For the first time since it was first launched at the end of the eighties, the Avalanche Hazard Warning Course will be offered to allied students (of officer’s or sergeant’s rank). On the 2005 winter course 4 seats out of a total of 16 are indeed earmarked for foreign students. The course will take place in the mountain areas of Troms, where conditions are good for assessing avalanche hazards as avalanches tend to happen frequently on these mountains in spring.

Course officer of the Avalanche Hazard Warning Course 2005, at Spanstind

The development of the Avalanche Hazard Warning Course came as a result of a tragedy. In 1986, at Exercise Anchor Express, 31 soldiers from Brigade North were caught in an avalanche at Vassdalen. 16 of the avalanche victims died.

The Avalanche Team working in Vassdalen, where the tragic accident took place in 1986

The Avalanche Hazard Course will focus on assessment of avalanche hazards, to include route finding in avalanche terrain based on students’ own snow and hazard evaluations. Rescue practice will not be covered.
Course instructors will be officers with a background from areas such as the Norwegian Avalanche Team as well as experts from the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.
The course language will be English.
The course will run 8-15 April 05.
The starting point will be at Bardufoss, but students will spend as much as possible of their time doing field trips to mountain areas and working outdoors under expert guidance.
A strong skiing ability is required. Students’ winter experience should be at winter mountain leader level.

Point of contact: Major Jon Vestli, phone + 47 23 09 93 14 or email jvestli@mil.no