Avalanche Safety Level I

Description
The Level I Avalanche Safety Course introduces you to avalanche hazards. You will learn the basics of how to recognize these hazards, how to manage them, how to minimize them, and finally how to respond in case of an emergency.

We spend the course building up to a decision making process to help you decide where, how, and when to travel.

Students will come away from the course with the following information:
  • How to prepare and plan for a tour,
  • How to analyze an avalanche forecast,
  • How to identify avalanche terrain & avalanche types
  • How to recognize hazardous conditions,
  • Basic snowpack understanding,
  • Basics of route selection/terrain features,
  • Basic tests techniques and interpretation,
  • Educated decision making,
  • Basic rescue techniques,
  • Group management.

You can expect to gain an understanding of safe travel in a winter environment, what sorts of hazards to watch for and the various pressures that weigh on the decision making process.

Course Overview:

The course is held over the course of 3 full days. It is a fairly even mix of classroom time and field time, as this is the best and most efficient way to learn about avalanche theory and get some practical hands-on as well. Each day will start with a few hours of classroom time in the morning and then spend tehbulk of the day out in the field, before returning to the classroom for a few more hours in the classroom. A big component of this course is it's focus on rescue, including transceiver use, probing, and rescue organization. The third and final day, we will depart into the backcountry for a day of touring and field study. Once in the field, the students will review their assessment of the condition, recognize hazardous terrain and conditions, and make appropriate decisions for safe travel in the winter backcountry.

Itinerary:
Friday:
  • 9:00 am - 11:00 Introduction and Course Goals. An overview of the avalanche problem
  • 11:00-12:00 Presentations
  • 1:00-3:00 Field Session
  • 3:00-5:00 Equipment review/planning for Sat.

    Saturday:
  • 9:00am - 10:00am classroom session
  • 10:00am - 2:00 pm Field Session
  • Rescue techniques and procedures
  • Transceivers
  • Probes
  • Rescue Organization
  • 3:00 - 5:00pm classroom session

    Sunday:
  • 9:00 - 9:30 a.m.
  • Classroom discussion
  • 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
  • Field Session: Route Selection Strategies (Lunch in the field - bring your lunch)
  • Decision Making: To go or not to go?
  • Test Profile
  • 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Review
  • Question and Answer session

    Prerequisites:
    Participants should have a willingness to learn, enthusiasm for the backcountry experience and actively participate in the course.

    Recommended Reading - Snow Sense : A Guide to Evaluating Snow, Authors: Jill Fredston and Doug Fesler

    $325 per person / $450 Hut Course
    • Crested Butte Town Course Dates:

    Dec.10-12, 2010 9am-5pm
    Dec. 17-19, 2010 9am-5pm
    Dec. 28-30, 2010 9am-5pm
    Jan. 7-9, 2011 9am-5pm
    Jan. 21-23, 2011 9am-5pm
    Feb. 11-13, 2011 9am-5pm
    Feb. 25-27, 2011 9am-5pm
    Mar. 11-13. 2011 9am-5pm
    Crested Butte Hut Course Dates:

    Dec. 21-23, 2010 Maroon Hut Course
    Jan. 14-16, 2011 Maroon Hut Course
    Jan. 28-30, 2011 Lost Wonder Hut Course
    Feb. 8-10, 2011 Maroon Hut Course
    Mar. 4-6, 2011 Maroon Hut Course
    AIARE Avalanche Level 1 Courses - Purchase Online Now
    Dates 2010/2011
    AIARE Avalanche Level 1 HUT Courses - Purchase Online Now
    Dates 2010/2011