How to Prepare for a Crevasse Rescue Course
How to Prepare for a Crevasse Rescue Course: A Complete Guide for Skiers & Splitboarders
If you’re planning to take a crevasse rescue course this season, you’re already making one of the most important investments in your backcountry skill set. Whether your goal is to travel safely across glaciers, step into bigger ski mountaineering objectives, or simply become a more competent partner, showing up well-prepared will make your training more effective—and far more enjoyable.
This guide covers everything you need to know before the course: physical prep, gear requirements, essential skills, mental readiness, and what to expect when learning rescue systems hands-on.
Why Preparation Matters
A crevasse rescue course packs a lot into a short time. You’ll be building anchors, tying knots, hauling loads, ascending ropes, managing terrain, and learning to make fast decisions in a high-stress scenario. The better prepared you are, the more efficiently you’ll learn—and the more confidence you’ll gain.
Being prepared also means you can focus on the skills rather than scrambling with new equipment or unfamiliar techniques.
Get Comfortable With Your Touring Gear
Before the course begins, make sure you’re fully dialed with your ski touring or splitboarding setup. You don’t need elite fitness or expert ski mountaineering skills, but you should be comfortable with:
* Transitioning skin-on/skin-off
* Moving uphill at a moderate pace
* Basic downhill control in variable snow
* Using your bindings, skins, and boots efficiently
You’ll spend time traveling on glaciated terrain, so being confident in your gear helps you focus on the rescue components of the course—not the fiddly bits.
Learn or Refresh Basic Knots
You don’t need to be a rope wizard before your course, but knowing a few simple knots can fast-track your learning:
* Figure 8 on a bight
* Clove hitch
* Prusik hitch
* Overhand knot
These knots form the foundation of crevasse rescue systems, and having them “in your hands” before the course means you’ll spend more time practicing real systems and less time memorizing rope work.
Pro tip: practice with gloves on—the way you’ll actually use them in the field.
Bring the Right Glacier Travel & Rescue Gear
Here is our recommended crevasse rescue and glacier travel gear list
Gear List
Crevasse Rescue Course
Equipment list
- Shovel
- Probe
- Transceiver (3-antenna)
- Ski touring skis or splitboard
- Skins
- Personal repair kit specific to your equipment
- Ski touring boots/snowboarding boots
- Ski poles
- Headlamp
- Goggles
- Sunglasses
- Personal first aid supplies
- Toque
- Minimum 1L water bottle or Thermos
- Gore-tex (or equivalent) jacket
- Gore-tex (or equivalent) pants
- Puffy jacket
- Warm layers for upper and lower body adequate for below freezing temperatures and wind
- Thick gloves
- Spare gloves
- Lightweight harness (if possible otherwise climbing harness will work)
- 3 locking carabiners
- 1 triple action captive eye locking carabiner
- 3 non-locking carabiners
- 240cm sewn sling (or 5m of webbing)
- 5m x 6mm accessory cord
- Personal prussik
- Micro-traxion (optional)
- Tibloc (optional)
- Ice screw (between 12-22cm)
- 40L backpack
- Ice Axe
If you have questions about your equipment, bring them—your instructor will help you sort out what works and what doesn’t.
Expect Hands-On Learning (and a Lot of Repetition)
A quality crevasse rescue course isn’t just lecture; it’s full-on practice. You’ll be:
* Building snow and ice anchors
* Setting up 3:1, 6:1, and drop-loop haul systems
* Ascending and managing ropes
* Practicing partner rescue scenarios
* Traveling roped with your group
* Probing, assessing terrain, and choosing safe routes
Repetition is key. The goal isn’t to memorize a system—it’s to make it intuitive. By the end of the course, you should feel comfortable building a rescue from scratch under pressure.
Prepare for Variable Weather
Glaciated terrain is unforgiving when it comes to weather. Expect:
* Cold temperatures
* Strong winds
* Intense sun exposure
* Changing visibility
Bring layers you can adjust quickly:
* Base layers
* Midlayers (fleece or light puffy)
* Waterproof shell
* Insulated jacket
* Warm gloves + a backup pair
* Sunglasses or goggles
Good clothing keeps you warm during static learning sessions (like building systems) and cool during movement-heavy sections.
Bring Food, Water, and a Positive Attitude
You’ll be thinking hard all day. Fuel matters.
Pack:
* High-calorie snacks
* A lunch you can eat quickly
* 1–2 liters of water (or a thermos in cold weather)
Just as important: bring a positive mindset. Rope work can feel confusing at first. Knots get mixed up. Everyone struggles at some point, and that’s part of learning.
Your attitude will determine how quickly you absorb skills.
Know What You Want Out of the Course
Before you show up, ask yourself:
* Am I preparing for my first glacier trip?
* Do I want to lead a rope team someday?
* Am I trying to solidify systems I learned in the past?
* Do I want to build the foundation for ski mountaineering objectives?
When you know your goals, your instructor can tailor the training to help you get the most out of the experience.
Final Thoughts
Preparing for a crevasse rescue course isn’t about perfection—it’s about showing up ready to learn. With the right gear, foundational skills, and mindset, you’ll get far more value out of your training and leave with the confidence to travel safely on glaciated terrain.
A crevasse rescue course is one of the most empowering steps you can take as a backcountry skier or splitboarder. Put in the prep, commit to the practice, and you’ll be well on your way to safer, stronger adventures in the mountains.
