AIARE Avalanche Level 1 – Breckenridge/Vail CO

Our course is comprised of 3 parts– online learning to be completed before class starts, 2 online sessions with your instructors and classmates, and 2 full backcountry field days!

Begin your with self-paced online lessons through AIARE’s online learning and our Backcountry Babes google classroom, specific to our course area. Our precourse work will be essential to learn basic concepts at your own pace and to incorporate new vocabulary, skills, knowledge & ideas into your framework of understanding.  You’ll get the links when you sign up for our class, so you can start learning avalanche basics asap and incorporating AIARE curriculum into your backcountry routines. Takes most people 4-6 hours to complete. Can be done in bitesized pieces at your own pace for best knowledge absorption!

Our 2 online classroom sessions take place on weeknight evenings with your instructors and fellow students, specific to our course area. Here we’ll learn about avalanche terrain, snowpack, avalanche problems, case studies of real avalanche accidents, human factors in decision making, interpreting the avalanche bulletin and weather forecast, developing a route plan with online mapping tools, and creating a trip plan.  These sessions will include live presentations with our Backcountry Babes instructors, Q&A sessions, and small group breakouts. Come with question from your homework! Typically we use ZOOM as our platform and meet from 6-8pm on Tuesday and Thursday night before your field days.

Use your new skills to make real trip plans and instructors will provide feedback.  The online learning sessions are the foundation of success for our two full field days on Saturday and Sunday– and will help you incorporate knowledge and build good habits for your future backcountry touring days. Field Days typically are from 8:00am – 3:30pm in the Breck / Vail / Loveland area.  We will go over field locations in detail in our online evening sessions.  We will start and end class in an indoor location near our field locations if possible, depending on COVID restrictions next winter.  In 2020-2021 we did all our field days completely outside, which we can repeat if needed, however, if we can debrief our days in a warm coffee shop or bar, we will try to do that!

Today we’ll meet at the trailhead for an all day field day in a small pod of students and your instructor.  Objectives for our field time include learning how to use your beacon, shovel and probe and the daily habit of trailhead checks. We’ll practice up-to-date and efficient techniques for avalanche rescue and learn how to travel together as a group, including conducting moving observations and digging snow pits to collect more observations about the snowpack. As we travel, we’ll practice avalanche terrain recognition and selection of the best uptracks and down routes, visual clues and red flags.  The day will end with a facilitated and very important group debrief with touring partners.

Bring all your skills and knowledge from the week into your final tour day.  Students will practice leading a tour under the guidance and supervision of instructors.  Come prepared with your tour plan, and ask as many questions as possible of your highly experienced instructors!  We’ll practice decision making in the field and reassessment throughout including ongoing observations, and skiing and riding techniques.  We’ll wrap up our final field day with the daily debrief.

The goal is to send all our student off into the world with a great foundation for making better decisions in the backcountry.  Backcountry travel is a lifelong learning experience.  It’s important to keep up your education with future Backcountry Babes events, an AIARE Rescue Course, our AIARE Level 2, a guided backcountry ski trip, a Backcountry Babes Intermediate Tour, reading, avalanche conferences, and more.  : ). You’ll always be a part of the Backcountry Babes community!

What to Expect

Gear Needed

Backcountry skis or splitboard, ski poles, ski or snowboard boots, climbing skins, avalanche beacon, avalanche probe, avalanche shovel, backcountry backpack, proper outerwear and warm layers for field time. A limited quantity of shovels, probes, and BCA beacons in an Osprey Ski Pack are available to rent for the course on a first-come, first-serve basis. These are available at the online checkout and will be brought to the course by your instructor. We recommend Mountain Outfitters in Breckenridge to rent or purchase any other gear!

Getting There

FLY: To Denver or Vail/Eagle airport in Colorado.

DRIVE: To our trailheads in the Breckenridge/ Vail area.  Our touring locations include Mt Baldy, Loveland Pass, Hoosier Pass, Vail Pass, Meadow Mountain or another of our USFS permitted locations. If you are looking to book lodging, Dillon, Frisco, and Breck are all fairly central to the majority of our touring locations.  Exact touring location is weather and condition dependent. You will receive specific touring location information during our online evening sessions.

Backcountry Babes is an equal opportunity service provider and employer. Backcountry Babes operates under special use permit from the USDA Forest Service, White Mountain National Forest Ranger District and Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District.