On Monday 20th December 2021 UIMLA joined with our colleagues from other MountainSafety.info organisations for a pre-season update on risk management, snowpack assessment, online resources of avalanche warning services, the latest research on avalanche accidents including the first fully flow-chart based rescue protocols and an update on the on-site treatment of the avalanche patient by first responders.
Held via zoom this brought over 500 professionals from 32 countries together to share current best practices and build our community. In the northern hemisphere, we’re just entering winter and this timely refresh of our skills will feed into our work with clients in the mountains helping us keep them safe.
The speakers were drawn from the experts of many organisations and represent state-of-the-art thinking in these critical skills.
- The Importance of Decision Quality and the Role of Chance in Avalanche Decision-Making – Markus Landro, PhD, Co-leader of the Norwegian Avalanche Forecasting Service NVE, IFMGA
- Snowpack Assessment – A Process Focused Approach for the Practitioner in the Guiding World – Lukas Duerr, MSc, avalanche forecaster Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, IFMGA
- The Online Resources of Avalanche Warning Services and the Importance of Field Observations by the Professional Guiding Community – Montse Bacardit, PhD, avalanche forecaster, UIMLA, CAA Level 3, ISMM Diploma Mountain Medicine
- AvaSAR – A Systematic, Flowchart-Based Approach to Companion and Organized Rescue – Manuel Genswein, Founder of MountainSafety.info
- AvaLife BLS – A survival Chance Optimized Decision-Making Tool for First Responders – Sven Christjar Skaiaa, MSc, MD, IFMGA