There is a shortage of new avalanche dog drivers – rts.ch

In Siviez (VS), only around twenty mountain enthusiasts took avalanche dog driver training this week. There are around fifty of them in total today in Valais, or around 30% less than 20 years ago.

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“You have to be available to go into rescue,” explains Yvan Morath, head of the training for French-speaking Valaisin the 7:30 p.m. of the RTS. “People prefer to do something else.” Participants must indeed demonstrate flexibility. “You have to invest yourself, follow the obligatory training, the cantonal courses,” explains Yvan Morath.

Several requirements

People interested in taking the training must also have a dog of a certain build, but also pass an entry test to meet certain requirements. “Being active in mountain hiking is a quality that we ask of drivers who are familiar with alpine environments,” says Fabien Marmy, one of the training instructors.

Rescue dog handlers must also have “an excellent relationship” with their animal, as well as good physical condition, “because we often operate in fairly steep environments, at altitude,” adds the instructor.

Before being fully operational, courses must be taken several days a week for three years. “The third year, the driver will obtain his C certificate, so he will be a confirmed driver,” explains Fabien Marmy. “He will be able to manage, in addition to his dog, the security aspect, to have a global vision and to organize rescue in the event of an avalanche.”

Link in the rescue chain

Today, dogs remain essential for rescue, because not everyone is necessarily equipped with an avalanche victim detector.

“People say that with the technical means we currently have, dogs are no longer relevant,” says Yvan Morath. “But in fact, dogs remain a link in the rescue chain.”

TV subject: Emilien Verdon

Web adaptation: Emilie Délétroz