AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course in Wasatch, Utah

Top three reasons to upgrade your skills in Wasatch

Proximity to Salt Lake City makes the trip simpler and more practical
Excellent snowfall conditions guarantee a world-class experience
Enjoy Wasatch Range’s 400 mountains and 11,000-foot peaks

Towering imposingly in Salt Lake City’s backyard, Wasatch Range continues to attract thrillseekers worldwide with its alluring cliffs and powdery peaks. While the Range offers a myriad of different recreation opportunities, it’s especially generous to the skiers! The unique combination of heavy, dry, and powdery snow inspired local ski resorts to crown Wasatch’s snowfall as “the greatest snow on earth.” While this may be a bold statement to make, it’s an undisputed fact that the Wasatch Range offers some of the best skiing in North America—after all, it was home to the 2002 winter Olympics. However, when skiing on dangerous slopes, one can never be too careful. Avalanches are a very real possibility here, and the abundance of perilous cliffs and excellent snow make the mountain a great setting for your avalanche education course. Head to Wasatch for your AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course, and master the basics of avalanche safety in the coolest learning environment you could imagine.

Season December	Nearest city Salt Lake City, UT is less than 2 hours away
Duration 3 days	Skill level Beginner to intermediate

Book this adventure

Verse yourself in the basics of avalanche safety quickly and efficiently with the AIARE Level 1 Course in Wasatch. 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 professional 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 learn techniques for evaluating hazards and managing risks when traversing avalanche-prone terrain.

Day 1: Two days before 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 (2)

Ben W. about Jackson Hole Mountain Guides on Jackson Hole Mountain Guides

Knowledgeable instructors and in a setting that inspires. I learned a lot during my course and look forward to putting my new knowledge to use by exploring snow in the Tetons and beyond.

Clinton C. about Jackson Hole Mountain Guides on Jackson Hole Mountain Guides

Very professional! Excellent instructors with a wealth of knowledge and most importantly, they know how to facilitate the growth of one’s mountain sense.

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, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Wasatch, Ohio, please refer to the State of Ohio’s official Covid-19 updates 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

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:

You don’t need to be an advanced skier or boarder, but you do need to be able to ascend moderate slopes using skins. All participants should be comfortable traveling in snow while carrying touring gear. There are no other prerequisites.

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
Softshell 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 Wasatch 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.

Group size:

For this group course, 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 Wasatch can be arranged for larger or private groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:

You must be at least 18 years old to participate.

The simplest way to reach Wasatch is by taking a flight to Salt Lake City International Airport. Once there, we recommend renting a car or taking a shuttle.

Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet, whether that’s at the guide shop or a predetermined location. From there, you’ll head to your tour. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ski ability of the group.

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