This 24-hour AIARE 1 hybrid avalanche course is an introduction to managing avalanche hazard. Youwill learn how to use a repeatable process to manage your risk and learn from your experiences in the backcountry. You will also practice preparing for and carrying out a backcountry trip, keeping track of, communicating, and making decisions about hazards while in the backcountry, and learn rescue techniques if an avalanche occurs and someone is caught. Students should be able to travel off-trail on un-groomed or unmaintained terrain and bring appropriate equipment for traveling on snow, but there are no other prerequisites for this course. Field days take place in beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
2023-2024 Season Course Dates:
December: 16/17, 30/31
January: 13/14, 27/28
February: 17/18, 24/25
March: 9/10, 23/24
Virtual Session – 6-8PM on a Weekday Evening
Field Days – 7-3PM in Rocky Mountain National Park
This 24-hour course is an introduction to managing avalanche hazard. Youwill learn how to use a repeatable process to manage your risk and learn from your experiences in the backcountry. You will also practice preparing for and carrying out a backcountry trip, keeping track of, communicating, and making decisions about hazards while in the backcountry, and learn rescue techniques if an avalanche occurs and someone is caught.
Who Should Take this Course
The AIARE 1 is for anyone, regardless of their method of backcountry travel, who wants to recreate in or near avalanche terrain. You should be able to travel off-trail on ungroomed or unmaintained terrain and bring appropriate equipment for traveling on snow, but there are no other prerequisites for this course
The AIARE 1 is a prerequisite for the AIARE 2, as well as the Pro 1 course for aspiring avalanche professionals.
What You’ll Learn
During an AIARE 1 course, you’ll spend time learning these skills, both in a classroom setting and in the field:
A repeatable process for managing risk in the winter backcountry
Identifying avalanche hazard
Developing a plan for travel in avalanche terrain
Identifying avalanche terrain
Build habits to maintain awareness, communicate with your group, and make decisions
Learn and practice avalanche rescue skills
Itinerary
Online Curriculum
Our program includes AIARE online education training. This online training allows students to move at their own pace, learning about the avalanche phenomenon prior to the field sessions of the course. The online education generally takes 4-6 hours and can be completed at any time prior to the course.
Virtual Classroom Session
You will have a Zoom meeting with your course instructor and other students from 6-8PM prior to your field sessions. During this virtual classroom session, your instructor will cover additional education topics, answer questions from the online curriculum, and prepare the class for the field portion of the course.
FIELD SESSIONS
Field sessions will run from 7am-3pm in the backcountry. Be prepared to spend full days in the field. Bring lunch, high energy snacks, and plenty of hydration.. During the weeknight Zoom session, your instructor will clearly outline the meeting time and location.
Field Day 1– 7am-3pm
The instructor team will lead a discussion analyzing the avalanche forecast and how to apply it to the tour plan for the day. In the field, participants will become familiar with observing avalanche factors, techniques of avalanche rescue, snowpack profile practice (digging pits), and traveling safely in the backcountry.
Lodging is not provided as part of this course. You are welcome to lodge wherever your prefer near the course venue the night of Day 1, or return home that night if you live locally.
Field Day 2– 7am-3pm
We will review the avalanche forecast and create detailed tour plans for backcountry travel. During the day participants will travel in small groups, executing their tour plans and refining lessons learned from the previous days.
Gear List
Snow/ski gear:
Alpine Touring (AT) skis, Tele-skis, Splitboard. Make all binding adjustments for fit prior to day 1. Climbing Skins for skis and splitboards. Ensure that the skins are fitted to your skis or splitboard prior to day 1.
Snowshoes, if not skiing. Make sure bindings fit your boot prior to day 1.
Ski Poles (collapsible), required for all backcountry travelers on this course.
Safety gear:
Avalanche Transceiver. Digital beacon transmitting on 457 kHz.
Probe. Collapsible probe made of aluminum or carbon fiber.
Shovel. Aluminum shovel (not plastic) designed for backcountry use.
Avalung and/or Airbag (optional).
Ski Helmet, for ski descents (optional, but recommended, be sure you can fit in, or carry on backpack).
Notebook and Pencil for making field notes and observations. I also carry map, altimeter, compass and slope meter.
Spare door and ignition key, for groups carpooling. It’s a real bummer to lose a key on a tour.
Footwear:
Ski Boots, Snowboard Boots or Tele Boots.
Gaiters (optional but nice to have when we step out of skis or snowshoes).
Wool or synthetic socks. No cotton.
Liner sock. This is a personal preference, not required.
Winter Hiking Boot. Something you can wear in the classroom or in the parking lot for rescue drills.
Clothing (all to be wool or synthetic, no cotton):
Base Layer, long underwear, top and bottoms.
Insulation Layer, Softshell Pants and Jacket. Fleece is ok if you have hardshell outerlayer.
Hardshell Pants (full side zip) and Jacket with hood. This is a wind and waterproof layer (Gore-tex) or similar.
Insulated “puffy” Jacket w/ hood. Down or Synthetic. This layer is meant to be worn on outside of all other layers combined.
Headwear:
Synthetic or wool hat (beanie).
Buff or neck gaiter.
Sunglasses with dark lens and wraparound sun and wind protection.
Goggles.
Handwear:
Softshell glove, water and wind resistant.
Warm glove – leather/gore tex is best
Mittens, good to have in your pack for colder temps.
Two pairs or warm gloves/mittens minimum.
Other gear:
~35L Backpack, make sure your gear fits in pack prior to course day.
First-aid kit (small), blister bandages, band-aid and personal medications.
1L waterbottle (2L max), leakproof bottle like Nalgene works best. I bring a 24oz Thermos with warm drinks for the cold days.
Sunscreen and lipscreen, 30SPF minimum.
Ski strap(s), small knife/multitool, headlamp w/new batteries, lighter, a few zip ties, & a short sections of bailing wire for field repairs.
Camera, camera phone.
Snacks/Lunch – About 1000 calories for the day. Sandwich, candy bars, and trail mix, etc; Bring what tastes good to you.
