Two ski tourers check their avalanche transceivers on a ridge while the wind blows snow off the summit of the slope behind them

Avalanche courses in Andermatt

One to three days of companion rescue and tour planning, December to April, from CHF 190.

Why companion rescue

If a friend is buried, the people standing on the snow are the rescue. Of skiers dug out within 15 minutes, 92 in 100 were alive. After 35 minutes it was about 30. We teach the part that happens before any helicopter could land.

What we teach

Three courses, one after the other: find a buried friend, plan a day so it does not come to that, then lead a group.

Source: Swiss study of 422 buried skiers, cited in Avalanche rescue.

Courses

All courses and dates

Fine search: a skier holds the transceiver low over the snow above a buried friend

Level 1

Find

Companion rescue on a real deposit: transceiver search, probing, digging. Timed drills until you are under 15 minutes.

1 dayCHF 190

A guide traces the route on the map in the hut

Level 2

Plan

Read the bulletin, measure slope angles, choose a line. One night in our hut, the route planned at the table, skied the next day.

2 daysCHF 420

Three ski tourers cross a steep slope one at a time, at least ten metres apart

Level 3

Lead

Travel as a group: spacing, where to stop, when to turn round, and running a rescue when you are the one in charge.

3 daysCHF 690

Read the scale

Level 3 sounds like the middle of the scale. In Switzerland most avalanche deaths happen at levels 2 and 3. Pick a level and see which slopes it puts in play.

3 Considerable

Avalanches may be triggered on many slopes even if only light loads are applied. On some slopes, medium or even fairly large spontaneous avalanches may occur.

Slopes in play: many steep slopes, over 30°
Load that can trigger: light: one skier, or a group 10 m apart

Level texts: the European scale as given in Avalanche. Gentle is under 30°, steep over 30°, very steep over 35°, extremely steep over 40°.

Two rescuers dig in a V and clear the buried skier's face first

The 15 minutes

01Watch the person until they disappear, and mark the last-seen point.
02Everyone switches to search. Follow the signal down the deposit.
03Fine search with the transceiver on the snow: find the lowest number.
04Probe at right angles to the slope until you hit them.
05Dig in a V, downhill of the probe, and clear the face first.

See how a rescue works

Four numbers we teach

457 kHz: The one frequency every avalanche transceiver has used since 1986.
38°: The slope angle where skiers trigger the most avalanches, inside a band of 35–45°.
10 m: The spacing that turns a group into a "light load" on the danger scale.
80 m: How far away a transceiver in search mode can pick up a buried one.

Next dates

See all dates

Date	Course	Places left	Price
13 Dec 2026	Level 1 · Find	4 of 6	CHF 190
19–20 Dec 2026	Level 2 · Plan	2 of 6	CHF 420
9 Jan 2027	Level 1 · Find	6 of 6	CHF 190
22–24 Jan 2027	Level 3 · Lead	3 of 6	CHF 690

(Contact)

Who do you tour with?

Bring them. Courses run for up to six people per guide, and a group that has trained together searches together.