New Mountain Safe program starts Sunday

A new mountain safety program – ‘Mountain Safe’ – rolls out with the first session at Mt Buller this Sunday.

These practical, small group sessions are all about equipping skiers and boarders with the skills and awareness they need to stay safe in the mountains including snow pack assessment, using avalanche transceivers, shovel and probing skills and companion rescue.

Tony Harrington is behind the initiative and is eager to bring decades of experience in the backcountry of Alaska, New Zealand and Europe and years of running big mountain events into a resort setting and share some introductory level training.

“There are so many skiers and boarders excited to explore the side country and backcountry now but there is a distinct lack of awareness which is something we intend to address with Mountain Safe,” said Harrington. 

“We developed most of this program a few years ago for the Junior World Heli Challenge and quickly realized what a demand there was for skilling up skiers and boarders with basic terrain awareness and some skills that could be the difference between coming home safely or not at all.”

The program brings together resources and information Harrington has collated over many years drawing on expertise from alpine guides from across Alaska, North America and New Zealand as well as the significant capability within the Mt Buller Ski Patrol, who will be delivering some of the sessions.

A 3.5 hour session includes classroom presentations and training, loan of transceiver, shovel and probe, strategic shoveling training, transceiver exercises and also on-snow terrain awareness in the resort.

The sessions are available to proficient intermediate skiers and boarders aged 12 and over.  Sessions are tailored to the small group format (4-8 people max), offered on Sundays during the snow season and can be scheduled on demand.

For more information call Harro on 0427 427 761 or email playsafe@mountainsafe.org

www.mountainsafe.org