"The instructors were terrific and their extensive knowledge of the subject was apparent. I also really appreciated the small student-to-instructor ratio"
Cory J.
Level 2 Avalanche Course February 2011
"Peak Mountain Guides is a top notch organization who has furthered my knowledge of avalanche awareness in Level 1, and now snow science in Level 2. I definitely feel more comfortable making decisions based on observation and analysis."
Cullen H.
Level 2 Avalanche Course February 2011
Taught by AMGA Certified Guides & AIARE Qualified Instructors
All Peak Mountain Guides avalanche instructors hold AMGA Ski Mountaineering Guide certification, AIARE Level III avalanche certification, and AIARE Level 1 & 2 instructor certification. We are the only avalanche course provider in the region that has an entire staff of instructors with these credentials. In addition, our instructors are experienced teachers who are highly skilled at communicating advanced avalanche concepts in a clear, concise, and understandable way.
Field Time On Every Day Of The Course
We provide opportunities for you to apply new skills in the field on every day of the course. This provides context for the techniques and concepts you are learning and helps you retain your new knowledge.
Effective Program Design & Exceptional Instruction
We go to great lengths to facilitate your understanding of advanced avalanche concepts, and in particular, we teach you the proper application of advanced techniques and skills for effective decision making. This thoughtful instruction and well designed educational format will give you a skill set to identify factors that indicate improving or decreasing stability, and a framework for forecasting and managing hazards in the field.
Gain Advanced Ski Touring Skills
Along the way our AMGA Certified Ski Guides will also teach you advanced ski touring skills like tour planning, whiteout navigation, and on-the-go snowpack evaluation techniques so you go home with an array of valuable skills for backcountry skiing.
AIARE Level 2 Course Description:
Learn To Make A Stability Analysis For Improved Decision Making
Our 4-day (40 hour) Level 2 Avalanche Course teaches you a framework for making a stability analysis and forecast, a key skill for those who wish to climb and ski in avalanche terrain. Specifically, you will learn and practice the following concepts and skills:
- Recognition of avalanche terrain for routefinding, tracksetting, and observations
- Understanding of snowpack metamorphosis as it pertains to stability analysis
- Understanding of factors that contribute to the spatial variability of the snowpack
- Advanced companion rescue techniques including strategies for multiple burials and deep burials
- Learn guidelines for making and recording snowpack, weather, and avalanche observations
- Learn how to analyze observations to identify factors that influence or indicate snow stability
- Learn a format for snow stability analysis and a framework for stability forecasting
- Learn advanced snow science concepts such as energy balance and metamorphism of the snowpack, faceting and an in-depth look at near surface and near crust faceting, and formation of surface hoar and persistent weak layers
- Learn theory and observations associated with skier triggering
- Learn snow profile techniques for international standard full profiles and test profiles
- Learn snowpack tests including the newly developed Extended Column Test
- Learn tour planning and hazard forecasting using maps, photos, & the avalanche bulletin
- Learn terrain selection and routefinding methods that emphasize group management, hazard management, and management of human factors
AIARE Level 2 Avalanche Course Sample Itinerary
The course takes place from 8-6 each day, with additional evening sessions on days 2 and 3.
Day 1
We meet at 8:00 am and begin with introductions and an overview of the course. The remaining morning is spent introducing energy balance and metamorphism of the snowpack, near surface faceting and near crust faceting, and formation of surface hoar and persistent weak layers. These classroom presentations include case studies, powerpoint slideshows, and videos to keep everyone engaged and learning. After a one-hour break for lunch, we drive to Red Mtn. Pass for an afternoon field session on advanced companion rescue techniques for multiple burials and deep burials.
Day 2
We meet at 8:00 for a morning classroom session. The day's topics include avalanche release and triggering mechanisms, introduction to observation and recording guidelines using the SWAG manual, and a look into your instructor's backpack to see what he/she carries during a day of backcountry touring. After a one-hour break for lunch, we drive to Red Mtn. Pass for a short ski tour to discuss site selection for observations and to practice snow profile techniques including a full profile. We'll return to the classroom for an evening session to debrief our tour, record our observations, and for one more classroom session on stability ratings and the stability analysis checklist.
Day 3
We meet at 8:00 for a morning classroom session. Using our observations from the previous day along with maps, photos, and the avalanche bulletin we will form an opinion about stability and we'll discuss the concept of spatial variability. We’ll then pick a reasonable tour given the conditions and we’ll create a tour plan for the day. Participants will learn an effective tour planning strategy that includes the use of map, compass, and GPS for establishing a navigation plan and calculating time estimates. On the tour we’ll make more observations of the snowpack using snowpack tests, we’ll practice group management and hazard management, and we’ll travel through a diversity of terrain that will enable group members to practice decision making with valuable coaching and feedback from the instructors. We'll return to the classroom in the late afternoon to debrief our tour and to formulate a fresh stability analysis based on our new observations.
Day 4
We will meet at 8:00 am to review the morning avalanche bulletin, create a stability forecast for the day, and create a tour plan. We’ll then embark on a full day tour that will be led by the participants of the class. We want to make sure participants are actually applying and practicing the skills that have been discussed in the previous days of the program, so we go out of our way to select an appropriate tour and we build in hands-on learning opportunities along the way. This thoughtful program design and dedication to learning will help participants develop their snow sense, terrain recognition skills, and overall decision making ability. Upon completion of the tour we’ll meet back in the classroom to debrief the tour, answer any final questions, and to present each participant with an AIARE Level 2 certificate.
*Peak Mountain Guides AIARE Level 2 Avalanche Courses are located on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests under priority use permit from the Forest Service, USDA. Peak Mountain Guides is an equal opportunity service provider.* |
