Association of Mountaineering Instructors and The Scottish Mountaineering Trust (SMT).