MANY HIKERS are aware of the indispensible gear they should carry in their packs on all ventures afield. But also critical to a safe and enjoyable outing is the knowledge you carry in your head.

That knowledge may come from experience on the trail, from observation or research, or from specific training.

Learning and improving outdoor skills is a never-ending pursuit, and taking part in a skills training session is a good way to acquire new knowledge and understanding or hone abilities developed long ago.

(As for gear, see www.hikesafe.com for a list of the “10 Essentials.”) Outdoor skills training is an important focus of AMC, and courses are open to everyone. Winter is a good time to learn or brush-up on specialized skills needed to safely enjoy cold-weather adventures.

An ice-climbing course in Crawford Notch will be offered this Friday through Sunday. Ice Climbing 101 is an introductory course covering gear selection, hazard assessment, crampon and ice-ax use, and other skills.

Friday through Sunday is also Winter Digital Photography Weekend with Jerry Monkman, author of the new “AMC Guide to Outdoor Digital Photography.” This course, based out of the AMC Highland Center in Crawford Notch, helps participants hone photography skills in winter.

A course in evaluating avalanche conditions will be held March 1 to 3 in Pinkham Notch. Decision making in Avalanche Terrain is a threeday/ 24-hour introduction to avalanche hazard management based on the standards and guidelines of the American Institute for Avalanche Research & Education. The course is designed to provide a basic understanding of avalanches, describe a framework for decision making in avalanche terrain, and give lessons and exercises that are useful and applicable in the field.

A National Ski Patrol Level I Avalanche Course is being offered March 9 to 11 at the AMC Joe Dodge Lodge in Pinkham Notch. Conditions permitting, participants will work in Tuckerman Ravine, investigating snow pack, analyzing terrain and practicing related skills. Appropriate credentials will be provided participants who complete the course.

Wilderness First Aid certification will be provided to those who successfully complete the Wilderness First Aid Course at the Joe Dodge Lodge March 3 and 4. The course is taught by instructors from Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities (SOLO).

A 50-plus Winter Sports Adventure Camp is set for the Highland Center at Crawford Notch March 4 to 9. It features such activities as snowshoe hikes and Nordic ski clinics.

Outdoor skills training courses continue throughout the year, including Mountain Leadership School and guided lodge-to-hut hiking. For more information, go to outdoors.org and click on the “Get Outdoors” pull-down menu.

Rob Burbank is the director of media and public affairs for the Appalachian Mountain Club in Pinkham Notch. His column, “Outdoors with the AMC,”appears every other week in the New Hampshire Sunday News.