How to become a ski patroller

LOVE SKIING, THE OUTDOORS AND PEOPLE?

Today marks the first annual International Ski Patrol Day to recognise ski patrollers and the extraordinary work they do to keep resorts open, safe and fun for people of all ages and skill levels.

A day in the life of a ski patroller can be as varied and unpredictable as the weather in the mountains. From legendary big-mountain resorts like Chamonix to family-owned resorts on the local hill, ski patrollers do it all – from putting up piste signage to stabilizing injured skiers to locating missing parents.

If you love skiing, the outdoors, and people, ski patrolling might very well be the perfect job for you.

But how do you become one? 

In order to be considered for a place on the training course, you need to:

  1. First off you need to ensure you’re a member of BASP (British Association of Ski Patrollers) which will cost £25 and will run for one year.
  2. You’ll need to hold a BASP logbook too and have completed the pre-requisite pages prior to applying for a place on the course.
  3. The minimum standard is to be able to confidently & competently ski or snowboard on all pisted runs within a Scottish Ski Resort or equivalent.
  4. The minimum First Aid qualification to be considered for a place is a 2 Day Outdoor Emergency course or 3 day FAW certificate.
  5. You must have mountain experience, which can include walking, ski touring (without uplift), snowshoeing or mountaineering with or without a mountain leader. You will be required to outline a minimum of 5 ‘quality mountain experiences. A ‘quality mountain experience’ can be defined in various ways but typically it will be a minimum of 5 hours and involve an ascent of a notable peak or travel in an open mountain environment (above 600m) away from marked paths.
  6. In your application for the training, you’ll also be asked to give a brief description of how you intend to use this qualification if gained.

CELEBRATE SKI PATROLLERS EVERYWHERE ON THE 10TH OF FEB BY USING THE HASHTAG #SKIPATROLDAY ON YOUR SOCIAL CHANNELS

In support of ski patrollers everywhere, Helly Hansen will donate 5% of all its e-comm sales from 10-14 February 2022 to various ski patrol organisations internationally.

Learn more about how to participate here.

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