Avalanche Courses 2026
20.-22. february // 13.-15. march
This three-day course is essential for anyone who wants to improve their decision making skills for ski touring and mountaineering. The course is intended to give students a fundamental understanding of avalanche hazards. It covers the main avalanche-forecasting methods and how they relate to terrain and travel behaviour. The course introduces the most common stability tests and includes discussion on their strengths and limitations. Students are trained in the use of avalanche beacons, shovels and probes as search-and-rescue tools, and will carry out practical exercises in operating this equipment.
Among the topics covered on the course are:
The influence of terrain and weather on avalanche risk
Use of avalanche forecasts and danger ratings
Companion rescue in avalanches
Common snow stability tests
General ski-mountaineering techniques
Route selection and terrain assessment
The instructors are experienced teachers and ski guides who work within the Mountaineering School of Iceland and have taught courses of this kind for many years, both inside and outside the school.