"The AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course with Peak Mountain Guides was by far and away the best backcountry professional development course I have ever taken."
Cullen H.
AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course January 2010
"The Level 1 Avalanche Course with Peak Mountain Guides has opened the world of backcountry skiing for me."
Robyn W.
AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course January 2010
"The Level 1 Avalanche Course with Peak Mountain Guides has really helped my confidence and I will be out there much more. You probably hear it often but the instructor was truly a great teacher."
Vicki L.
AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course January 2012
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.
Small Class Sizes
All of our courses are kept to a maximum enrollment of 6 students. This small group size maximizes learning time for everyone and enables us to provide in-depth and personalized instruction.
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 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 avalanche awareness concepts in a clear, concise, and understandable way.
Effective Program Design & Exceptional Instruction
We go to great lengths to facilitate your understanding of avalanche awareness concepts, and in particular, we teach you the proper application of techniques and skills for effective decision making. This thoughtful instruction and well designed educational format ensures you finish the course with a comprehensive set of skills as well as a thorough understanding of how to use those skills for greater safety and confidence on your future outings.
Learn "Bonus" Ski Touring Skills
Along the way our AMGA Certified Ski Guides will also teach you ski touring skills such as map reading & tour planning, AVA and kick turning, tracksetting techniques, and special tricks for backcountry touring efficiency.
AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course Description
Our Level 1 Avalanche Course is a 3-day (24 hour) introduction to avalanche hazard management, with an emphasis on decision making. The course provides an introduction to the following concepts, skills, and techniques:
- Avalanche types and characteristics
- Metamorphism and layering in the mountain snowpack
- Avalanche terrain recognition
- Avalanche danger factors and red flags
- Trip planning and preparation including map reading & tour planning
- Routefinding and travel techniques
- Teamwork and human factors
- Companion rescue with beacon, shovel, and probe
- Field observations of layering in the snowpack
- Field snowpack tests including the compression test, tilt test, & Rutschblock test
- Use of informational tools including the avalanche bulletin and avalanche danger scale
- Use of decision making tools including the Avalanches & Observations Reference and the AIARE Decision Making Framework.
Level 1 Avalanche Course Sample Itinerary
The course takes place from 8-6 each day, with a one-hour break for lunch.
Day 1:
We meet at 8:00 am and begin with introductions and an overview of the course. The remaining morning is spent introducing avalanche types and characteristics, avalanche terrain, metamorphism and layering in the mountain snowpack, and companion rescue. 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 companion rescue.
Day 2:
We meet at 8:00 for a morning classroom session. The day's topics include avalanche danger factors and red flags, human factors and teamwork, 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 make snowpack observations, practice terrain selection, and learn snowpack tests. We'll return to the classroom in the late afternoon to debrief our tour and for one more classroom session on trip planning and preparation.
Day 3:
We meet at 8:00 to review the daily avalanche bulletin and to create a tour plan for the day. Using our observations of the previous day and information from the avalanche bulletin, we will be able to make informed terrain choices for our big tour. Using maps and local knowledge to select a reasonable outing for the day, we'll also build in options and escapes for easier or safer tours in the event we find different conditions than expected. During this final day the emphasis is on application of skills and knowledge, and students will have the opportunity to make terrain selection choices, do the routefinding for the group, and employ travel techniques—all with valuable coaching and feedback from the instructor.
*Peak Mountain Guides AIARE Level 1 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.* |
