SheJumps x Alpine Ascents International | AIARE 1 | Blewett Pass, WA
**This course is being offered in partnership between SheJumps and Alpine Ascents. Please visit the Alpine Ascents website to register. Registration MUST be completed through AAI. This page is intended only to promote the event. **
When you register, please note “SheJumps Ski Touring Skills” in the “Notes for Program Staff” section. This course costs $575.
**Includes Required Zoom Meeting 7:00–9:00PM on Wednesday before**
You’ve learned to move in your gear and the inner workings of avalanche rescues; where to next? It’s time to dive deeper into understanding avalanches, forecasts and their dangers. AIARE Level 1 is a comprehensive course that introduces students to the necessary decision-making tools for mitigating risk while traveling in avalanche terrain. It is designed for all individuals recreating on snow in the mountains whether skiing, split-boarding, snowshoeing, climbing, or mountaineering.
This AIARE avalanche education program consists of a flexible online curriculum coupled with a Zoom meeting with instructors, followed by two field sessions in the backcountry. It is the same curriculum as the standard three-day course, with the classroom portions occurring online, allowing participants to learn at their own pace without missing a day of work or school.
During the field sessions of this course, students receive hands-on experience making decisions in avalanche terrain and review avalanche rescue skills. Our courses are offered at a six-to-one student-instructor ratio to maximize support and learning opportunities.
Many students enjoy pairing this course with Intro to Touring, which focuses on applying the avalanche knowledge gained from a Level 1 Avalanche Course and building on it with other helpful techniques for proficient backcountry travel. Together these programs give students all the necessary skills to travel in simple to challenging backcountry terrain with team members of equal or greater training.
Online Curriculum
Our program includes AIARE online education training. This online training allows students to move at their own pace, learning about the avalanche phenomenon prior to the field sessions of the course. With this preparation, students can use the two days with instructors to dive further into avalanche theory and work closely on decision making in the field. The online education generally takes 4-6 hours and can be completed at any time prior to the course. We will also be hosting a 2-hour Zoom meeting with the instructors two days prior to the field sessions to go over additional education topics, answer any questions, and prepare for the field portion of the course.
Course will cover:
- Understanding the avalanche phenomenon
- Mountain weather
- Identifying avalanche terrain
- Reading and applying local avalanche forecast
- Avalanche companion rescue review
- Understanding snowpack observations
- Traveling techniques in avalanche terrain
- How to prepare for backcountry travel
Students will come away with the tools to:
- Plan and facilitate making decisions in the backcountry
- Create and execute a tour plan for traveling in the backcountry
- Find relevant current avalanche forecast resources
- Efficiently identify avalanche terrain
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course. If you are traveling on a ski or split board touring setup it is helpful if you are familiar with how to use the equipment and have practiced in non-avalanche terrain prior to the course (see our Pre-AIARE seminar for help in becoming familiar with your gear). It is also strongly suggested to take a Rescue course prior to AIARE Level 1 so you are familiar with using your safety gear (beacon, shovel, probe).
SheJumps X AAI Course Progression Recommendation:
- Pre-AIARE-learn your gear
- Rescue-learn to rescue
- AIARE 1-learn a backcountry risk management process
- Intro to Touring-putting it all together
- Rescue-(keep refreshing!)
- AIARE 2-learn tools to take your skills to new locations, new snowpacks, or lead groups
**This course is being offered in partnership between SheJumps and Alpine Ascents. Please visit the Alpine Ascents website to register. Registration MUST be completed through AAI. This page is intended only to promote the event. **
When you register, please note “SheJumps Ski Touring Skills” in the “Notes for Program Staff” section. This course costs $575.
Please note that the course cost does not include guide gratuities. You are under no obligation to tip the guides, but 10-15% of the course cost is highly recommended. The guides pool tips and accept cash or Venmo. We recommend tipping $40-$75 for this course.
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All participants must sign the SheJumps Participant Waiver prior to participating in this event.
To prioritize the health of our community, please do not attend a SheJumps event if you are experiencing any cold-like symptoms.
Cancellation Policy
Please reference the Alpine Ascents International website for information about cancellations.
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SheJumps increases the participation of women and girls in outdoor activities to foster confidence, leadership, and connection to nature and community through free and low-cost outdoor education.
SheJumps is an inclusive organization. We welcome all women and girls—transgender and cisgender, as well as non-binary people.
SheJumps strives to fight against racism and acknowledges that our events and programs take place on traditional, unceded Indigenous lands.
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