About Us & The EAS Team
In 1990 the British Mountain Guides association developed a programme and liased with other avalanche association partners with a view to developing an avalanche awareness training course for Mountain Guides.
Our avalanche programmes have developed and their reputation has spread. The avalanche course has been available to professional and committed skiers for a number of years and has provided fundamental skills for personnel in many mountain related organisations.
History
In 1990, The BMG Avalanche Group was formed. We invited Phil Hein, an avalanche expert with the CAA, to help us develop a system which suited our needs.
In Chamonix, the BMG Avalanche Group along with Phil Hein developed a programme which was adapted to the European Alpine environment and which considered the needs of British Mountain Guides and other committed skiers, tourers and free riders who venture into avalanche terrain.
The European Avalanche School was created from this foundation 20 yrs ago and continues to provide relevant avalanche training today, incorporating up to date developments in its avalanche education programme.
The EAS Team
Members of the European Avalanche School are all IFMGA Guides and between them have many years guiding experience in mountain regions throughout the world.
Catriona Reid
Catriona is an alpine and telemark skier with many years of back country skiing from the wild Scottish Highlands to the European Alps to the vast Canadian Rockies. From coastal to mountainous areas, she’s an outdoor enthusiast and can always be found exploring the winter landscape .
Catriona has a very good understanding of what we do and her role is to answer your queries and ensure that the organisation runs smoothly. Catriona lives in the Scottish Highlands
Per Ås
Per lives very close to La Grave and works as a Mountain Guide on ventures throughout the world. Passionate about skiing and adventure sports. Per is instrumental in the education and training process for the Swedish Mountain Guides Organisation and is a member of the La Grave guides ski commission which assesses the avalanche hazard on La Grave Mountain during the winter.
Mark Diggins
Mark is both an alpine and telemark skier and works skiing and climbing all over the world. He is a graduate in Environmental Science and Director of High Exposure, a company providing adventure film support. Mark is also the Co-ordinator of the Scottish Avalanche Information Service. He has a great interest in the practical problems of route choice and decision making in avalanche terrain. Mark lives in the Scottish Highlands.
Steve Jones
Steve lives in Switzerland. It is difficult to find a slope in the Alps that he hasn’t skied. This gives him an outstanding practical foundation for teaching of snowcraft and route choice. He has also worked in Canada, Peru and the Tein Shan. He is particularly interested in avalanche rescue and the recording of avalanche events and is involved in the development of European avalanche education since 1990 when the first course began.
Nick Parks
Nick has been skiing since boyhood, is both an alpine and telemark skier, has been an IFMGA qualified guide for over 25 years with experience of climbing and skiing throughout the world. He is a director of Mountain Tracks and operates from Zinal, Switzerland during the winter. He is particularly passionate about the mountains wishing to share his experiences and adventures with friends and guests.