ORTOVOX and the La Grave Guides’ Office take you into the alpine environment to experience high mountain terrain and learn how to manage your safety as effectively as possible.
Thanks to our courses led by the La Grave high-mountain guides, you will acquire the essential skills needed to progress with confidence in an environment that is as exceptional as it is demanding.
Whether in summer — mountaineering or climbing — or in winter — ski touring, off-piste skiing, or committed freeriding — it is essential to know how to assess risks and adopt appropriate behavior. In La Grave, a true freeride legend where every descent must be earned and respected, mastering the terrain is crucial.
Careful planning, precise terrain analysis, and experience that allows you to identify hazardous areas as accurately as possible are the foundations of safe mountain practice. To pass on this knowledge, ORTOVOX has been developing dedicated mountain safety training courses since 2008.
SAFETY ACADEMY is now one of the most comprehensive training initiatives in alpine risk prevention. Training means reducing risk: it is a way to approach the mountains under better conditions while remaining fully aware of the inherent dangers of the natural environment.
Our winter courses are offered in three formats:
TRAINING BASIC: Being prepared for emergencies – 1 day
TOUR AND TRAINING BASICS: Fundamental skills for greater safety in powder skiing, ski touring, and freeriding – 2 days
TOUR AND TRAINING ADVANCED: Intensive training in avalanche risk management for ski touring and freeriding – 2.5 days
To book or find out the training dates, click below:
1-day option
Overview of equipment, snow, and avalanches
Essential rules for victim search
Proper behavior in the event of an avalanche
Practical training and field behavior
Free use of the latest ORTOVOX emergency equipment
2-day option
Equipment, snow, and avalanches
Information and tips for planning a tour
Interpreting the avalanche risk bulletin
Use of risk assessment methods
Proper behavior in the event of an avalanche
Intensive victim search training
Fundamentals of modern risk management methods
Group ski tour or freeride on the second day
Free use of the latest ORTOVOX emergency equipment
2.5-day option
Equipment, snow, and avalanches
Information and tips for planning a tour
Interpreting the avalanche risk bulletin
Use of risk assessment methods
Advanced avalanche transceiver (beacon) search training
Avalanche response in realistic and challenging conditions
Tactical information and tips for route planning
Focus on ski touring and freeriding (2 full days of touring)
Breaking trail in particularly demanding terrain
Applying risk assessment methods in the field
Two long tours with learning of additional tools for managing complex situations
Extensive practical training
Free use of the latest ORTOVOX emergency equipment
Supervision by a certified high-mountain guide
Professional civil liability insurance
Shared technical equipment
Avalanche transceiver (beacon), shovel, probe, harness
You practice off-piste skiing and freeriding. You are comfortable in all snow conditions and are not intimidated by steep terrain. You are well equipped for cold weather (accident scenario simulations can sometimes take time, and it is not always very warm).
Good physical fitness required. Stages of 6 to 8 hours with a backpack weighing around 10 kg. Always keep some energy in reserve for the descents.
