The Centre for Resources, Expertise and Sport Performance (CREPS) of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur is coordinating an exchange of good practices project gathering 7 partners in the Alps, which are training centres for mountain leaders. The project started in December 2020 and will run until August 2023.
It is an Erasmus+ EU funded project and involves the Alpine countries of France, Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The project is also boosted by the French Presidency 2020-2021 of the European Strategy for the Alps (EUSALP).
Project Objectives
- To develop and strengthen a network of training centres for mountain leaders in the Alpine region.
- To encourage and contribute to a better knowledge and understanding of the training practices and qualifications available for mountain leaders.
- To reflect on the evolution of the profession in order to promote sustainable tourism in all seasons, which is one of the main priorities of the French EUSALP Presidency.
- To promote mobility for trainers in the Alpine area and to explore the possibility to provide mobility opportunities for learners
Partners
CREPS “Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur”, CREPS “Auvergne Rhône-Alpes” (France), Mountain Leaders Association in Vorarlberg (Austria), Italian Association Mountain Leader (Italy), Technical university of Munich (Germany), Anniviers Formation (Switzerland), Mountain Training National School – Nordic Skiing and Mid-Mountain National Centre. (ENSM-CNSNMM in France).
Associated partners
- ENOS: European Network of Outdoor Sports. Both CREPS AuRA and TUM are currently member of the board and its objective of “representing outdoor sports at a strategic level in Europe” fits perfectly with the HIKE! goals.
- UIMLA: the Union of International Mountain Leader Associations can bring inputs on the standardisation of the trainings.
- Both partners have a role of sharing and disseminating the results to a bigger audience and guarantee circulation of the results amongst relevant stakeholders
Project activities
- Work package 1: to elaborate a mapping of the training practices in the Alps
- Work package 2: to identify and share good practices or innovative practices
- Work package 3: to create a regional network for training experts by piloting an innovative training scheme: the HIKE ACADEMY, a transnational pilot and off-site training during which both trainers and trainees will attend their national course, while having the opportunity to have spaces for meetings and exchanges among peers
Past meetings
- Workshop 1 hosted by CNSNMM (Nordic Skiing and Mid-Mountain National Centre) in Prémanon in the French Jura from March 29th to April 2nd, 2021, on the topic of safety
- Workshop 2 hosted by Technical university of Munich in Germany on the topic of summer Continuous Professional Development
- Workshop 3 hosted by Anniviers Formation in Switzerland, on the topic of digitalisation
- Workshop 4 hosted by Mountain Leaders Association in Vorarlberg, Austria on the topic of winter CPD – Workshop 5 hosted by the Italian Association Mountain Leader, on the topic of climate changes
Each workshop is the opportunity for the trainers to exchange on the specificity of the training in their country, to reflect on what can be done differently or improved, and to share practices they have or ideas they would like to develop
Next steps
- Workshop 6 will be hosted in Aix en Provence. The topic will be on disability, sport and health, trail and Nordic walk. The meeting will invite the co-founders from Provence and different stakeholders in the Alps in the field of mountain leading, outdoor sports and vocational training, will also serve as the event to launch the Hike Academy.
- the Hike Academy, will be a pilot international week hosted by CREPS AuRA in Haute Savoie from June 11th, 2023, to June 18th 2023.
