Mountain orientation and autonomy training (Hautes-Alpes)

Duration : 3 days

France, Southern Alps

Level : from beginner to advanced

from 240 € / p. from 4 to 8 persons

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Description

The objective of this 3-day course is to help you to acquire greater autonomy in the mountains, in the three fundamental areas of orientation, bivouac and safety.

Here are the skills that you will be able to acquire in each of these 3 areas.

Orientation:

  • Be able to read a map in detail and find the smallest details on the ground.
  • Be able to create and follow a coherent off-trail itinerary and estimate the time needed to complete the route by anticipating the various pitfalls, the best passages and the possible alternatives.

Bivouac:

  • Be able to choose your equipment according to the project, pack your backpack, choose your food and finally choose an adequate location according to the conditions.
  • Managing water: the different solutions.

Safety:

  • Know the good practices and basic rules of mountain rescue.
  • Learn to anticipate danger, to move in difficult terrain and to manage the weather.

The first day of this course takes place in the south of the Écrins massif, in the Freissinières valley. We will choose for our two days of raid the most appropriate massif according to the weather forecast: Eastern and Southern Écrins, Clarée, Queyras, Embrunais, Ubaye or even Italian Pièmont!

Program

D1:

  • Morning:
    • Presentation of the course and its objectives.
    • Roundtable of the trainees, experience and expectations.
    • Orientation.
    • Work in the classroom: the different elements of the map, reading the relief, choosing a route. Practical and theoretical exercises.
  • Afternoon:
    • Outdoor orienteering: application of the morning's knowledge, orienteering games of increasing difficulty.
  • Evening:
    • After the meal taken together, preparation of the raid, collective construction of the itinerary according to the different constraints.

D2:

  • Morning:
    • Finalization of the preparation of the raid.
    • Shopping, food and choice of equipment to take.
    • Packing a backpack.
    • Departure for the raid at the end of the morning.
  • Afternoon:
    • Start of the raid.
    • Application of map reading in order to be autonomous off the trail.
    • Everyone takes the lead of the group.
    • Choice of a bivouac adapted to the conditions.
  • Evening:
    • Dinner together.
    • Debriefing of the first day of the raid: what changes to make for the next day.
    • Discussions about the equipment
    • Preparation of the next day: (re)definition of the objectives.
    • Night orientation workshop.

J3:

  • Morning:
    • Don't leave any traces.
    • Orienteering games.
    • Workshop: moving in difficult terrain.
  • Afternoon:
    • Application of map reading and off-trail autonomy level 2.
    • Respecting a schedule.
    • Debriefing of the course.
    • Return from the raid and end of the course around 5pm.

The price includes

  • Supervision by the mountain leader.
  • Pedagogical material.

The price does not include

  • Transport to Freissinières, one hour drive from Gap and 40 minutes from Briançon.
  • Transport to the starting point of the raid.
  • Accommodation.
  • Meals.
  • Bivouac equipment (can be rented).
  • Anything not mentioned in "The price includes".

Accommodation

  • Lodging is free the first night. Possibility to reserve one for you at the time of registration, ask me.
  • The second night is done in a bivouac in the mountains.
Next departures :

No scheduled departure, but you can contact me to book your dates.

Infos & Booking