Overview:
AIARE 1 Avalanche Training:
A 24-hour introduction to avalanche hazard management
We teach a complete program of curriculum established by the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) and are the world’s largest and most experienced AIARE provider.
You can expect to develop a solid foundation in how to prepare for and carry out a backcountry trip, understanding basic decision making while in the field, and avalanche rescue techniques required to locate and dig up a buried person.
Learn more about student learning outcomes in the “Curriculum” tab above.
This course provides essential training for anyone traveling in or near avalanche terrain: snowboarders, ski tourers, snowmobilers, mountaineers, snowshoers, everyone! For aspiring professionals, this course fulfills a prerequisite for the AIARE Pro 1 course down the line.
By completing this course with Colorado Mountain School, you will receive a certification from AIARE and join a network of tens of thousands of AIARE 1 avalanche training graduates.
Details:
Why Our AIARE Courses Are Worth It:
- Colorado Mountain School is the country’s largest AIARE Provider for a reason
- Our Instructors are educators, not just minimally qualified instructors
- Fully Vaccinated Guide staff
- We spend the majority of the course in the mountains, not inside
- We provide valuable pre-course material to help you prepare
- We provide bonus education opportunities to help you keep learning
- Our Instructors are career guides, with decades of personal backcountry experience
- Our Instructors are AMGA Ski Guide-trained or certified
- We have a full-time office staff to answer all of your questions
- Dozens of course dates to meet our guests scheduling needs
- Get avalanche training in the ski venue you ski in locally
- Fully sponsored by industry leaders Dynafit, SCARPA, Backcountry Access
- Full avalanche rescue kit rentals at no charge – try before you buy
Sample Itinerary:
We believe that avalanche training is best taught by combining theoretical concepts and experiential learning. Some topics are best learned in a safe comfortable classroom, and others in the mountains, moving through terrain and digging into the snow. You’ll have both.
The first portion of your course includes an online course and group video discussion. The majority of your course will take place in the mountains. You should be prepared, mentally and physically, to stay immersed in the backcountry for up to six hours. You will be assigned to a small touring group, consisting of one AIARE Instructor and a maximum of six students, to simultaneously allow intimate instruction and the ability to spread out. Here’s a preview itinerary of what your course could look like:
Self-Paced – AIARE e-Learning: Avalanche Basics
AIARE Self-paced online learning to supplement your field days.
Virtual meeting – Wednesday Nights – 6:00pm – 8:00pm
- 6:00pm – 6:30pm: Welcome, review itinerary
- 6:30pm – 7:00pm: Review forecast / Map building
- 7:00pm – 7:45pm: Avalanche Forecast discussion
- 7:45pm – 8:00pm: Plan for the field days
Field Day 1 – 8:00am – 4:30pm
- 8:00am – 8:45am: Pods meet up at pre-determined location off I-70, rental gear check out, review course itinerary
- 9:00am – 9:30am: Carpool to trailhead, Complete trailhead transceiver function check
- 9:30am – 11:30am: Companion rescue practice
- 11:30am – 12:00pm: Transition to instructor led tour and snowpack observations
- 12:00pm – 3:00pm: Terrain tour (ATES) and relevant snowpack observations
- 3:00pm – 4:30pm: Debrief observations in the field and return to trailhead
Field Day 2 – 8:00am – 4:30pm
- 8:00am – 8:30am: Meet up at pre-determined location off I-70, gear check, carpools
- 8:30am – 9:00am: Morning discussion (avalanches, snowpack, weather)
- 9:00am – 9:30am: Carpool to trailhead, Complete trailhead transceiver function check
- 9:30am – 3:00pm: Student/Instructor-led tour: Terrain Identification, recording observations in field books, snowpack tests / observations, weather observations, review companion rescue
- 3:00pm – 3:30pm: Debrief your pod in the field
- 3:30pm – 4:30pm: Return to trailhead, Hand in rental gear, course wrap up & next steps
Optional Learning Resources — All Season Long
- Virtual mentorship sessions
- Students-only webinars
- Tech tip video library
- Community Facebook forum: find partners, discuss coursework & more
Meeting location:
e-Learning: AIARE on-line learning
1 Video call: Held every Wednesday night the week prior to your field days. Links are sent out by the Course Instructors
2 Field Sessions: Based out of Frisco, Co.
Field locations TBD
Lodging:
Cameron Pass: There are a variety of cabins, vacation rentals and camping options available on / near Cameron Pass. Learn more about Cameron Pass and options for lodging near State Forest State Park.
