8.48 am, Rothwald, protective forest
Advanced Avalanche Course with a Mountain Guide | Simplon
Join us as we delve into the world of snow and avalanche science, avalanche rescue and tour planning. On stunning ski tours to the peaks around the Simplon Pass, we’ll put what we’ve learnt into practice together.
Technics
Endurance
Simplon, Valais
On this course, you’ll gain the skills you need to navigate winter terrain with confidence and plan your ski tours independently and responsibly.
You’ve already gained some experience of ski touring and are familiar with the basics of avalanches and snow conditions. However, you’d like to feel even more confident when planning ski tours independently. To this end, you’d like to deepen your knowledge and gain more experience in accurately assessing avalanche terrain, moving confidently in the snow in a manner suited to the conditions, and making confident decisions whilst out on the mountain. If so, this three-day advanced course with us is just what you need.
Discover a range of tools that will help you assess the terrain and snow conditions accurately. Set against the stunning mountain backdrop of the Simplon region, we’ll go on a varied ski tour every day, during which we’ll work as a group to put the tools we’ve learnt into practice together.
Course content and procedure
We’ll meet at 8.48 am at the Rothwald bus stop, by the shelter.
On a lovely little ski tour, we’ll brush up on our basic knowledge of avalanches and snow conditions. During an avalanche transceiver exercise, using a shovel and probe, we’ll practise the rescue procedures until we’ve got every step down to a fine art.
In the evenings, we’ll take the time to delve deeply into tour planning. You’ll learn how to read the avalanche bulletin and maps so that you can correctly identify hazardous areas the day before and plan and prepare your ski tour accordingly.
We’ll go ahead with the planned ski tour. Out in the terrain, we’ll help you develop a keen eye for warning signs and the current avalanche conditions. We’ll also carry out a load test on the snowpack and dig a snow profile. We’ll learn to recognise the layering of the snowpack and examine the snow crystals in the weak layers under a magnifying glass to reveal their structure.
Back at the hotel in the evening, we reflect on today’s ski tour and plan together the practical tour for the final day.
The ski tour on the third day is the highlight of the weekend. You’ll learn to take responsibility, apply risk management based on the three key factors (terrain, conditions, people) and practise assessing individual slopes on the spot. Ultimately, you’ll be able to make sound decisions (go/no-go).
After three informative, intensive days, we’ll wrap up the course together on Sunday afternoon in Rothwald – ready for your next adventures on your own.
Requirements
- Some experience of ski touring and a basic understanding of avalanches gained from a beginners’ or taster course.
- Basic skills in off-piste skiing.
- Fitness level suitable for short ski tours involving an ascent of around 800–1,000 metres at a leisurely pace (approx. 300 metres per hour).
- Splitboarders are welcome.
Price and services
- CHF 855.-
- Small group with 4 - 8 guests per mountain guide.
- Including professional planning and realisation with a mountain guide and his travel expenses.
- Includes accommodation in a spacious and comfortable shared room. Accommodation in a twin room is available for an additional charge of CHF 45 for two people; a single room is available for an additional charge of CHF 65.
- Half board included.
- Excluding travel expenses, possible train tickets, personal consumption.
Material and equipment
- For this tour you need the material from this PDF. We carry our equipment with us the whole time. Only pack the essentials.
- General material and packing tips we have also put together for you.
- The Wasenalp is a remote hotel. Pack so that we can comfortably carry a small extra bag for about 30 minutes along a snow-covered road to the hotel. We’ll leave the bag there and then set off on our tour straight away.
Bergschaft tours and courses are conducted in German as standard. However, our mountain guides speak good English, as do many of the participants. If you speak English, you are of course very welcome. Depending on the tour, it may be worth asking us in advance whether the guide and the group are comfortable speaking English.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us, preferably via the Contact form.
Accommodation
Hotel Wasenalp
Located right next to the small Rothwald ski lift, this beautiful hotel offers the best cuisine, warm hospitality and relaxation in the outdoor whirlpool in the evening. Thanks to its location, you can start various tours from here. The sunset on the terrace is also magnificent! We stay in comfortable double rooms.
Highlights: Advanced Avalanche Course, Simplon
Here’s how you can deepen your knowledge of avalanches with us:
- 18–20 December 2026, Friday–Sunday, 3 daysFreie Plätze
Mountain guidesStill PendingCHF 855.- - 15 - 17 January 2027, Friday - Sunday, 3 daysFreie Plätze
Mountain guideCHF 855.- - 12 - 14 February 2027, Friday - Sunday, 3 daysFreie PlätzeMountain guidesStill PendingCHF 855.-
As Private Tour on your desired date with your group:
As Voucher give your favourite as a gift:
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