Why attend
Two weeks of supervised engineering geological mapping on real slope problems in the Himalaya, in groups of five or six, each led in the field by an experienced researcher or practitioner.
A natural laboratory for engineering geology
Few places show the processes that shape mountain slopes as clearly, or as close together, as the Kali Gandaki valley.
- Active tectonics. The route crosses the Lesser, Higher and Tibetan-Tethys Himalaya and the major thrust and detachment zones between them, where the collision of India and Asia is still lifting the range.
- Rapid erosion. The river cuts between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna, both above 8,000 m, so slopes are long, steep and constantly adjusting.
- Monsoon rainfall. Most of the year’s rain falls between June and September, and many slope failures follow it.
- Glaciation. Glacial deposits and landforms sit beside, and are often hard to tell from, the deposits of rock avalanches and debris flows.
- Large-scale landsliding. Deep-seated landslides, slope deformation and landslide dams affect villages, roads and the river itself.
What you will learn
By the end of the School you should be able to:
- Map a landslide and its surroundings at field scale on a topographic base map, from the scarp to the toe.
- Describe rock masses and soils in the field, and record discontinuities, weathering and groundwater.
- Tell apart deposits of rock avalanches, debris flows and glaciers, and explain what each means for slope stability.
- Interpret how geological structure, such as folds, faults and bedding, controls slope movement.
- Assess the hazard a landslide poses to a village, a road or a river, and propose mitigation.
- Present an engineering geological map and write a short technical report, as you would for a client.
- Plan and carry out fieldwork safely in high mountains, as part of an international team.
How we teach
Classic field mapping, done properly, with an instructor beside you.
- Tools. Field notebooks, compass-clinometer, and printed topographic and geological base maps.
- Small groups. Groups of five or six, each with its own instructor and at least one Nepali speaker.
- A rhythm at every stop. An evening briefing on the geology and the task, a day of mapping, then a debriefing on what each group saw and how they read it.
- What you produce. At the end of each stop, every group presents its engineering geological map and writes a short technical report.
- Time outdoors. About three quarters of the 14 days are spent in the field.
Level and certificate
- Level. Postgraduate: master’s and doctoral students, and early-career professionals continuing their training. You should already know basic geology and engineering geology.
- Certificate. Everyone who completes the School receives a certificate at the closing ceremony in Pokhara, listing the skills covered.
- Recognition. The School does not award academic credits. Universities and employers may recognise it as part of postgraduate or professional training at their own discretion. If yours needs a description of the course, write to the Secretariat.
Why a university or employer should support you
- Close supervision. One instructor for every five or six participants, for two weeks, on the ground.
- International expertise. Instructors from universities, research centres and consultancies in several countries, who teach on a voluntary basis.
- Real problems. Landslides that affect villages, roads and rivers, not textbook exercises.
- Skills that transfer. Mapping, interpretation, hazard assessment and technical reporting that are used in every engineering geology job.
- A network. Colleagues from IAEG national groups across several countries, met in the field.
What the School gives back to Nepal
- Nepali participants. At least three places are fully funded by NSEG.
- Local scientists. Nepali instructors teach in the field, and volunteer students from the Central Department of Geology at Tribhuvan University help run the School.
- Communities. Each group includes a Nepali speaker, so that groups can talk with the people who live on the slopes they map.
- Useful results. The maps and short technical reports from each stop can help hazard assessment in the area.
A distinctive way to learn engineering geology: on real slopes, with experts beside you.