Guided AIARE Avalanche Level 2 in Jackson Hole

Top three reasons to upgrade your skills in Jackson Hole

Master traveling through hazardous avalanche territory
Improve your terrain management and decision-making skills
Relish in Grand Teton’s steep slopes and pristine powder

A beautiful day in the backcountry can quickly turn ugly and mess up more than just your plans. Now that your AIARE Level 1 course has taught you the basics of preparing for and navigating hazardous backcountry terrain, you’re ready to step up your skills once again. The unpredictable and unforgiving nature of avalanche territory spells trouble for the unprepared, but after completing this AIARE Level 2 course you’ll be equipped to deal with even the most complex situations arising in Grand Teton’s sublime snowy wilderness. Learn more about avalanche awareness and risk management from AMGA Mountain Guide Rob Coppolillo.

Season December through March	Nearest city Salt Lake City, UT, is a 4-5 hour drive away
Duration 2 days	Skill level Intermediate

Book this adventure

Building upon the AIARE Level 1 curriculum, this advanced avalanche course in Grand Teton National Park will equip you with the tools to traverse avalanche terrain with confidence and safely lead small groups through any challenge in the backcountry.

Learning outcomes

This comprehensive two-day course will have you master skiing and splitboarding through challenging avalanche terrain, develop your hazard evaluation, decision-making and terrain management skills and teach you how to lead small groups to safety. The AIARE Level 2 course starts two days after an introductory online meeting with your instructor.

DAY 1: Gathering info

You will learn how to interpret weather data and snow conditions, while a field session with a departure check will teach you how to manage risk when leading small groups. You’ll also gain advanced knowledge of avalanche release, snow pits and snow profiles.

DAY 2: Ensuring safety

You will learn valuable ski touring skills needed in the backcountry like range checking avalanche beacons and gathering field obs. Your guide will show you how to analyze snow instability, employ proper travel techniques and select the right terrain.

Meet your guide

The Mountain Guides

The Mountain Guides have been leading desert and mountain adventures in the Western U.S. since 1968. They offer the unique experience of discovering the vertical world with some of America's most experienced mountain guides. Accredited by the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA), they run everything from climbing courses to ski mountaineering. People of all ages who seek outdoor adventure can find the Mountain Guides’ program appropriate for their ambitions.

Reviews (3)

John Howland about Jackson Hole Mountain Guides on Jackson Hole Mountain Guides

JHMG knows their stuff! My instructors provided a wealth of knowledge for us to learn from and an awesome attitude that kept everyone stoked.

Ben Weaver 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 exploring on snow in the Tetons and beyond.

Clinton Culp 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 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, 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 from your guides if you don’t have your own. You can rent:

Avalanche safety pack, including backpack, beacon, shovel and probe
Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots and poles
Splitboards

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.

Group sizes and pricing:

This course is not private. For the 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 2 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 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 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 Grand Teton National Park.

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