AIARE Level 2 + Avalanche Rescue Course

Description

Take your avalanche skills to the next level with our AIARE Level 2 Avalanche Course + Avalanche Rescue, designed for experienced backcountry travelers who have completed AIARE 1 or equivalent training. This hybrid-format course combines 2 online classroom sessions, a full day of Avalanche Rescue training, and 2 field days dedicated to advanced terrain management and snowpack analysis.

Over three immersive days, you’ll refine your understanding of avalanche formation, practice strategic terrain assessment, and gain hands-on experience with companion rescue. You’ll explore real-time decision-making using the AIARE Risk Management Framework while diving into topics like snow science, group leadership, and professional weather forecasting tools.

Led by AMGA-trained and AIARE-certified instructors, this course is ideal for backcountry skiers, snowboarders, and mountaineers who want to travel confidently and safely in complex avalanche terrain. Whether you’re looking to become a team leader or simply want to strengthen your avalanche forecasting and rescue skills, this course delivers the knowledge and field experience you need.

Dates/Price

Course Dates	Price	Location	Course Length	Difficulty Rating
Course DatesMarch 4th-Avalanche Rescue-Day 1	Price	LocationIdaho Springs	Course Length8 Hours	Difficulty Rating4/10
Course DatesMarch 5th-7th-AIARE 2- Day 2-4	Price$1399	LocationGrays and Torreys Hut	Course Length3 days	Difficulty Rating5/10

Highlights

Learn from a pro! Our guides/instructors have undergone rigorous training and certification to be able to teach you
Hands-on experience in a fun and relaxed learning environment
Build on your skills from AIARE 1
Earn both AIARE 2 and Rescue in 1 course!
Tons of practice!

Price Includes

Includes:

A professionally trained and/or certified AMGA guide or instructor
Professional guiding and instruction throughout the entire day
Resources to further your ski touring journey

Excludes:

Transportation. You will be responsible for your own transportation to and from a designated meeting area
Gratuity
Personal items such as food, clothing, backpack, etc.
Entrance fees and parking fees (where necessary)

Topics Covered

Understanding seasonal snowpack history and its correlation with snowpack processes and avalanche conditions.
Analyzing weather patterns, identifying avalanche issues, and conducting stability assessments to create forecasts independently.
Recognizing the formation of persistent weak layers such as facets, depth hoar, and surface hoar.
Studying wet snow metamorphism and its impact on avalanche dynamics.
Identifying various features of avalanche terrain at both large and small scales.
Implementing effective group management strategies in challenging and complex terrain.
Conducting stability tests that encompass the strength, structure, and propagation potential of snow layers.
Introduction to SWAG documentation for avalanche assessment and management.
Planning tours with a focus on safety and risk mitigation in avalanche terrain.
Understanding human factor traps and exploring solutions to mitigate risks.

Identifying snow grain types on a crystal card in Colorado

Avalanche education students ski touring through the backcountry in Colorado

An avalanche educator digging a snow pit in Colorado