Pre-course Information

Read and be familiar with the:

• Alpine 1 Scope & Syllabus
• Assessments – What to expect
• Assessments – Feedback & Results Process

Presentations

You will be allocated two topics and will need to prepare a three-minute presentation.  Topic 1 will be delivered to your Assessor on the first two days of your assessment.  Topic 2 will be delivered to your clients in the field.

Applicable components from the NZOIA Alpine 1 Syllabus:

• Section 9: Demonstrate and/or describe cultural and environmental knowledge and interpretation of a given alpine area

 Assignment - Scenario

You will be given a scenario and asked to plan a two-day winter expedition based on the information given. This will include a trip plan with aims and objectives, how you would source weather and access information, hazard identification and contingencies.

Applicable components from the NZOIA Alpine 1 Syllabus:

• Section 2: Demonstrate alpine navigation skills
• Section 4: Demonstrate avalanche and snow safety management skills
• Section 5: Demonstrate alpine camping skills
• Section 7: Apply weather interpretation and forecasting skills in an alpine environment
• Section 8: Role model and promote accepted environmental practices
• Section 10: Plan and prepare for an overnight alpine trip
• Section 12: Apply effective safety management

Introductory Session

• Welcome, introductions and outline of course
• Assessment process
• Safety management
• Overall logistics
• Feedback and results process
• Theoretical knowledge: multichoice quiz and weather tests
• Questions and answers

 Quiz

Includes:

• Discipline Specific Knowledge

 Applicable components from the NZOIA Alpine 1 Syllabus:

• Section 1: Demonstrate and/or describe the care and correct use of equipment and clothing commonly used in New Zealand for alpine trips
• Section 4: Demonstrate avalanche and snow safety management skills
• Section 5: Demonstrate alpine camping skills
• Section 7: Apply weather interpretation and forecasting skills in an alpine environment
• Section 8: Role mode and promote accepted environmental practices
• Section 9: Demonstrate and/or describe cultural and environmental knowledge and interpretation of a given alpine area
• Section 12: Apply effective safety management

The following will likely be covered on Day 1, depending on environmental conditions and other considerations at the time of the assessment:

Personal skills – Practical Demonstrations

• Three-minute presentation: Allocated topic #1
• Equipment and gear
• Navigation and route selection
• Navigating alpine waterways
• Step cutting, crampon use, ice axe use
• Alpine camping skills
• Leadership 

Overnight camp for one night

Applicable components from the NZOIA Alpine 1 Syllabus:

• Section 1: Demonstrate and/or describe the care and correct use of equipment and clothing commonly used in NZ for alpine trips
• Section 2: Demonstrate Alpine navigation skills
• Section 3: Demonstrate safe practices in and around alpine waterways
• Section 4: Demonstrate avalanche and snow safety management skills
• Section 5: Demonstrate alpine camping skills
• Section 6: Demonstrate mountaineering skills
• Section 7: Apply weather interpretation and forecasting skills in an alpine environment
• Section 8: Role model and promote accepted environmental practices
• Section 9: Demonstrate and/or describe cultural and environmental knowledge and interpretation of a given alpine area
• Section 11: Lead and manage a group in an alpine environment

The following will likely be covered on Day 2, depending on environmental conditions and other considerations at the time of the assessment:

 Personal Skills - Practical Demonstrations

• Technical skills and teaching skills
• Travel on steep ground
• Rope work
• Anchor construction – three types
• Austrian ice axe/stomper belay
• Direct belay off a bollard using sling and Italian hitch
• Waist (body) belay from snow sitting position (bucket seat)

 Applicable components from the NZOIA Alpine 1 Syllabus:

• Section 1: Demonstrate and/or describe the care and correct use of equipment and clothing commonly used in NZ for alpine trips
• Section 3: Demonstrate safe practices in and around alpine waterways
• Section 5: Demonstrate alpine camping skills
• Section 4: Demonstrate avalanche and snow safety skills
• Section 6: Demonstrate mountaineering skills
• Section 8: Role model and promote accepted environmental practices
• Section 12: Apply effective safety management
• Section 14: Teach mountaineering skills

The following will likely be covered on Day 3, depending on environmental conditions and other considerations at the time of the assessment:

• Emergency shelters
• Avalanche rescue scenarios
• Transceiver search - 5min max time to achieve the following:
• Location of 2 transceivers in a 50m x 50m square (contiguous search)
• Probe and call strike when the target is located
• Indicate to the assessor where to start digging relevant to probe for SINGLE rescuer
• Navigation
• Preparation for model clients

 Applicable components from the NZOIA Alpine 1 Syllabus:

• Section 1: Demonstrate and/or describe the care and correct use of equipment and clothing commonly used in NZ for alpine trips
• Section 2: Demonstrate Alpine navigation skills
• Section 4: Demonstrate avalanche and snow safety skills
• Section 6: Demonstrate mountaineering skills
• Section 8: Role model and promote accepted environmental practices
• Section 12: Apply effective safety management
• Section 13: Prepare and deliver teaching sessions

The following will likely be covered on Day 4, depending on environmental conditions and other considerations at the time of the assessment:

Lead and manage a group in an alpine environment, teaching alpine skills such as:

• Effective travel over snow
• Navigation
• Use of an ice axe
• How to keep clients safe in an alpine environment
• Local interpretation
• Three-minute presentation topic #2

Debrief with the Assessor and Assessment result

Applicable components from the NZOIA Alpine 1 Syllabus:

• Section 1: Demonstrate and/or describe the care and correct use of equipment and clothing commonly used in NZ for alpine trips
• Section 8: Role model and promote accepted environmental practices
• Section 9: Demonstrate and/or describe cultural and environmental knowledge and interpretation of a given alpine area
• Section 11: Lead and manage a group in an alpine environment
• Section 12: Apply effective safety management
• Section 13: Prepare and deliver teaching sessions
• Section 14: Teach mountaineering skills