6th International Avalanche Symposium in Graz
On 18 October 2025, the 6th International Avalanche Symposium will take place in Graz, organised by Naturfreunde Österreich and GeoSphere Austria. The event is open to anyone interested and aims to raise risk awareness and prevent accidents.
In Austria, an average of 20 to 25 people have died each winter in recent years. Many of these accidents could have been avoided with better tour preparation.
‘Our goal is to make winter sports enthusiasts aware of the dangers of the mountains in winter and to train them in how to deal with them,’ says avalanche expert Arno Studeregger from GeoSphere Austria. ‘That is also the basic idea behind the Avalanche Symposium: whether you are already a pro or just getting started with ski touring, freeriding or snowshoeing, the symposium covers such a wide range of topics that there is something for everyone to help them start the winter season well informed.’
The International Avalanche Symposium in Graz is taking place for the sixth time this year. Thirty-six experts from five countries will give lectures and workshops on the latest developments in snow and avalanche science, the latest results of avalanche research, insights into organised avalanche rescue and tips on risk-aware behaviour in the mountains in winter. Around 500 visitors are expected to attend.
The effects of climate change are influencing the snow cover, thereby altering the work of avalanche commissions in avalanche and disaster control. This is also a topic of discussion at the Avalanche Symposium in Graz, with presentations on topics such as ‘The impact of climate change on snow cover’, ‘New types of sensors for monitoring, event detection and warning in the event of avalanches’ and ‘15 years of experience with avalanche detection using pulse Doppler radar in Austria’.
The 6th International Avalanche Symposium will take place on Saturday, 18 October 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., in the Arbeiterkammersaal at Strauchergasse 32, 8020 Graz.
There are currently still places available. Due to the high level of interest, it is recommended to book tickets in advance.
GeoSphere Austria operates the avalanche warning services for Salzburg, Styria, Lower Austria and the Lower Austrian Provincial Railways (NÖVOG) on behalf of the respective provinces. It works closely with other avalanche warning services in Austria with regard to weather data, forecasts and warnings.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)