Beginner Backcountry Ski Tours, AIARE Level 1, Intermediate Tours, AIARE Level 2, AIARE Rescue: A Flow Chart.
At Backcountry Babes, our mission is to inspire more women into leadership roles in the outdoors. Many women ask me..how do I get started backcountry skiing? When should I take my AIARE Avalanche Level 1 Course? What comes next?
To answer these questions, I made a flow chart describing a path to become a backcountry skier or splitboarder with Backcountry Babes. Also, AIARE has updated their course progression for the 2017-2018 season to include Level 2 for recreationalists and a stand-alone AIARE Rescue Course.
1. The utter beginner can start with our Beginner Backcountry Tour! This 1.5 day class includes avalanche awareness curriculum, teaches you how to use your backcountry bindings, how to put on your climbing skins, uphill travel, and how to use a beacon shovel and probe.
2. AIARE Level 1 is a great step towards developing your backcountry brain. Learn to recognize red flags, avalanche terrain and hazards, types of avalanches, interpret the avalanche and weather forecast, avoid common mistakes, recognize human factors in decision making, dig snow profile pits, learn about layers in the snow, go on 2 backcountry ski tours, learn about case studies in avalanche accidents, ask questions of professional AIARE qualified instructors, meet other women in the class, learn to plan backcountry tours.
3. Review and Brush Up your Skills. Go on lots of tours! Join us on a guided hut trip, take our Intermediate Backcountry Tour for another full field day with AIARE qualified instructors, come to British Columbia and ski with our Canadian Mountain guides for a full week of real time questions and decision making with experienced professionals. Take our Mountain Navigation Course. Go on your own ski tours! Join us at Alpenglow Mtn Fest!
The AIARE Rescue Course is a one-day class dedicated to using your beacon, shovel and probe effectively and efficiently. Brush up for the backcountry season with your partners. Practice rescue scenarios, get feedback from AIARE instructors, and keep up with current best practices. The AIARE Rescue Course is a prerequisite for AIARE Level 2.
4. AIARE Level 2 is for the backcountry skier/rider who has taken AIARE Level 1 and AIARE Rescue. The AIARE 2 is a strong review of AIARE Level 1 Skills, and you’ll see the information differently now that you have more experience. You’ll be in a course with other students who have already taken Level 1 & the Resuce, you can ask more in depth questions, learn more about avalanche terrain, apply and interpret your weather and snow observations to forecast and make better decisions, work on small team leadership skills, and so much more in this 3-day course.
See our course calendar for courses in your area: Breckenridge, Vail, Truckee, Tahoe, New Hampshire or Anchorage.
