AIARE level 1 avalanche course in Jackson Hole

Top three reasons to upgrade your skills in Jackson Hole

Overcome dozens of world class skiing and snowboarding tracks
Take in Grand Teton National Park’s grand vistas and colorful fauna
Test the ice and your ski touring prowess in the magnificent Teton Glacier

When it comes to adrenaline sports in the mountains, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of safety and situational awareness. Any experienced outdoorsman will tell you that you should always hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Avalanche awareness is a fundamental part of a backcountry adventurer’s toolkit and the Jackson Hole AIARE Avalanche Level 1 class will provide you with the foundations for safe travel. Jackson Hole’s harsh and unforgiving slopes and icy streams make it the ideal setting for this educational experience. It’s better to know it and not need it, than to need it and not have it, wouldn’t you agree? Find out more about Jackson Hole Backcountry Skiing from Lily Krass.

Season December through March	Nearest city Salt Lake City, UT is a 4-5 hour drive away
Duration 3 days	Skill level Intermediate to advanced

Book This Adventure

Verse yourself in the basics of avalanche safety quickly and efficiently with the AIARE Level 1 Course in Jackson Hole. The course features a hybrid approach, meaning that the first portion of it will be held online, while days 2 and 3 will take place in the field. Learn how to properly read the snow and weather reports, spot and identify hazards and even lead a tour under the watchful eye of a skilled guide!

Learning outcomes

This comprehensive course is meant to teach you about proper hazard evaluation, decision-making and companion rescue practices in avalanche situations. You will discover techniques for evaluating hazards and managing risks when traversing avalanche-prone terrain.

Day 1: Two prior to the field education, you will have an online meeting with your guide and introduction to the course. You and the guide will go through the avalanche bulletin and examine the plan for the rest of the tour.

Day 2: In the morning of day 2, you will be learning about proper beacon and probe use, as well as strategic shoveling. After that, the guide will teach you about proper weather and snow observations, testing snow pits and avalanche terrain ID.

Day 3: The final day is reserved for a participant-led tour. You will get the chance to take the initiative and test the skills you’ve learned during the course.

Meet your guide

Jackson Hole Mountain Guides

Jackson Hole Mountain Guides have been taking skiers into the Teton backcountry since 1968 and set the industry standard within the professional guiding industry. Accredited by the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA), they run everything from ski mountaineering courses to introductory touring days.

Reviews (4)

Paul O. about Jackson Hole Mountain Guides

The Mountain Guides are the best. It is not just the reputation of TMG as an elite group of experts in the field, it is the level of professionalism, their relating to clients in an individual manner, and safety. So glad we picked TMG as I’ve seen other climbing instructors and frankly they don’t have the same attention to details and professionalism as TMG. Our instructor, Randy Hohf, was very thorough and patient. It is great to have local instructors like Randy who is highly respected in the area for mountaineering, as is Tim Shaw for both mountaineering and alpine ski patrol.

about Jackson Hole Mountain Guides

Jordyn N. about Jackson Hole Mountain Guides

What an awesome experience. Days later, I still find myself thinking about the climb and what an incredible journey it was. The guides were friendly and knowledgeable and not once did I feel unsafe or as if I wasn’t in good hands. It was a great two days of climbing, laughing, sharing and enjoying breathtaking views.

Victoria K. A.

Professional, expert guides that were patient teaching basics to us in our attempt to summit the Grand in a fun, hands-on experience. Corbett High Camp is definitely high altitude glam-camping in comparison and JHMG are able to accommodate meals for gluten-intolerant clients as well. Had a wonderful experience with Joel, Mike & Keith as our guides for the 9 member group and all I can highly recommend. From inquiry to booking, preparation and starting our adventure, JHMG office staff & guides were there and answered all questions fully, staying engaged to ensure a smooth progression with our trip. I highly recommend JHMG for any outdoor wilderness experience and I look forward to future adventures with JHMG!

Things to know

57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.

We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re travelling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, please refer to the Wyoming Department of Health’s official website.

Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!

What you get in this adventure:

- An experienced, certified guide with extensive knowledge of the area
- A virtual check-in and introduction into the course
- A full 2 days in the field

What’s not included:

- Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
- Accommodation
- Food and snacks
- A 35$ vehicle fee at the Grand Teton National Park entrance

In order to get the most of this adventure, you need to have a moderate level of fitness. You will be on your feet for a full day. You will need to manage controlled descents in variable conditions. All participants should feel comfortable on challenging blue or black level resort runs and be able to carry a loaded daypack while skinning up variable degrees of terrain.

Prerequisites:
These courses are for downhill skiers and boarders. All participants must travel on touring skis or splitboard during the course and be comfortable riding black diamond terrain at the resort or ungroomed backcountry snow on slopes up to 30 degrees (blue square).

For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring:

- Alpine touring, telemark, or snowboarding boots (can be rented)
- Skis or splitboard with compatible binding for boots (can be rented)
- Avalanche safety equipment (can be rented)
- Climbing skins (can be rented)
- Ski poles (can be rented)
- Basic avalanche safety gear (can be rented)
  - Digital, 3-antenna avalanche transceiver or beacon
  - Lightweight snow shovel
  - Avalanche probe

For personal items, we recommend bringing:

- Long sleeve synthetic — medium to expedition weight long underwear
- Soft shell or fleece jacket
- Shell jacket with a hood
- Puffy jacket with a hood
- Synthetic or wool long underwear bottoms
- Shell pants — full side zips and built-in gaiters
- Socks — synthetic or wool, sized for your boots and blister protection
- Liners — optional, but recommended
- Gloves – 3 pairs: 1 light, 1 medium, 1 heavy pair
- Medium weight ski hat
- Baseball hat or visor for sun
- Buff or a neck gaiter
- Backpack (30-40 liter ski pack)
- Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity)
- Food you can eat-on-the-go
- Sunglasses
- Ski goggles
- Sunscreen
- Headlamp and extra batteries
- Laptop computer
- Camera — optional

All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:

- Avalanche safety pack, including backpack, beacon, shovel and probe can be rented from Jackson Hole Mountain Guides
- Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots and poles can be rented from Jackson Hole Mountain Guides
- Splitboards can be rented from Jackson Hole Mountain Guides

Ski rental locations are in Jackson, WY and should be picked up the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.

- These courses are not private. For the group courses, the usual guest to guide ratio is 6:1.
- Cost is per person and it doesn’t decrease as the group grows.

AIARE Level 1 courses in Jackson Hole can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:
You must be at least 18 years old to participate.

The simplest way to reach Jackson Hole is by taking a flight to the Salt Lake City International Airport. From there, you are a 4-5 hour drive away to Jackson, WY, depending on the weather conditions. Renting a car is recommended, but air travel options to the Jackson Hole Airport are also available. Grand Teton National Park is located roughly 10 minutes from Jackson, WY.

You will usually meet your guides at their Jackson, WY headquarters, after which you will take off for the trailhead in the Grand Teton National Park.

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