01
Intro
With our WEMountain E-Learning courses, learn while having fun.
Backcountry course product details
Backcountry
CHF/€ 99
143 reviews · 5.0
- Online Learning
- 5 Hours of training
- 12 Lessons
- 26 Videos
- 16 Quizzes
- 1 Exam
- Recognised Certification
- Access to T-Learning
- Access to the MHF tool
- Available in EN and FR
What makes our courses unique
Discover our new BACKCOUNTRY course, a true revolution in off-piste training. For the new generation of riders seeking next-level experiences, embark on a transformative journey to navigate risks effectively. Gain exclusive access to the game-changing MHF® tool for advanced self-assessment in human factors. Elevate your ride. Develop your expertise. Define your limits.
Developed with 50+ experts
Designed with over 50 international specialists: guides, mountain rescuers, doctors, psychologists, meteorologists, snow scientists, and educators.
International terminology
Learn in a simple, accessible and universal language for clear, borderless communication.
Certified training
Validate your learning by passing the final exam and obtain your standardized WEM certification.
Don’t Just Take Our Word For It
143 riders have finished the BACKCOUNTRY course. Three of them on what changed afterwards.
“Just a quick note to say that I’ve completed your training and really enjoyed it. As someone living in London and not immersed in the mountains daily, I learned a lot. I found it very interesting that the course places so much emphasis on human decision-making and its influence. It all makes perfect sense now, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. I’m really looking forward to putting all of this into practice during my Haute Route attempt in a few weeks.”
“I highly recommend the WEMountain training to all mountain lovers and to anyone who wants to fully enjoy the environment while being able to recognize the dangers around them. The online training is both fun and informative. It perfectly lays the foundation for a day in the outdoors. The in-person day is also an opportunity to meet great people and test your knowledge in the field. Thanks to the entire team for your wonderful work and the passion you share!”
“You can never know too much when it comes to risk management, and you’re never fully up to date either. With WEMountain, I can review effectively at the start of the season and challenge my perception of my practice throughout the winter.”
Discover our lessons
The eleven lessons in the BACKCOUNTRY course. Each one is short, practical and built around a decision you will actually make.
01
02
Know yourself
So that your best day of skiing doesn’t become the worst day of your life.
03
Know the environment
Learn to identify and assess each element individually through simple and engaging observations.
04
Human risks
90% of avalanches are triggered by the victim or a member of their group.
05
Natural risks
Natural risk factors affect both the stability of the snowpack and the individual.
06
Specific terrain
Specific terrains are features that decrease or increase the risk of an avalanche.
07
Additional sources
After making observations and analyzing their interactions, strengthen your assessment using additional sources.
08
Decision
Make the right choices and carry out your plan under the best possible conditions.
09
Crisis
Equip yourself to manage a crisis positively and effectively.
10
Rescue
Learn how to handle a rescue, including search operations and first aid.
11
Certificate
You will have 4 attempts to achieve 70% correct answers and earn your E-Learning certificate.
Meet our experts
Beecroft Neil
🇨🇭 · Expert in Sustainable Development
Expert in Sustainability and Business Innovation, Partner at bloomUp Agency
Boder André
🇨🇭 · Expert in Educational Development
PhD, Knowledge Management and Sharing
Bolognesi Robert
🇨🇭 🇫🇷 · Expert in Snow Science, Meteorology & Risk Management
PhD in Science from EPFL, Former SLF Researcher, Ski Patroller, CEO of Meteorisk
Burnet Antoine
🇫🇷 · Expert in Destinations and Resorts
Sales & Marketing Director at Compagnie du Mont Blanc
Chollet Maxime
🇨🇭 · Legal Expert
Lawyer specialized in Corporate Law, Contract Law, Private Equity and Venture Capital, Founder of Vischer Partners
Delevaux Yann
Mentor, Instructor Training, Mountain Specialist
IFMGA Guide, CEO of Nuyama, Chamonix
Elis Martis
🇮🇹 · Expert in Snow Science, Instructor Trainer
IFMGA Guide, CEO of Peakshunter, Snow Observer
Fuchslocher Jörg
🇨🇭 · Expert in Sports Education & Training
PhD in Sports Science, Head of Training Science at Swiss Federal Institute of Sport Macolin
At the end of the course, you will be able to:
Seven things you can do on the next outing, not seven things you have heard about.
- 01Follow the risk assessment process.
- 02Use the MHF self-assessment tool.
- 03Anticipate trends and recognize specific favorable and unfavorable terrains.
- 04Move independently with more confidence.
- 05Follow the crisis management process.
- 06Master basic rescue techniques.
- 07Use your rescue equipment effectively.
What is the A2R method?
According to studies, 90% of avalanches are triggered by the victim or a member of their group. That’s why 80% of our program is dedicated to risk prevention and avalanche avoidance. Your safety starts with education.
Avoid80 %
How to AVOID and prevent risk
Know yourself, know the environment, read the human and natural risk factors, then judge the specific terrain in front of you. Eighty per cent of the course sits here, before anything goes wrong.
You finish with a repeatable decision process you can run the night before and again at the top of the slope.
React10 %
How to REACT positively in an avalanche
The crisis moment: what to do in the first seconds, whether you are caught or watching. Escape moves, protecting an airway, and keeping a visual on the rider who is moving with the snow.
Rehearsed answers are faster than improvised ones, so the lessons give you a sequence to practise.
Rescue10 %
How to manage a RESCUE successfully
Transceiver search, probing and shovelling as one continuous drill, with the timings that decide the outcome. Who leads, who calls, who digs, and in which order.
Then first aid on the slope and the handover to mountain rescue, so the whole group knows the plan.
With the A2R© method, you stay in your zone of freedom, pleasure and safety.
MHF©: The innovative self-assessment tool for safer practice
In collaboration with international risk management experts, doctors in sports psychology, nutrition, hydration, and sleep, WEMountain has developed the innovative MHF© tool. This simple self-assessment system, composed of 60 statements, makes it possible to identify and evaluate the psychological, medical, and energy-related factors that may precede potentially risky behavior.
At WEMountain, participants become the main actors in their own training through this playful self-monitoring system, designed to raise their awareness of their overall physical and emotional health.
How do I choose my course?
Both courses teach the A2R© method. BACKCOUNTRY goes further on terrain, human factors and the MHF© tool.
| Backcountry | Offpiste | |
|---|---|---|
| Online course | ||
| Final Exam | ||
| Recognised Certification | ||
| Access to T-learning | ||
| MHF Tool | — | |
| Number of videos | 26 | 18 |
| Number of quizzes | 16 | 12 |
| Number of lessons | 12 | 10 |
| Training hours | 5 | 3 |
Trusted By Industry Leaders
WEMountain works with HEAD, Patagonia, Decathlon, Verbier, Magic Pass, Swiss Mountain Rescue and more than 30 other brands, resorts and organisations across mountain sport, safety, equipment and education.
We are also the education partner of the Patrouille des Glaciers, alongside its 5,290 participants. Together we are building a more informed, more open mountain culture.
“It’s a winning service that puts knowledge at the very top of the customer experience.”
“In the mountain, knowledge is everything, because education is the most important element.”