A hands on practical day into assessing snowpack stability and the dynamics that affect our local snowpack. 

Photo: Claire K. Crowley-Aksamit

Duration: 4-5 hours

Participants: Up to 6 Persons

Ages: 16+ Years

Location: Tromsø area

Private instructor/guide: Experienced local guide.

Language: Norwegian, English, German

Perfect for all backcountry tourers, visitors and locals alike

If you’re visiting Tromsø, this course offers an ideal introduction to the current state of the snowpack, including existing and potential avalanche problems and their impact on your touring choices. For local skiers navigating our wild winter mountains, this course is an essential step towards becoming more skilled and confident in making informed decisions about snowpack stability.

Why do we recommend a ‘state of the snowpack’ day?

A state of the snowpack day will enable you to make informed choices, based on current weather and snow conditions. To enhance your safety and experience of our wild winter mountains.

Complex snowpack

Our local snowpack is more complex than it might seem initially. The arctic transitional climate gives us both warm and wet periods, as well as long cold dry arctic desert like weather. This  combination can produce an unstable snowpack with persistent weak layers.

Looming weak layers

Many mountains close to the main backcountry skiing areas do not see a single skier for long periods and weak layers will be preserved for quite some time.

Vast areas with local variations

The avalanche forecast in Norway covers areas of 100 square kilometers. With limited data from very few weather stations, and many observations done manually, it is quite broad and not necessarily representative of the local conditions at your skiing location. 

Make informed decisions 

To get a better understanding of the current state of the snowpack and what this means for your touring choices learning how to identify, assess and judge what is going on in the snow is an indispensable skill.

Key elements

• Introduction to a systematic assessment of the history, current state, and processes affecting the snowpack stability and snowpack dynamics
• Digging quick pits and a full pit together
• Tools for planning and safe backcountry travel
• Suggestions for trips that can be done under current conditions

Why book with us?

Our goal is to help you make informed decisions. So you can enhance the safety of your human powered winter backcountry trips and everyone can be and feel safe, both you and those waiting for you to come home and tell the story.

We only use certified avalanche instructors and guides with intimate local knowledge of the snowpack. 

Prices

1 person, kr5,000

2 persons, kr5,500

3 persons, kr6,000

4 persons, kr6,500

5 persons, kr6,500

6 persons, kr7,000

Not included

Skiing and avalanche gear. Equipment can be rented at Tromsø Outdoor. See below.

Transport. Can be arranged on request.

Discount

Get a 10% discount on rental gear at Tromsø Outdoor when booking online. Visit Tromsø Outdoor and use the discount code: tromsopowderguides

Terms

Risk and liability

Participation in backcountry activities is at your own risk. Off-piste skiing is defined as a high risk activity and no matter how much expertise one has, it is never completely safe. We will do our utmost to ensure your safety and well-being and we only use certified and approved instructors with local knowledge of the mountains. We have certified HSE routines to help prevent accidents from happening. Tromsø Powder Guides and/or their instructors do not take financial responsibility for accidents that may happen on courses, guiding or during other organized activities.

Cancellation policy

28 or more days before departure/course: full refund, minus 100 nok administrative fee 

28 – 14 days before departure/course: 50% refund, minus 100 nok administrative fee

14 – 0 days before departure/course: 100% will be charged 

Insurance 

Personal travel insurance is NOT included in the prices and participants must have their own personal insurance covering backcountry activities in the mountains.