The camp, which also includes ski patrollers and search and rescue volunteers and police, continues today with a large mock search and rescue exercise bringing multiple dogs and their handlers together to practise what they have learned.
LandSAR field support officer Fritz van Rooden, of Oxford, said yesterday 15 handlers and their dogs were being tested, while several more trainees and novice handlers also introduced their dogs to the snow.
New Zealand Police also sent officers to the camp.
"Conditions this year were very testing for the dogs and the handlers, with changeable snow conditions and weather varying between fickle winds, driving snow and sleet plus the occasional fine spells.
"Just as we would expect the operational teams to go out in all conditions, so they train regardless of the weather," Mr van Rooden said.
The camps were becoming more demanding every year, as skifields saw the value in training patrollers in avalanche safety.
Mr van Rooden was also pleased to see handlers who had older dogs approaching retirement were returning with younger dogs.
The weekend had been very pleasing and a list of qualified teams would be published today, he said.
"Already, we can say Anna Easthope [of Cardrona Alpine Resort] has qualified to an advanced level with two dogs, Ra and Rua."
