On Wednesday January 8 a three-day AIAIRE Avalanche Level 1 Certification course kicked off from Squaw Valley, part of a new series of avalanche education courses at Squaw and Alpine Meadows this season. Both one and three day courses will be offered in the months of January, February and March at both Squaw Valley and neighboring Alpine Meadows. A Level 1 AIAIRE Certification class provides a foundation of knowledge of snow science, decision making skills, traveling in avalanche terrain, reading and analyzing avalanche forecasts, and how to operate avalanche/backcountry equipment such as a beacon, shovel, and probe.
The next course will be a 1-day course, offered January 12 for the price of $149 at Squaw Valley. Additional 1-day courses will be held at Alpine Meadows on February 2, and Squaw Valley on March 9, and another 3-day course (priced at $389) will be held at Alpine Meadows from March 11-13. For more information click here.
Press Release, Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows, California, January 6, 2014:
Starting this Wednesday, January 8, skiers and snowboards can take advantage of new avalanche education courses at Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. The one- and three-day courses teach the basics of snow science, how to access and read the avalanche advisory, how to operate standard avalanche equipment (beacon, probe, and shovel), and, most importantly, how to make good decisions.
The courses kick off this week at Squaw Valley with the three-day AIAIRE Avalanche Leavel 1 Certification course January 8-10 for $389, and the one-day avalanche awareness course on January 12 for $149.
Additional courses will be offered at both Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows in February and March. Full information including additional dates and details is available at www.squaw.com/lessons-rentals/adult-lessons/avalanche-awareness-education.
The one-day and three-day course follow the Avalanche Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) curriculum and is taught by AIARE Qualified Instructors.
Avalanche Awareness 1-Day Course
Learn the basics: terrain, weather, avalanche activity and mountain snowpack.
Avalanche statistics and human factors.
Avalanche terminology and terrain.
Snowpack and weather factors.
Obvious clues.
Avalanche advisories.
Travel protocols.
Companion rescue.
AIARE Avalanche Level 1 3-Day Course
24 Hours of classroom and field work to become AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) Level 1 certified.
Advanced understanding of avalanche terrain, particularly from the perspective of stability analysis.
Discuss how the snowpack develops and metamorphoses over time; and discuss the factors that contribute to spatial variability.
Learn standard observation guidelines and recording formats for factors that influence or indicate snow stability.
Advanced understanding of avalanche release and triggering mechanisms.
Introduce a snow stability analysis and forecasting framework.
Improve companion rescue skills including multiple and deep burials.
Participants will receive Level 1 certificate upon successful completion of the course.
