Guided AIARE Avalanche Rescue Course in Whitefish

Top three reasons to upgrade your skills in Whitefish

Tons of black diamond runs provide an authentic learning environment
Mountain winds and cold temperatures guarantee quality powder daily
Breathtaking views of Glacier National Park and the Flathead Valley

For the visitors of the small mountain town of Whitefish, Montana, skiing is everything. And with a national park and a mountain resort practically in their backyard, who could blame them? However, you shouldn’t mistake Whitefish for just another trendy resort complex. As the locals would tell you, “Whitefish is not a ski town, it’s a town of skiers”. Hundreds of locals join the tourists every day to ride the tree-lined runs of Whitetail and Whiskey Spring, or to test their skill on Big Horn, Black Bear, or the aptly named Hellroaring Basin. All this on light and fluffy snow that’s constantly being refreshed by Pacific snowstorms, making scoring a powder day extremely likely. This winter, mix backcountry business with backcountry pleasure and take an AIARE Avalanche Rescue Course in Whitefish. Learning doesn’t feel as strenuous when you’re among rime-ice coated trees, soaking in the stunning views of Flathead Lake or Glacier National park. Scratch your backcountry itch and learn a thing or two while you’re at it!

Season December through January	Nearest city Kalispell, MO is 20 minutes away
Duration 1 day	Skill level Beginner to intermediate

Book this adventure

Learn new skills or revisit old ones with this one-day standalone course. This course is intended to be taken regularly to keep up with optimal rescue techniques. Newcomers will learn the basics of companion rescue, while experienced participants will expand their skillset with advanced topics and realistic scenario practice. An expert guide will provide you with professional coaching to ensure a safe and productive learning experience!

Learning outcomes

This course is meant to teach you avalanche rescue skills and increase your likelihood of survival in an avalanche situation. The course emphasizes that education and avoiding getting caught in an avalanche is the best plan, while rescue is just a backup in case everything goes wrong. The course also promotes a culture of routine avalanche rescue practice and attendance of an avalanche rescue course every two years.

Start with an introduction and an explanation of course logistics and an intro to avalanche rescue. After a short departure check, participate in a rescue demonstration, a rescue skills breakdown, and single burial scenarios. After a lunch break, engage in advanced topics, scenario practice and assessment, and learn about patient considerations and evac protocols.

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 (3)

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.

John H. 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 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.

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 Whitefish, Montana, please refer to the Montana Governor’s Coronavirus Task Force 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 full day in the field
A rescue card acknowledging completion date at course end

What’s not included:

Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
Accommodation
Food and snacks

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:

Students must be able to travel in the snow and bring appropriate equipment for traveling on snow to class. Skiers must be able to hike for several hours at a time while carrying a small pack. 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)
Climbing skins (can be rented)
Ski poles (can be rented)
Avalanche safety equipment (can be rented):
- Digital, 3-antenna avalanche transceiver or beacon
- Lightweight snow shovel
- Avalanche probe

For personal items, we recommend bringing:

Helmet — optional, but recommended
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)
Thermos or insulated water bottle
Food you can eat-on-the-go
Sunglasses
Ski goggles
Extra prescription glasses/contact lenses
Sunscreen
Lip balm
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 your guides
Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots, and poles can be rented from your guides
Splitboards can be rented from your guides

Ski rental locations are in Whitefish 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 course, the usual guest-to-guide ratio is 6:1 with group of up to 12 people.
Cost is per person and it doesn’t decrease as the group grows.

Ski touring in Whitefish can be arranged for larger or private groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:

If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
Minors may be permitted to join private tours on a case-by-case basis. If you plan to take this course with anyone under the age of 18, please contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

To get to Whitefish, most people fly into Glacier Park International Airport 15 minutes away from Whitefish. From there, you can rent a car or take a train.

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 in Whitefish 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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