Backcountry guides and safety training providers in Australia

We strongly recommend anyone venturing into the backcountry hones their understanding of snow pack, navigation, rescue, first aid, safety equipment, weather patterns and the technical requirements of accessing backcountry terrain.

To help MSC’s audience find a reputable local alpine guide or backcountry educator, we launched our Alpine Guiding Partners program in 2024.

Avalanche Safety Training

Taking an avalanche safety training course should be one of the first things you do before venturing into the backcountry. They provide a good baseline understanding of snowpack evaluation, route selection, equipment familiarisation and avalanche rescue scenarios. Establishing good avalanche safety practices in Australia means those habits become ingrained when skiing overseas in more consequential avalanche terrain.

Avalanche safety courses should adhere to Canadian (AST), USA (AIARE) or NZ (ASC or Avalanche NZ) standards, with the Canadian AST1 being the most commonly available to take in Australia. Ensure that your training provider is certified to deliver these courses by the respective governing body.

First Aid Training

Australia has comprehensive first aid training courses provided by registered training organisations. At a bare minimum, backcountry enthusiasts should take an accredited course that includes first aid (HLTAID011), CPR (HLTAID009), and basic life support (HLTAID010), with Remote First Aid (HLTAID013 or SISOFLD004) being highly relevant. Some providers offer a four to five day Wilderness First Aid course that includes all of the above units plus Coordinate Emergency Response (SISXEMR002).

Recreational Skills

There are a range of other training courses that can be useful to backcountry users, many of which are non-accredited. These include ski mountaineering, ice climbing, navigation and snow camping skills for recreational purposes.

Backcountry Guiding

Currently, no formal ski guiding qualifications are required to operate in Australia. When choosing a local guide, MSC recommends choosing someone who has avalanche safety, wilderness first aid and outdoor leadership training with a proven track record of guiding in local terrain. Guides operating in national parks must be licensed with a NPWS Eco Pass in NSW or a Licensed Tour Operator by Parks Victoria.