AIARE Level 1

CMC-NOCO AIARE L1 C1, March 28-30, 2025

Important Note: This course is sponsored by the Northern Colorado Group. The course venue is RMNP.  

This 24-hour course is an introduction to managing avalanche hazard. You will 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 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

AIARE L1 is a prerequisite for the AIARE L2.

Our AIARE Course Leader is Justin Studt.

What You’ll Learn

During an AIARE L1 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

All participants will receive an AIARE Certificate of Completion, the AIARE Field Book and access to the AIIARE L1 student manual. Printed copies can be made available.

Club Membership is required to participate in this course. If you are not currently a member, please sign up for membership prior to registering with this course. Benefits of club membership include gear and event discounts as well as access to more classes, trips and events that enhance your experience of backcountry and mountaineering adventures.

Cancellations & Rescheduling Participants should understand and appreciate that these courses are held during the winter season where poor weather and driving conditions may require cancellation or rescheduling of this course. Please refer to the CMC's cancellation policy (see link above) prior to enrolling in the course. While this policy provides our primary guidance for such contingencies, the course leadership will attempt to accommodate enrollee's completion of the course during the current season based on class and instructor availability.

Leave No Trace is a trail and wilderness ethic that is encouraged and supported by the National Park Service. Here is the link to a self-guided learning module that explains the principles of Leave No Trace and your role in applying those principles. You have to send proof of completion prior to attending the course to the NOCO AIARE School Director. This is a RMNP requirement.

https://lnt.org/courses/online_awareness_take_action_html5/#/

Email questions to NOCO AIARE