In a Nutshell
- One day per month
- Training topics based on real life scenarios
- Participation at your own risk & responsibility
- Bring your own personal equipment
- Language will be English
Important Things To Know
- ⚠️ Date Change! The dates for ice cave rescue and avalanche search have been swapped, to prioritize an ice cave rescue exercise before the ice cave season ramps up towards the winter.
- Open to outdoor professionals only. This is not a guided tour, but further training and practice for skilled guides.
- All participation is strictly at your own risk and responsibility. You must bring the skills, judgment, and personal equipment to ensure your own safety.
- Transportation options are limited. We can definitely drive to the glacier together from a suitable meeting location, but spaces will be limited. Let me know ahead of time if you need a ride.
- Topics may change. I want to cover all the listed items, but we may need to switch things around a bit to account for weather.
Schedule
January 26 - Avalanche Search
Single and multiple person avalanche searches.
Meeting Point
Assuming there will be sufficient snow, we will meet at the turnoff from road 1 onto F985 (to Jöklasel) at 10:00, and drive up towards Jöklasel together. We will only drive far enough to find a sufficiently large patch of snow, but a winter F-road capable vehicle will be necessary. The meeting point may change on short notice depending on snow conditions!
Required Equipment
Standard avalanche safety equipment (avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel). Microspikes. Bring crevasse safety equipment, just to be sure!
Program
We will review basic strategies of avalanche search (group checks, operational principles of avalanche transceivers, search patterns, etc.) in theory, and then take turns searching for buried beacons in various situations (single and multiple missing beacons).
February 23 - Navigation Planning & Theory
GPS and non-GPS navigation, preparation and route planning. Geographic intersection and resection.
Meeting Point
TBD at 10:00
This will be an indoors event, possibly even online if that will work for everybody.
Required Equipment
Pencil, ruler, compass.
Maps will be provided (printed, or as PDF to print yourself).
Program
(details coming soon)
March 20 - Whiteout Navigation
Practicing non-GPS navigation and location fixing in the field.
Meeting Point
TBD at 10:00
Required Equipment
Compass, ruler, marker pen. Maps of the area will be provided (printed, or as PDF to print yourself). The maps may be laminated to be waterproof and a bit more sturdy, so bring a sharpie or other permanent marker.
Please bring an actual compass. One of the differences we will be practicing is adjusting for true vs. magnetic north, and phone apps aren’t always clear on what they are showing.
Program
(details coming soon)
April 24 - Snow Crevasse Rescue
Crevasse rescue practice on snow covered glaciers.
Meeting Point
TBD at 10:00
Required Equipment
Standard equipment for traversing snow covered glaciers (harness, helmet, eye protection, crampons, ice axe, picket, shovel, carabiners, prusik cords, etc.).
One static rope per two participants (50m or longer)
Program
(details coming soon)
May 14 - Rope System Theory
Anchor building, load limits, force triangles, definition of MBS, SWL, WLL, etc.
June 26 - Hard Ice Rescue Practice
Simple drop loop assists and more advanced rescue techniques for larger teams.
Meeting Point
Þröng / East Breiðamerkurjökull at 10:00
For those without vehicles capable of driving into Þröng, prepare to be at the turnoff from the main road at 9:30.
Required Equipment
Standard equipment for glacier guiding (harness, helmets, eye protection, crampons, ice axe, etc.).
One static rope per two participants (50m or longer)
Program
(details coming soon)
July 27 - Ice Climbing & Rope Access
A skill refresher on ice climbing, anchor building, belay techniques, and the use of rope ascenders, prusik cords, etc.
Meeting Point
Þröng / East Breiðamerkurjökull at 10:00
For those without vehicles capable of driving into Þröng, prepare to be at the turnoff from the main road at 9:30.
Required Equipment
Standard equipment for ice climbing / glacier guiding (harness, helmet, eye protection, crampons, ice tools, anchor & belay equipment, etc.).
One rope per two participants (50m or longer).
Program
Some of the topics I would like to cover on this day:
- route selection
- anchor placement
- anchor material options
- reliable safety checks
- belay devices and techniques
- recovering from common mistakes
- ice climbing technique
- self belay
- rappeling and ascending
- considerations for fixed ropes & via ferratas
August 31 - TBD
The 2025 program will be coming soon.
September 25 - Improvised Equipment
Making do without the thing you need.
Improvised crampon repairs or harnesses, repairing broken boots, etc.
October 29 - Ice Cave Rescue
Low ceiling / confined space rescue scenarios inside ice caves.
Meeting Point
Þröng / East Breiðamerkurjökull at 10:00
For those without vehicles capable of driving into Þröng, prepare to be at the turnoff from the main road at 9:30.
Required Equipment
Your normal equipment for guiding ice cave tours.
Program
(details coming soon)
November 27 - TBD
The 2025 program will be coming soon.
Questions & Answers
Is this open to the general public?
No. Due to the nature of these training days, all participants must be entirely self sufficient in terms of safety and equipment. The goal is to provide an environment where guides and other outdoor professionals can practice with and learn from each other.
It’s free, why should I register? Can’t I just show up?
I had originally planned to charge a small fee to account for the additional work of supplying materials and preparing each day, but after some thought decided to make these dates available free in this iteration. Please still register so that I know how many participants there will be, and if necessary can be in touch with everybody for any last minute changes.
Is there a maximum number of participants?
There is not a strict limit right now, but as I continue to prepare and fine tune the program there might be limitations (or indeed a minimum number of participants required for example to pull of a full-on rescue exercise including litter carry).
What equipment should I bring?
For best results, bring your normal guiding gear as you would do for the corresponding tour (check each of the days for details).
It is tempting to come a bit better prepared than what you would normally have with you, but if you’re unlikely to carry an item on a normal tour, it is best to also practice without it (unless you may end up convinced that it is something worth bringing after all).
If any more specialised equipment is needed – say, for practicing a litter rescue – I will organise it.
Are there any concerns for weather?
I will try very hard to keep the schedule, but we may choose to switch out topics.
I have some additional ideas!
I am of course very interested in your opinions and suggestions for which topics would be worth exploring in such a setting. So if you have any comments please let me know!
When and where do we meet?
This varies; please check each of the days for details.
Why do you have snow crevasse rescue the month before hard ice rescues? Should that not be the other way round?
The snow crevasse rescue exercise makes most sense before the alpine trekking season goes into full swing, and is therefore primarily intended for people guiding trips to Hvannadalshnúkur, Hrútsfjallstindar, etc. (ie guides with AT1 / AT2 qualifications).
The hard ice crevasse rescue is ideal to refresh / improve rope skills for those coming into the summer season for outlet glacier guiding (HIG1/2/3), and therefore I think it is better to have slightly later in the year.
Registration
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