Guide to Avalanche Courses in New Zealand

This guide introduces the various avalanche courses available in Aotearoa New Zealand, covering both recreational and professional level training. If you're a backcountry enthusiast looking to take the next step in your avalanche education, this will help you to understand the courses available to suit your experience and goals.

Intro to Avalanche Education Levels

Recreational Avalanche Education

These courses are designed for backcountry users who want to build foundational knowledge to travel safely in avalanche terrain. These short courses emphasise practical skills, especially buddy rescue, understanding the public avalanche forecast, and personal decision-making. These courses will cover basic snowpack analysis.

Professional Avalanche Education

Identifying snow crystals on an ARML5 course. Photo credit: Alastair McDowell

This training is targeted at those pursuing careers in the mountains. Those looking for jobs in ski patrol, snow safety programs, avalanche forecasting, guiding, instruction or search & rescue will be required to complete specific courses. Some recreationalists also choose to study these courses, to broaden their personal avalanche education, however at the ARML6 level, it can be difficult to achieve all of the required mentoring in the field logbook. These courses teach advanced technical skills and build an in-depth understanding of snow science and avalanche hazard management.

In NZ, these courses are currently all run through a Polytech, and involve NZQA credited assessments.

Recreational Avalanche Courses & Providers

 1. Online Avalanche Safety Courses

The NZ Mountain Safety Council has generated some good quality online videos, and content to support basic avalanche awareness. It's free to access and is a great starting point for learning basic terminology and interpreting the Avalanche Advisory Forecast.

• The MSC Online Avalanche course is an introductory guide to understanding avalanche forecasts, danger scales, types of avalanches, and various mitigation strategies for those venturing into the backcountry.

• Terminology is everything in Avalanche education. The MSC has a neat Glossary which includes explainer videos. Start using the right lingo as you start out on your learning journey.

• Take the MSC Avalanche IQ quiz to test your knowledge of the basics

• Whilst on the topic of online courses, it is worth reading the User's Guide to the NZ Avalanche Advisory. This provides a comprehensive breakdown of the format, terminology and scales used in the Avalanche Advisory.

2. Avalanche Skills Course 1 (ASC1)

This is the first step in your practical training. It is taught over 1.5-2 days and can be based

on foot or on skis/splitboard. Sometimes these courses are integrated with longer Intro to Mountaineering or Ski Touring courses.

• Introduces basic avalanche concepts and terminology.

• Ideal for beginners with little to no experience.

• Covers avalanche terrain recognition and safe travel techniques.

• Includes basic buddy rescue training and practice.

  
  

3. Avalanche Skills Course 2 (ASC2)

This is a more in depth course for recreationalists that have previously covered some avalanche training and mountain experience. These courses usually run between 4-5 days and can also be based on foot or on skis/splitboard.

• Focuses on developing practical skills including beacon use and probing as part of buddy and small group rescue scenarios.

• Teaches risk management and group decision-making.

• Prepares participants for independent backcountry travel.

Professional Avalanche Courses in New Zealand

1. NZ Avalanche Risk Management Level 5 (ARM L5)

This is a 12 week course run through the Polytech. Otago Polytechnic have intakes from April through until July with the course being delivered online with a 1 week block course at the end.

The ARML5 course provides the foundational training for working in NZ and internationally in the avalanche industry. It builds a solid understanding of snow science, weather influences, terrain assessment, and operational hazard evaluation. Students will learn and apply practical skills in avalanche rescue, safe travel, and assisting with hazard management across ski areas, guiding operations, and in search & rescue. The testing is rigorous and includes both classroom tests and fieldwork that is assessed under NZQA standards.

These papers make up ARML5:

• Snow Science and Hazard Evaluation

• Avalanche Geography

• Meteorology and Snowpack Influences

• Avalanche Search and Rescue

2. NZ Avalanche Risk Management Level 6 (ARM L6)

This course takes 2 years to complete part-time. It is expected that students are working within an operation that travels into avalanche terrain as you will need to find qualified mentors who can support your learning and sign off on certain tasks. It is the equivalent of the Canadian CAA Operations Level 2 Course, and is internationally respected.

Conducting a snowpack test

ARML6 consists of the following papers, which are a mixture of theory and practical assessments:

• Decision Making and Operational Performance (theory)

• Terrain and Snowpack Theory (theory) 

• Applied Avalanche Studies (practical recorded mentored feedback)

• Field Training (theory and six-day practical block course)

• Integrated Practical Application (seven-day final practical block course)

ARML6 is the highest level of professional avalanche training available in NZ. It builds on ARML5 by developing the skills needed to independently assess avalanche hazard, interpret complex snowpack and weather data, make operational decisions, and contribute meaningfully to an avalanche safety programme. The course blends advanced theory with intensive fieldwork, focusing on terrain analysis, field testing, hazard forecasting, and operational risk management within ski areas and guiding operations.

Where to find these courses

Recreational avalanche courses are run by a range of guiding companies and mountaineering clubs across NZ. The NZ Mountain Safety Council maintains a list of current course providers. Be sure to look for MSC Endorsed Instructors for your training course.

Find NZ MSC Recreational Course Providers

Professional avalanche courses are run by:

• Otago Polytechnic - NZ Avalanche Risk Management Level 5 (ARM L5) and Level 6 (ARM L6)

• Tai Poutini Polytechnic - ARM L5 is offered as part of their ski patrol course, but not as a standalone course.

Make sure you're well equipped for your training course from our online store. We have all the tools you need to do your snow science in the field.