I-70 Courses, Frisco: There are a variety of accommodations off the I-70 corridor. The towns of Silverthorne, Dillon, and Leadville are all situated near the field venues we use and work well for lodging.
Notes:
All of our courses can be run as custom outings. If your group is interested in a custom avalanche training course, please call us at 720-387-8944.
The nature of this pandemic requires us to be flexible and adaptable in how we deliver a quality training experience. Rest assured, from the moment you enroll all the way up to your course field days and beyond, our instructors will be a part of your learning progression and will provide you with the tools and resources you need to best prepare for your winter backcountry adventures. If you’d like to learn more about what we are doing to manage COVID-19 risk for our students and guides, please view our COVID-19 FAQ page.
All Upcoming Dates and Locations:
- No dates found
Noah Fields (verified owner) –
Took an AIARE 1 course from CMS and absolutely loved it. It was a great experience and I learned a ton about avalanche safety and backcountry travel. I highly recommend CMS!
Megan Reuss (verified owner) –
Steve provided outstanding instruction for our small group of 6. We were able to apply what we learned in the online portion of the course in the backcountry in a safe way. Steven was able to answer any and all questions we brought up in a clear and concise way.
chandlek70 (verified owner) –
Course was well managed by Ben and he prompted the students to become immersed in the course by actively thinking about the course objectives. Well done!
Megan Reuss (verified owner) –
My wife and I have wanted to get into backcountry skiing for years and finally made the jump to buying our setup. We wanted to ensure we were knowledgable enough about avalanche danger and terrain ahead of touring on our own, and CMS’s AIARE 1 course was the best we could ask for in terms of giving us a foundation to build our backcountry experience on. The online curriculum was easy to follow and helped set us up for a great weekend in the field up at Estes. Our instructor, Steve, was an absolutely amazing teacher and guide. He made the weekend a blast while challenging our group and was able to answer all of our questions, whether gear or avalanche condition-related, with his vast experience in the backcountry. I would highly recommend this course for anyone who wants to get a proper backcountry education under their belt and have fun doing it ahead of hitting the trails.
kayla.dome (verified owner) –
Everett did an awesome job combining education with what we are all passionate about; skiing. He helped us understand the importance of everything he taught us and why it mattered. His passion and understanding of the snow really helped us all feel safe. I would recommend this course to anyone who loves skiing both in bounds and out of bounds as a way to understand the mountain.
Casey Romeo (verified owner) –
I learned an incredible amount during my AIARE 1 course. Before taking the course, I did not know how to properly dissect the risks of going into the backcountry, and now I feel comfortable with the next steps for going into the backcountry safely.
CJ Amman (verified owner) –
I really enjoyed the AIARE structure with the online classwork upfront and then apply that knowledge to the backcountry for 2 days. I thought the online coursework was not only educational it was professional as well. The backcountry experience was exceptional. I really enjoyed my instructor and how we had the opportunity experience the online learning.
Matthew Ramey (verified owner) –
Great course, the online learning portion was ok, and could have been better, but we had a supportive and caring guide who really made the course, both in the online sessions and in the field.
Hanna Doyle (verified owner) –
AIARE 1 was a great experience. I learned so much and had a great time being in the outdoors with friends.
Leah Livingston (verified owner) –
Ben is awesome and provided WAYYY more information that I could have imagined. We had two amazing ski tours in Hidden Valley and Bear Lake. Would highly recommend to anyone that wants to learn more about skiing outside the resorts!
William Wiese (verified owner) –
Ian was an incredible instructor. He made things easy to understand and showed us how to apply our knowledge in the field.
Jerry Byrd (verified owner) –
Thank you Katie for sharing your knowledge and passion with us! It was an enjoyable couple of days at Cameron Pass!
little_castaldo (verified owner) –
Took AIARE I in February 2021 and had a fantastic time! Our instructor, Sarah, was fabulous, and the educational value exceeded my expectations.