AIARE 1

For anyone who travels in the backcountry or plans on leaving ski resort boundaries, an AIARE 1 avalanche course is a must. This level one course teaches travel techniques, basic rescue procedures, and information that should be standard for anyone adventuring in the backcountry, with or without a guide. Course participants can expect to develop a solid knowledge base on how to prepare for and execute a backcountry trip, a responsible and educated decision making process, and how to rescue a buried person (should a member of your party be caught in an avalanche.) Based in the Park City area, this course includes a mix of classroom time and fieldwork that takes place over three days for 24 hours of total instruction time.

Thanks to our unique partnership with Park City Municipal Corporation, Talisker and Empire Pass Master Owners Association, two full days of the AIARE 1 fieldwork are performed in a true, remote backcountry setting in the Wasatch Mountains. We would like to thank our partners for their continued help and support in ensuring that AIARE 1 students in the Wasatch Mountains receive the best possible avalanche education.

AIARE 1 Student Learning Outcomes:

• Develop a plan for travel in avalanche terrain
• Demonstrate the ability to identify avalanche terrain
• Effectively use the AIARE Decision Making Framework to make terrain choices in a group setting
• Demonstrate effective companion rescue

Instructional Sessions:

Introduction to the Avalanche Phenomena

• Types and characteristics of avalanches
• Avalanche motion
• Size classification
• Mountain snowpack: an introduction to metamorphism and layering

Observations and Information Gathering

• Field observation techniques
• Snowpack tests: rutschblock, compression test
• Avalanche danger factors or "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

For more information call our White Pine Touring Experts at 435-649-8710 or email experts@whitepinetouring.com.