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AIARE Rescue Course – Truckee Tahoe CA

$295

Location - California, Truckee

Dates
January 13, 2023 - January 13, 2023 January 20, 2023 - January 20, 2023

Overview

When is the last time that you and your touring partners practiced your rescue skills?  With coaching from our instructors in realistic scenarios, you will develop and refresh essential rescue skills and improve your response time. In this course you will practice using your own avalanche rescue gear in a small group of 6 or fewer people. It’s important to practice, practice, practice, honing your skills to be an excellent, well-prepared backcountry touring partner.

AIARE Avalanche Rescue is an 8-hour course that we’ve adapted into two parts with a 2 hour online evening session followed by an all day field day for hands-on practice with rescue gear and techniques.  This course is excellent for both new and experienced backcountry travelers and is designed to be taken on a regular basis as techniques in avalanche rescue are continually evolving with new technology and research.  In this course you learn the basics of companion rescue including efficient search strategies with your beacon, strategic shoveling, and effective probing.  You will practice responding in realistic scenarios with regular instructor feedback and support.  Repeat participants are challenged with advanced topics, multiple burial techniques, and leading scenarios. This course is a great refresher and preparation for the backcountry touring season. Bring your regular backcountry partners to get ready as a group, or connect with a group of women who are as keen on avalanche safety as you are!

AIARE Rescue pairs well with AIARE Level 1 and is a requirement for AIARE Level 2.

Scholarships

Need help paying for an AIARE Course or Beginner Backcountry Tour? Please see if you meet the criteria and apply on our Scholarship Page: https://backcountrybabes.com/scholarship/

Duration: 1 Online Evening Session, 1 Field Day
Activity Level: Moderate
Required Skill Level: Students must be able to travel short distances in the backcountry and bring appropriate equipment for traveling on snow and staying warm in inclement winter weather.

Course Dates: 

Jan 11 Online Session and Jan 13 Field Day 

Jan 18 Online Session and Jan 20 Field Day. co-ed class! 

Avalanche Level 1 rescue
AIARE women's avalanche level 1 course
Avalanche Level 1 rescue
rescue sled demo
Companion Rescue practice
AIARE rescue course womens backcountry touring south lake tahoe
Beacon

About the AIARE Rescue Course

Schedule

Online Classroom Session

6:00pm - 8:00pm

Today’s online evening session is an introduction to rescue techniques including equipment, the step by step process which is important for muscle memory and working out any kinks for a fluid field day the following day.  We’ll also talk about what to pack and answer any questions that arise.

All Day Field Day

8:00am - 4:00pm

If you’re new to avalanche rescue, today’s focus is to learn important rescue skills and practice them as many times as possible while building their complexity. These skills include assessing the scene, leadership, using a transceiver effectively and efficiently, up to date probing methodologies, and effective and speedy shoveling techniques.  If you are an avalanche rescue veteran this course will review the basics and beyond, introducing more complex and advanced techniques and practicing them as a group or individuals.

What to Expect

  • Comfortable and fun learning atmosphere
  • Course tailored specifically to the experience level of the group
  • Attentive, experienced, & professional AIARE qualified instructors. Your instructor team may include women and men who support our mission of women becoming leaders in their backcountry pursuits
  • Realistic scenarios with feedback from AIARE instructors
  • Get your rescue skills up-to-par to be the best backcountry partner you can be
  • Gain your AIARE Rescue Certificate
  • Be ready and fulfill this requirement for your AIARE Level 2 Course

Gear Needed

Backcountry skis or splitboard, ski poles, ski or snowboard boots, climbing skins, avalanche beacon, avalanche probe, avalanche shovel, backcountry backpack, and 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 Alpenglow in Tahoe City or Tahoe Mountain Sports or The Backcountry in Truckee if you need to rent any other gear.

Field Time

Classroom Time

Getting There

FLY: To Reno-Tahoe airport and take a shuttle or car to Truckee, CA.

DRIVE: To trailheads in the Truckee, CA area. Field sessions typically take place in our USFS permitted zones on Donner Summit, Castle Peak or Pole Creek. Exact touring location is weather and condition dependent. You will receive location information from your instructor or the office prior to your course start.

Backcountry Babes is an equal opportunity service provider and employer. Backcountry Babes operates under special use permit from the USDA Forest Service, Truckee Ranger District.

Testimonials

“This course was great for basic backcountry knowledge. Becoming familiar with using beacon and probe, digging pits and learning more about the types of snow and layers of snow. Learning skills that could keep you ALIVE in certain situations.”

Jenny A.Breckenridge, CO AIARE Avalanche Course

“I feel like I learned some good decision making strategies and red-flag things to watch out for. Very helpful to do the field sessions and get feedback in the field.”

Jenny M.AIARE Avalanche Course

“Great info and very well presented – classroom then practicing and applying the info in the field. Hearing personal experiences and thought process of the instructors was helpful as well as the student-instructor ratio.”

Rachel B., Lakewood, COAIARE Avalanche Course

“I appreciated the balance of classroom education and field application. All of the instructors were AWESOME. Approachable, allowing for all of us to ask any question.”

Trent KDenver, CO

“This course was beneficial in so many ways – We lived backcountry touring for a couple of days and got to go through the motions of trip planning, avalanche observations, and terrain management. I have a great framework moving forward. Our instructors Kirsten, Casey, and Janine did a great job working together. I really liked hearing different perspectives, experiences and styles.”

Nathan LLittleton, CO

“There is an incredibly positive and high energy stoke level of the female-empowered AND co-ed classroom environment. It is cool to hear our students discuss the value of the learning environment–enjoying growth through our women’s empowerment focus and recognizing the reality that future teamwork will consist of co-ed teams in the backcountry.”

Anne St. ClairLead Instructor

“This co-ed setup is so cool, as it allows couples to take an AIARE class together in a stigma-free environment where both partners can feel empowered instead of the “token” female among males or vice versa taking an avalanche course. It really flows well with what AIARE tries to accomplish and I think everyone in the group really enjoyed this format and how well the group dynamics worked.”

Mike BortnowskiAIARE Avalanche Level 1 Instructor