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AIARE Level I- Decision-Making in Avalanche Terrain


Do you spend time backcountry skiing or snowboarding, winter hiking, mountaineering or ice climbing? It doesn’t matter if you’re staying in the Northeast or heading out West, you owe it to yourself and your companions to learn all you can about avalanche hazard management. This 3 day/24 hour introductory course will provide you with a basic understanding of avalanches.

The American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) Level 1 Certification Course is a 3-day program that combines classroom work with field experience to provide a solid basis for decision-making in avalanche terrain. We’ll cover such topics as recognizing avalanche-prone slopes, assessing avalanche hazards on-site, route-finding and travel techniques, and skills and equipment for companion rescue.

Students must be able to travel in mountainous winter terrain. Alpine Touring or Telemark Skis with skins are the preferred mode of travel, but hikers with snowshoes or snowboarders can be accommodated.

This is a sanctioned curriculum offered by AIARE-trained instructors, and an AIARE Certificate of Completion is granted to all participants who complete the course.
Read more about AIARE Level I

Topics Covered: planning and preparing for smart travel in avalanche terrain, recognizing avalanche terrain, practicing safe travel techniques, describing a basic framework for making decisions in avalanche terrain , learning and applying effective companion rescue

$300 per person on these dates
January (2-4, 9-11, 16-18 North Conway) (31-2 Lake Placid)
February (13-15, 26-28 North Conway)
March (13-15, 27-29 North Conway)

Locations: North Conway, NH, Lake Placid, NY

Start/ End: 8:30am to approximately 4pm (9am start Lake Placid)

Includes: beacon, probe, shovel, ice axe, plastic double boots, crampons, AIARE student manual *Skis and skins are not included but can be rented. AIARE field books can be purchased for $20.

Does Not Include: lodging, transportation, skiis and skins can be rented, AIARE field books $20, personal gear and clothing

Prerequisite: none

aiare


More about AIARE Level I
The AIARE Level I course is a 3 day/24 hour introduction to avalanche hazard management.
The course is expected to:
Provide a basic understanding of avalanches
Describe a framework for decision making and risk management in avalanche terrain
Focus on identifying the right questions, rather than on providing “answers.”
Give lessons and exercises that are practically oriented, useful, and applicable in the field.
Students can expect to develop a good grounding in how to prepare for and carry out a trip, to understand basic decision making while in the field, and to learn rescue techniques required to find and dig up a buried person (if an avalanche occurs and someone in the party is caught).

A final debrief includes a knowledge quiz to test student comprehension and to give feedback to instructors on instructional tools. Students are encouraged and counseled on how to apply the skills learned and told that no course can fully guarantee safety, either during or after course completion. A link is made to a future AIARE Level II course.

Student learning outcomes
At the end of the Level One course the student should be able to:
Plan and prepare for travel in avalanche terrain.
Recognize avalanche terrain.
Describe a basic framework for making decisions in avalanche terrain.
Learn and apply effective companion rescue.

Instructional sessions ( 24 hours including both class and field instruction):
1. Introduction to the Avalanche Phenomena
Types and characteristics of avalanches
Avalanche motion
Size classification
The mountain snowpack: an introduction to metamorphism and layering

2. Observations and Information Gathering
Field observation techniques
Bonding tests: rutschblock, compression test,
Avalanche danger factors; “Red Flags”.
Observation checklist
Avalanche danger scale
Trip Planning and Preparation
Avalanche terrain recognition, assessment, and selection
Route finding and travel techniques
Decision making and Human Factors
Companion Rescue and Equipment