NoCo ATA Classroom Session – Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce

Fort Collins Chamber of  Commerce from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

This is the 2024 NoCo ATA Classroom Workshop on the evening of Tuesday, December 10.  This Session is a pre-requisite for optional (free) NoCo ATA Field trips, which participants may sign up for separately, and where concepts presented in the Classroom Session will be applied.

The fee will be waived for active Northern Colorado Trip Leaders.

This classroom session will include a slideshow presentation, group discussions, and a route planning exercise.  Specific topics will include:

• Overview of avalanche occurrence with a focus on Colorado

• Causes, types & characteristics of avalanches

• Nature of the risks

• Factors affecting avalanche risk (slope, terrain, temperature, wind, cornices, tree density, human factors)

• Recognizing and avoiding potential avalanche terrain (route selection and slope angle measurements)

• Internet resources for planning such as the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) website and ratings, snowfall data, NWS forecasts, and Caltopo as a mapping & general terrain evaluation tool.

This course will not include training for travel within avalanche terrain or search and rescue techniques covered in more comprehensive courses (e.g., AIARE 1).

Note: The workshop fee will be waived for active Northern Colorado Trip Leaders.

The Classroom Session will include a slideshow presentation, group discussions, and a route planning exercise.  Specific topics will include:

• Overview of avalanche occurrence with a focus on Colorado

• Causes, types & characteristics of avalanches

• Nature of the risks

• Factors affecting avalanche risk (slope, terrain, temperature, wind, cornices, tree density, human factors)

• Recognizing and avoiding potential avalanche terrain (route selection and slope angle measurements)

• Internet resources for planning such as the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) website and ratings, snowfall data, NWS forecasts, and Caltopo as a mapping & general terrain evaluation tool.

This course will not include training for travel within avalanche terrain or search and rescue techniques covered in more comprehensive courses (e.g., AIARE 1).