To attend a field day you must meet the prerequisites. This means you must have credit for the modules listed as required for the field day you wish to attend - first or second. For students taking a complete Level 1 (or the shorter Awareness version) will reach the field days as part of the course progression. Others wishing to attend a field day must challenge the modules, enroll in them individually, or use a combination of those approaches.

The field days will have online materials much like the other modules. This will include a set of objectives, material on preparing for the field day, and submission of a summary/review.

The primary method for actual outdoor field work, which we expect most students will use, is to attend field days offered by AlpenPro. These are offered on a voluntary basis and are free, but the prerequisites must be met.

There are a couple other options for students who prefer them, or cannot make it to a field day. These alternatives are based on the assumption that students are capable of learning through a variety of methods, including self direction, as long as there are clear objectives, a framework such as that laid by the prerequisite modules, and guidance/feedback from a professional serving as an instructor.

One alternative is for the student to do the field day with somebody else, making sure to follow the preparation instructions, meet objectives, and demonstrate this through a review of their experience. They can do this with a friend who is experienced enough, another student who did attend a formal field day, or a local guide. In the last case all arrangements are between the guide and student, including costs.

A second alternative is for the student to do field work on their own. This is currently acceptable for the first of the two field days, in the future it may be possible for both. Again, this relies on a solid foundation, clear objectives, and a review afterwards. Students who have taken another course in the past or have significant field experience may prefer this approach and the flexibility it provides.

While the AlpenPro field days are free to qualified participants they are limited in space and often involve travel expenses on our behalf. Therefore we expect students who register for them to show up. If you cancel in advance and create a vacancy for somebody else there will be no penalty. If you cancel too late for somebody else to fill the spot, or simply don't show up, the official policy is to ban you from any future field days. You can still fulfill the course requirement through one of the methods discussed in the above question. We do sometimes make exceptions to official policies, based on the particular situation. If we make an exception and allow you register again it will only be with the lowest priority.

This will depend to some extent on how you fulfill the field day requirement. AlpenPro field days are run on the premise that you learn more by traveling near or, in some cases, through avalanche terrain. We do not believe in spending the entire day in one small area at the top of a lift or a short trip from a parking lot. Although we do spend periods of time in fixed locations for exercises such as beacon searching (field day 1) and snowpits (field day 2).

Since the AlpenPro field days involve backcountry travel it is expected that participants are prepared for that. We generally do not expect any advanced travel skills, but you should be competent at traveling via whatever means you choose. It is also expected that you will be prepared to be in one place for some amount of time, without amenities all that close. The field days are not an introduction to winter backcountry travel, so you need to have the gear and experience for a basic tour in whatever conditions are encountered.

You are not required or expected to bring your own avalanche safety equipment to AlpenPro field days. There will be a selection of equipment you can try out for yourself, and this is a good chance to get some hands-on time with some different models if you are considering purchasing equipment of your own soon. Students who do own safety equipment already should bring it with them.

Specifics can vary with location, so inquiries about any particular session or location are welcome. It is also important to follow the weather specific to the location prior to the actual field day so that you can prepare adequately for conditions. (You should be following the weather anyway, from an avalanche point of view.)

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