The Snow and Avalanche Foundation of Scotland will be holding a seminar at the end of October at Ratho about avalanche risks. The two day event (29 – 30 October) will also include a presentation by top climber Dave Macleod, which is also bookable separately.
The Foundation says that the seminar is, “An opportunity for all winter mountain enthusiasts, skiers, boarders, climbers, walkers, mountain guides, instructors and other professionals to address the challenges that avalanche hazard in Scotland presents. What snowpack conditions are we faced with? How can we effectively manage decision making as enthusiasts, as rescue teams, as individuals and as commercial operators?”
These topics and relevant experiences will be presented by: Stefan Harvey – WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, Switzerland, Ed Chard – Jagged Globe, Dave MacLeod – Professional Climber , Mark Williams – Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Mark Diggins – SAIS Coordinator, John Allen MBE – Scottish Mountain Rescue. The seminar will also provide an opportunity for participants to discuss topics and issues relevant to all mountain users and enable a better understanding of the challenges that we face in avalanche terrain.
The cost of the seminar is £15 for Saturday (to include Dave Macleod’s talk, “Living on Longhope” which is also bookable separately at £10) and £10 for the Sunday workshop. The cost of the seminar has been subsidised by the Pritchard family who lost their son Robert in an avalanche on Buachaille Etive Mor during the winter of 2009/10. Their wish is that as many mountain users as possible have the opportunity to further their understanding of avalanche hazard, and are able to continually enjoy, with greater awareness and safety, the beauty, adventure and pleasure that the Scottish highlands have to offer. For further details including online booking see the SAIS website.