For skiers and snowboarders heading to the mountains for powder snow, the risk of avalanches is an unavoidable reality. If a friend were buried, would you be able to rescue them within three minutes?
The Avalanche Search & Rescue (AvaSAR) Training Course, hosted by the Avalanche Accident Prevention Study Group (ASSH), is the place to acquire that skill. The 2025-26 season will be held in locations across Japan, from Hokkaido to Honshu.
Avalanche rescue = a must-have subject in the backcountry
In 2017, eight high school students were killed in an avalanche accident in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture. ASSH, which was involved in the investigation, realized that the accident could have been prevented with proper avalanche education, and has since introduced internationally standardized avalanche rescue techniques to Japan.
Based on the global standards established by MountainSafety.info in Switzerland, participants thoroughly master practical rescue procedures, including avalanche transceiver (beacon) search, probing, and shoveling. By combining theory and practical skills, participants acquire the skills to respond immediately at the scene of an accident.
Main schedule for the 2025/26 season
- October 26th: Hokkaido University "AvaSAR Seminar for Hokkaido University Students"
- November 16th Oyama AvaSAR Seminar (Tottori)
- December 6-7/9-10: Yoyogi Park, Tokyo "AvaSAR: Learn even without snow"
- December 17-18: Hoshino Resorts Nekoma Mountain North Area, Fukushima
- December 20th-21st, Gunma, Hoshino Resorts Tanigawadake Yoho
- February 10-11, 2026 / 12-13: 35th Avalanche Accident Prevention Seminar (Sapporo, Teine)
- February 14-15, 2026 AvaSAR Seminar (Teine, Sapporo)
- Additional courses are planned for Mt. Daisen, Nekoma, and Mt. Tanigawa
from March 2026 onwards (course fees are around 10,000-16,000 yen, student discounts and rental equipment available).
Backcountry skiing is an attractive and free field, but it also comes with the risk of avalanches. The "skills to help" are just as essential as the "skills to ski," and there are few places where you can learn these skills systematically.
The AvaSAR course is not just classroom learning, but practical training to help you save the lives of your teammates. It is a "required course" that anyone aspiring to go backcountry skiing should definitely take.
Information
Avalanche Accident Prevention Research Group
official website: https://www.assh1991.net/