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Avalanche Awareness
| Interested public |
Awareness of avalanche hazards |
General information about avalanche hazard, how to avoid it, and proper equipment for traveling in avalanche terrain. |
None |
1 – 2 hr |
None |
Knowledgeable and entertaining |
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Introduction to Avalanches
Any winter backcountry user
May be adapted for groups like Public Safety, Search & rescue, Snowmobilers, etc. |
- Recognize & avoid obvious avalanche hazard.
- Understand and apply current avalanche advisory
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A brief introduction to
- Avalanche statistics and human factors
- Avalanche terminology
- Avalanche terrain
- Snow pack and weather factors
- Obvious clues and red flags
- Avalanche bulletins
- Simple decision tools (ALP TRUTh, RYG Light etc.)
- Travel protocols
- Companion recovery
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None |
2-3 hr presentation |
None |
Member Affiliate AAA or higher |
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Introduction to Avalanches Field Course
Any winter backcountry user
May be adapted for groups like Public Safety, Search & rescue, Snowmobilers, etc. |
- Recognize & avoid avalanche terrain
- Understand how layered snow contributes to avalanching
- Understand basic companion rescue
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Field examples & hands on training
- Avalanche terrain and terrain traps
- Basic route selection
- Snow pack layering
- Current snowpack conditions and weather effects (bulletin)
- Companion recovery including probing, shoveling, beacon use
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None |
7 hrs field |
Attendance & participation |
Primary Instructor: Member Affiliate AAA or higher
Assistants: Sufficient personal experience
Maximum 7:1 |
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Companion Rescue Clinic
| Any winter backcountry user |
- Wear & operate an avalanche beacon
- Perform a mock companion recovery including single and multiple burial search
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Hands on training
- Importance of beacon skills (burial time-survival statistics)
- Beacon operation and search principles
- Demonstration and practice of initial, secondary, and pinpoint search
- Rescue practice scenarios including group management, probing & shoveling
- Overview of first aid and emergency skills needed in actual rescues
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None |
4 hrs field |
Attendance & participation |
Sufficient personal experience. *[Format and teaching tips available]
Maximum 8:1 |
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Level 1: Avalanche Fundamentals
| Current and aspiring backcountry travel companions |
- Apply the current avalanche bulletin in tour planning and travel.
- Select a safe route and minimize exposure using travel protocols.
- Recognize instabilities in the snowpack using observations and tests.
- Interpret and draw elementary pit profiles. (Hand hardness, basic grain type and stability tests).
- Apply simple decision tools in avalanche terrain.
- Conduct a mock companion recovery.
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Avalanche types and anatomy
Basic slab mechanics
Terrain
- Terrain evaluation and route selection
- Travel protocols & group communication
Snowpack and Weather
- Mountain snowpack development leading to instability or stability
- Field observations, tests and judging instability
- Use of avalanche & snow pit tools: inclinometer, compass, probe, saw
- Introduce elementary pit diagrams with hand hardness profiles, basic grain type symbols and stability tests. Expose to recording field notes.
- Avalanche & snow climates
Decision-support Tools
- Human factors and the need for systematic decision tools
- Application & limitations of decision tools
- Avalanche bulletins
Rescue
- Companion rescue including scene size up, organization, beacon use, probing, shoveling
- Recovery of victims not wearing beacons
- Common mistakes in avalanche rescue
- Single and multiple beacon search techniques
- Role of first aid and emergency response in real avalanche rescues
Critique: Recommendations for further skills development, preparation for Level 2 training. |
No formal prerequisites
Strongly Recommended:
- Winter Travel and First Aid Skills
- Introduction to Avalanches programs
- Course provider’s recommended reading
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24 hours
Minimum 60% field |
Attendance & participation |
Primary or lead instructor: AAA Pro Member
Assistants: AAA Member Affiliates Continuing education within previous 4 years
Instructors must be excellent role models for the skills they teach.
Preferred 5:1
Maximum 7:1 |
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Level 1 Refresher: Avalanche Skills Advancement Workshop (ASAW)
Backcountry travelers with rusty or outdated avalanche skills.
Preparatory for L2. |
- Updated skills and knowledge (review)
- Assessment of skills preparatory to Level 2
- Recommendations for further development
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- Recent changes in L1 content
- Metamorphism and snow processes review
- Basic pit diagram review & field book use
- Trip plan: snowpack and weather conditions, route plan
- Quick rescue scenario
- Use and application of student’s own avalanche and snow study tools
- Route selection, stability assessment, recording field observations, travel protocols, ongoing use of decision making tools
- Summary of stability findings or danger scale assessment
Critique: Recommendations for further skills development, preparation for Level 2 training. |
Level 1 (For those wishing to take a Level 2, their L1 should have been in the last 5 years) |
3 hrs class
8 hrs field |
Attendance & participation
Coaching |
Primary or lead instructor: AAA professional member.
Current instructor of Level 2 adhering to AAA guidelines
Maximum 6:1 |
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Level 2: Avalanche Processes & Leadership
Aspiring backcountry leaders
Backcountry companions desiring greater skills and knowledge |
- Plan group travel and systematically manage hazards in avalanche terrain
- Observe and record field observations
- Perform and document a test profile
- Forecast instability and danger rating based on snowpack and weather conditions and trends
- Demonstrate effective communication and actions regarding human factors in all elements
- Conduct mock multiple-burial companion recovery
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Tour Planning
- Weather and snowpack history
- Trip considerations (abilities, goals, constraints)
- Decision tool review
- Applied map skills (slope angle, alpha angle, route planning, decision points)
Processes
- Metamorphism (FC, MX, SH, DH, MF) and instability
- Skier triggering, avalanche release and assessing instability
- Spatial variability
Observations and Forecasts: snowpack, weather, and terrain
- Standards and recording (SWAG, field book)
- Stability assessment and forecast practice
- Decision making traps and communication
Field Tours
- Route selection
- Travel protocols, group management and communication
- Stability assessment via observations and test results
- Full & test profile (pit) practice
Rescue
- Group and complex rescue leadership
- Practice scenarios
Human factors
Instructors integrate human factor awareness and mitigation in all aspects of L2 program. Accomplished by instructor modeling, case studies and discussion.
Critique, review, and examine next steps in education for individual students |
Level 1 or Level 1 Refresher in last 5 years
Level 1 cannot be taken in
the same season as Level 2
Course provider’s recommended reading |
32 hours
Minimum 60% field |
Instructor critique of field performance: route selection, stability assessment, group management and rescue skills.
Written exam is optional. |
Primary or lead instructor should be an AAA Certified Instructor or all of the following:
Has taught 3 or more L2s
2 letters recommendation to AAA education committee, (see education web pages for details)
Completed a L3, CAA L2 or AVPro
Minimum 4 winters of professional leadership in avalanche terrain,
Continuing education within previous 4 years
Assistants: AAA professional
member
Instructors must provide timely and effective coaching.
Preferred 5:1
Maximum 6:1 |
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AV Pro: Advanced Professional Avalanche Training
| Current or aspiring avalanche professionals |
See AAA website |
See AAA website |
Level 2 or Nat’l Avalanche School Phase 1 & 2 or equivalent |
80 hours |
See AAA website |
Primary Instructors: AAA Certified Instructors
Guest instructors may have varying backgrounds |
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Level 3: Advanced Avalanche Education
| Advanced recreationists, current or aspiring professionals |
Determined by provider for a focused topic. |
Focused topics determined by provider, may include: Guiding, forecasting, ski area operations, highway, mountain meteorology, etc. |
Level 2 or equivalent, Link to AMGA, CAA, etc. |
See provider |
See provider |
See provider |
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