AIARE LEVEL 1 Avalanche Safety

Education – Winter – 3-Day (Hut-Based)

Imagine spending the weekend with avalanche professionals in the backcountry, learning about snow safety while sipping tea in front of a crackling wood stove, and skiing or snowboarding right to the hut to enjoy a cold beer while debriefing the day.

Our Hut-Based AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course is a 3-Day experience that combines E-Learning, classroom and field instruction to introduce participants to the hazards of traveling in avalanche terrain. Traveling in the backcountry requires a solid understanding of avalanche risk and the knowledge to mitigate these risks through appropriate terrain assessment and decision making. Our AIARE certified leaders and instructors will teach you how to recognize, manage, and minimize these hazards and reduce risks.

What sets our courses apart from the others? Not only do we offer a weekend in an immaculate off-grid backcountry hut, we also provide the meals! By choosing the hut-based setting, you’ll have the opportunity to pick your instructors brains during fireside chats in the evening. So, all you need to bring is your lunch, your favorite snacks, beverages (if you like sipping on a beer after a long day out in the snow), and a great attitude. We’ll take care of the rest!

Book Anna’s Cabin

Book Sisters or Francie’s

970.423.2295

REVIEWS

Prerequisites:

This course can be taken on alpine touring skis, or splitboard. No prior backcountry experience required but it is required that participants with touring gear have experience on their setup prior to taking this course. Alpine touring skis and splitboards are available for rent from local shops. Students on skis or boards must be comfortable in steep blue to black terrain at the ski resort. If you are not yet at this level then check out one of our 1-Day Intro to Backcountry Ski or Splitboard Courses HERE!

Price Includes:

2 nights in Anna’s Cabin (8 people max)
OR 2 nights in Sisters Hut or Francie’s Cabin (10 people max)
Breakfast & Dinner
AIARE Certified Course Leader and Instructors
24-hour course with a 6:1 maximum instructor to student ratio
Student manual and weather-proof AIARE field book
Use of beacon, shovel and probe (if needed)

General Info

Duration: 3 days (24+ hours)

Dates

Anna’s Cabin

Price= $795 | Max 8 people

Jan 8th – 10th
Mar 12 – 14th

Sisters Hut or Francie’s Cabin

Price= $825 | Max 10 people

Sisters Hut – Feb 8th – 10th
Francie’s Cabin – Feb 19 – 21st

Price: $795 or $825 (Includes 2 breakfasts, 2 dinners, 2 nights at a backcountry hut / cabin, AIARE Level 1 certificate of completion)

Maximum Participants: 8

Course Itinerary:

Prior to Course: E-Learning and Reading
Friday: Skin to backcountry hut and afternoon learning session
Saturday and Sunday: Two Full (8 hour) days
Overnight in hut / cabin

Syllabus

E-Learning materials and Student Manual are sent 1 month prior to course start to be completed. Students submit questions relating to E-Learning or Student Manual.

Evening Session Before Day 1:

5:00pm – 6:00pm : 1 hour Zoom session for quick intros and to answer questions, make clarifications, and gear overview for the weekend.

Day One:

Morning: Meet at the trailhead. Gather Gear and skin to cabin.
Afternoon: Learning session

Day 2 & 3:

2 full days of classroom and field instruction and practice to better hone your avalanche safety skills. We turn the hut into a classroom and cover trip planning, decision making, route-finding techniques, and more. Field instruction takes place right out the door of the hut! We will travel by skis or splitboard and cover snow pit analysis and tests, and companion rescue techniques in a real mountain environment.

What you’ll learn:

Trip Planning and Preparation
Reading and understanding the avalanche forecast
Classifications and characteristics of different types of avalanches
Recognizing hazardous conditions
Understanding a mountain snowpack
Basics of route selection and terrain management
Managing risk and decision making
Human factors and influence
Efficient use of beacon/shovel/probe
Companion rescue techniques
Group management