STEP 1: ISTA DISCOVERY Are you a snow sports enthusiast and an occasional backcountry practitioner? Have you always wanted to know what skills are needed to stay safe in the mountains? Become familiar with basic avalanche risk management and join the ISTA community. What will you learn? The DISCOVERY course is a one-day initiation to the ISTA program. You will learn about the ISTA philosophy and discover basic backcountry risk prevention. You will also be introduced to the scope of skills required to stay safe in the mountains. The main goal is to inspire you to continue learning. At the end of the course, you will be able to follow the entire risk assessment process with the help of your manual. The course structure is based on a typical day in the mountains. From the first contact with the group to the debrief at the end of the day, you will easily be able to follow every step of the scenario as it unfolds. The entire day is fun combination of theory and practical workshops: The course starts with a breakdown of the ISTA method, the individual and the environment, and resulting risk factors. Risk assessment, identification and travel on safe terrain are covered in the afternoon. At the end of the day, you will learn how to manage a crisis situation and search for avalanche burial victims. STEP 2: ISTA ST1 Are you a snow sports enthusiast with some backcountry experience? Do you have an understanding of the risks involved and wish to increase your safety, freedom and pleasure in the mountains? Master the entire risk management process and understand the extensive knowledge needed for backcountry recreation. What will you learn? ST1 is the entry-level course of ISTA’s progressive Snow Training courses. During two days, you will acquire fundamental skills and basic knowledge required to carry out the risk management process, implement rescue procedures and use rescue equipment. At the end of the course, you will be able with the help of the course your manual, to implement the risk assessment process, identify favorable and unfavorable terrain, implement the avalanche rescue procedure and effectively use rescue gear. Placed in a trusted environment, you will be motivated to progress. Both days are an exciting combination of theory and practical workshops: Each day is structured like a typical day in the mountains. On the morning of the first day, you will learn about the ISTA method and how to assess your mind and body thanks to the HFSA® system. You will also discover how to identify favorable and unfavorable elements in the environment and recognize the resulting risk factors. The afternoon covers knowledge necessary to identify safe terrain and how to communicate and travel in backcountry. You will also learn how to use rescue gear and implement the avalanche rescue procedure. The second day follows a similar structure and will allow you to assimilate the risk management process and reinforce your skills.
