AIARE 2 Three-Day Course

AIARE 2 Avalanche Training:
Advanced Decision-Making in Complex Avalanche Terrain.

Our AIARE 2 course teaches 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.

In the past, AIARE 2 was designed to be an entry level professional course. In 2017, AIARE 2 was specifically redesigned to meet the needs of advanced recreational students who have taken an AIARE 1 and Avalanche Rescue class.

In AIARE 2, you’ll learn how to apply The AIARE Framework in new terrain, new snow climates or areas where external avalanche observations and forecasts are not readily available. 

In this course, you’ll learn to manage uncertainty by identifying and managing gaps in information. We’ll describe and discuss weather, snowpack and avalanche processes, and identify how these processes relate to observations and travel within avalanche terrain. If your backcountry progression is taking you to huts or expeditions, or you’d like to be able to drill down past zone-level forecasts, AIARE 2 is perfect for you. 

By completing this course with Colorado Mountain School, you will receive a certification from AIARE and join a network of thousands of AIARE 2 avalanche training graduates.

Learn more about student learning outcomes in the “Curriculum” tab above.

All AIARE 2 students gain access to our season-long avalanche education membership: The Snow Pack.  The Snow Pack consists of three elements: AIARE coursework, bonus education, and student perks. AIARE 2 students will get complimentary access to the online classroom portion of AIARE 1, providing a great refresher course.

Learn more about the Snow Pack membership.

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
• 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
• Discounts on select courses, guided ski tours and lodging partners through the included Snow Pack membership

AIARE Pro 1 or AIARE Rec Level 2?

We get this question often. The Pro 1 is a professional, entry-level course that focuses on teaching skills to facilitate sharing and using information while working within an operation (e.g. ski resort, guide service, CDOT, etc.). The Pro 1 is less valuable if you are not working in an operation where you will use these skills. 

Recreational travelers conduct a similar risk management process, but do it without the broad network of information and personnel support an operation provides. There is greater uncertainty and they (generally) have fewer days using a risk management process. Because of this, they operate with greater uncertainty. Enter AIARE 2.

Your course will take place in the mountains, digging in the snow and moving through the terrain. You should be prepared, mentally and physically, to stay immersed in the backcountry for up to eight hours. You will be assigned to a small pod 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:

Optional Refresher -AIARE 1 Online Avalanche Basics

Self-paced online learning that can provide a good refresher before the season / your course.

• Lesson 1: Intro to Colorado Mountain School, AIARE, & Course Logistics
• Lesson 2: Track the Season’s Conditions
• Lesson 3: Identifying Avalanche Terrain
• Lesson 4: Avalanche Rescue Prep
• Lesson 5: Teamwork in Avalanche Terrain

Field Day 1 – 8:00am – 4:00pm

• 7:30am – 8:00am: Meet at trailhead, rental gear check out, hand out AIARE field books and Friends of CAIC Trailhead Membership
• 8:00am – 8:30am: Morning hazard assessment meeting / trailhead transceiver function check
• 8:30am – 11:30am: Companion rescue review and practice (Single and Multiple Burial)
• 11:30am – 12:00pm: Transition to instructor led tour to gather snpx obs.
• 12:00pm – 3:30pm: Instructor demo; Review of Seasonal Snowpack; Craftsmanship, Relevancy, and Verification of Snow Observations; Snowpack Tests in the Field.
• 3:30pm – 4:00pm: Debrief observations in the field and return to trailhead. Post observations to local avalanche center

Field Day 2 – 8:00am – 4:00pm

• 7:30am – 8:00am: Meet at trailhead
• 8:00am – 8:15am: Instructor/student-led morning hazard discussion (avalanches, snowpack, weather)
• 8:15am – 8:30am: Student-led trailhead transceiver function check
• 9:00am – 2:00pm: Instructor/student-led tour: track setting, terrain identification, snow profile (site selection; layer id; hardness scale; grain id; tests); snowpack structure; interpreting weather data, snow surface conditions, and snow profiles; metamorphism, sintering and bonding, persistent weak layers / facets, nsf, ncf, surface hoar
• 2:00pm – 2:30pm: Debrief observations in the field
• 2:30pm – 3:30pm: Return to trailhead
• 3:30pm – 4:00pm: Summarize conditions and post to local avalanche center. Tour Planning homework

Field Day 3 – 8:00am – 4:00pm

• 8:00am – 8:15am: Student-led morning hazard discussion (avalanches, snowpack, weather).
  Review tour plan options from night before
• 8:15am – 8:30am:   Student-led trailhead transceiver function check
• 9:00am – 2:00pm: Student-led tour: verify stability forecast; group management / terrain selection / travel techniques
• 2:00pm – 2:30pm: Debrief observations in the field
• 2:30pm – 3:30pm: Return to trailhead
• 3:30pm – 4:00pm: Summarize conditions and post to local avalanche center. Course conclusion, collect rental gear and 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

Optional Online Refresher: in your Colorado Mountain School account (automatically created during registration)

Field Sessions: at the trailhead, communicated ahead of time by your instructor

Estes Park: Fall River Village – a beautiful lodge just a five minute walk from downtown Estes Park. They are offering Colorado Mountain School students a discount on their Longs Peak Cottage floor plan. Please contact us to redeem.

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.

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.