Education is the first step in backcountry safety. Know before you go.
The Lake Tahoe area is home to some of the best backcountry skiing and riding in the country. With great access also comes great responsibility, and having the proper avalanche education is a key part of fostering a safe backcountry community. Our AIARE Avalanche Education courses are designed to give you all the tools needed to make informed decisions in the backcountry to limit the risk and maximize the fun.
AIARE 1 Avalanche Course
AIARE 1 is a comprehensive, entry level avalanche course designed for those with basic ski/snowboard touring experience. There are no other prerequisites, although, if you have less than 5 days of backcountry experience, you need to join our Backcountry 1.0 course first.
We are excited to be offering this course in several different formats this upcoming season to best deliver fun, unique, and worthwhile experiences for all our clients’ goals. We will be offering a 3-day in person course, an online/field hybrid course, as well as hut based courses in Frog Lake. Additionally, we will be offering Teen AIARE 1 courses, specific for our next generation. This unique course is for teenagers looking to get a start in their backcountry careers with a group of similar aged peers.
In an AIARE 1 course, students can expect to develop a good foundation on how to prepare for and carry out a backcountry trip, to understand basic decision making while in the field, and to learn avalanche rescue techniques.
At the end of an AIARE 1, students are able to: develop a plan for travel in avalanche terrain, demonstrate the ability to identify avalanche terrain, effectively use the AIARE Risk Management Framework, and demonstrate effective companion rescue.
AIARE Avalanche Rescue
AIARE Avalanche Rescue is the natural next step to gaining a more thorough avalanche education. This one day course is designed to keep backcountry travelers up to date on best practices and gear for avalanche rescue.
AIARE Avalanche Rescue is a prerequisite for the AIARE 2 and Pro 1 courses. We recommend that all backcountry travelers keep their skills current by taking an AIARE Rescue at least every other year.
At the end of an AIARE Rescue course, students should be able to: describe what to do in the event of an avalanche incident, identify and be able to use gear necessary for avalanche rescue, set up a realistic scenario in order to practice an avalanche rescue response, improve their response skills and times during an dafter the course with feedback from instructors and peers, and develop a plan for continued practice.
AIARE 2 Avalanche Course
AIARE 2 takes off where the AIARE 1 ends, adding to your avalanche hazard management toolbox with the introduction of critical hazard assessment factors. By describing and discussing weather, snowpack and avalanche processes, students are able to identify how these processes relate to observations and travel within avalanche terrain.
At the end of an AIARE 2, students should be able to: Differentiate where specific avalanche hazards exist within the landscape and identify avalanche terrain where consequences may be more severe, use and interpret weather, snow and avalanche observations to locate appropriate terrain prior to entering and while in the field, demonstrate leadership skills within a small team that include facilitating small group discussion, promoting appropriate terrain selection, and utilizing simple risk management strategies and implement a basic forecasting framework that can be used in conjunction with and in the absences of local supporting avalanche information.
Avalanche 1 Refresher
This is a comprehensive, one-day avalanche course designed for those who have already taken an AIARE 1 course or equivalent and would like to refresh their skills. This course is based on the AIARE 1 curriculum and will help students refresh their decision making, terrain assessment, rescue skills, and more. The core AIARE 1 content our refresher course will go over includes avalanche phenomena, observations and information gathering, trip planning and preparation, and companion rescue and equipment.
At the end of an Avalanche 1 Refresher, students are able to: develop a plan for travel in avalanche terrain, demonstrate the ability to identify avalanche terrain, effectively use the AIARE Risk Management Framework, and demonstrate effective companion rescue.
