Course Description

Skills and knowledge

• The importance of having enough energy in store when hiking in the wilderness, planning trips in accordance with one’s ability, choosing area according to ability, safety, responsibility and consequence analysis.
• Planning for longer winter trips: trips in groups, safety procedures and norms for participants.
• Further knowledge regarding orientation and choice of safe route.
• Further knowledge of snow avalanches: ground and terrain forms which can form the basis for avalanches and avalanche pathways, degree of injuries in the event of an avalanche, searching an avalanche: methods, systems analysis, knowledge of snow, fracture mechanisms, and stability tests.
• Further knowledge in choice of routes in areas prone to avalanches: by using maps and observation of the terrain, trips involving assessment practice.
• Further knowledge of rescue in the event of an avalanche: the degree of injury, searching avalanches: methods, system analysis, rescuing members of the group (includes principles and strategies, and a trip with avalanche practice).
• Further development of skills, knowledge and competence at a high professional level in the context of the mountains in winter: skiing skills, clothing and equipment, building and living in snow shelters, food and cooking equipment for winter use, hygiene and first aid, transport of injured group members, weather and weather signs.
• Knowledge of the natural environment and culture.
• Didactics and methodology: Guiding theory, trip norms, procedures, organisation, working methods and leadership in connection to mountains in the winter.

In terms of content and level the course can be compared to the Norsk Fjellsportforum’s standard for avalanche courses (3 days).

Assessment Methods

Portfolio assessment. The students will compile a portfolio for each part of their outdoor period and a practice report which will be assessed as pass / fail. In order to receive a diploma students must have participated actively in the obligatory trips, individual trips and excursions, and successfully completed their practice period.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean