22 Dec 2011 - AST course

I was instructing on the field day of the first AST 1 for the season. The weather was closed in, with no visibility and it snowed between 2 and 4cm per hour all day with mostly calm wind at 1600m where the snow depth is 120cm and a 30-40cm of loose powder.

Last week's AST course was cancelled due to lack of snow in an appropriate teaching area, so unfortunately some people missed out as this season I was only able to offer one pre-christmas course for lodge owners and seasonal staff. A few lodges jumped at the chance to attend the discounted 2-day course before the busy tourist season gets well underway very soon. Thank you to the managers at Hakuba Springs and Hakuba House for giving their staff two days off. And thank you to Snow Lines Lodge - a new foreign owned lodge this season - for sending three staff, including the owner (who owes me one beer). Amongst others, I recommend these places for backcountry people looking for accommodation in Hakuba where staff 'speak the avalanche language'.

The christmas tree in our garden is starting to look quite nice.