Avalanche awareness and safety training is a must for anyone who engages in winter activities in the backcountry, including backcountry skiing and snowboarding, snowshoeing, climbing, and backpacking to name a few.
The Colorado Mountain Club offers courses from the American Institute of Avalanche Research Education (AIARE). AIARE Level 1, Decision Making in Avalanche Terrain, teaches you to recognize avalanche terrain, how to assess when it is safe to be in the area, and rescue techniques. Topics covered include: snow pack evaluation, hazard analysis, safe travel techniques, companion rescue using beacon, shovel, probe.
In 2022, AIARE content will include online webinars and videos for student self-paced instruction replacing previous classroom time. Field sessions are held each of the two days of the 24-hour course.
If you're not planning to travel in avalanche terrain, then we recommend you enroll in an Avalanche Terrain Avoidance (ATA) seminar. This course teaches you where to find information on avalanche conditions and how to avoid avalanche terrain while in the backcountry.
AIARE Companion Rescue is an 8-hour field course that teaches usage of beacon/shovel/probe and techniques to extract a buried victim.
Scholarships are available to support continued education and training for CMC trip leaders and instructors. Click here for more information
The Avalanche Terrain Avoidance seminar is a basic seminar to help you recognize when and where avalanche danger may exist and how to avoid it. Sources of information and methods for planning avalanche-safe routes will be presented. This seminar requires no prerequisites.
Field sessions are part of the seminar.
In order to AVOID avalanche terrain you must be capable of RECOGNIZING IT. This is why you take ATA.
The seminar is required for winter, non-backcountry leaders who wish to lead winter trips in non-avalanche terrain. The field day for each session is on the Friday and Saturday following the online session. Students should bring the regular 10 Essentials and be prepared for winter conditions in the field.
Bring your snowshoeing equipment to class, we will depart directly from class to the field day.
This is a 4-hour seminar and a 4-hour field day for those who wish to AVOID avalanche terrain. The seminar is required for winter, non-backcountry leaders who wish to lead winter trips in non-avalanche terrain. The field day for each session is directly after the morning lecture.
The class Objectives & Learning Outcomes are as follows:
The field exercise allows students to use slope meters to determine potential avalanche prone terrain and non-prone avalanche terrain as well as to determine route finding. These techniques can be taught with or without snow conditions.
Information for the 2021-2022 Season
Register on-line for the ATA seminar under All Classes or Education Everyone. Register for the Field Day thru the Trip Signup Schedule. You need to register for both.
Contacts:
Fees: $40 CMC Non-Trip Leaders; $50 General Public
Trip Leaders may apply to The Leadership Project for free tuition.
Class limit is 30 people