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 day 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

What equipment do I need to bring?

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) Helmet – optional Avalanche safety equipment (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) Thermos or insulated water bottles. Lots of snacks. Sunglasses Ski goggles Sunscreen Headlamp and extra batteries Laptop computer Camera — optional

Can I rent equipment?

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.

Group sizes and age requirements

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.

Guided AIARE Avalanche Rescue in Jackson Hole| 57hours

Top three reasons to upgrade your skills in Jackson Hole

Ski to your heart’s content in Grand Teton’s endless backcountry
Explore and overcome the snowy peaks of the 40-mile-long Teton Range
Experience Jackson Hole’s lively and authentic people and culture

With backcountry season drawing near, many of us will be drawn to the mountains, ready to plan our next ski trip. However, mountain adventures come with a fair share of risks. Avalanches come fast, they are unpredictable, and they can ruin a trip at best and put you in serious danger at worst. This is why, prior to heading for the slopes, you should take necessary precautions and learn how to keep yourself and your companions safe. Become a smarter and more confident skier with the Guided Avalanche Rescue course in Jackson Hole. Beginners will be taught proper behavior and protocols in avalanche situations, while those more versed in avalanche safety will get a chance to refresh their knowledge through realistic practice exercises. The classroom? The Grand Teton National park and its 300,000 acres of breathtaking wilderness. “It couldn’t happen to me”, you say? Let’s hope so. But if it does, it’s good to be ready. Find out more about avalanche awareness and managing backcountry risk from an AMGA/IFMGA guide Rob Coppolillo.

Season December through March	Nearest city Salt Lake City, UT is a 4-5 hour drive away
Duration 1 day	Skill level Beginner to advanced

Book this adventure

Sign up for a one-day standalone course and brush up on your avalanche skills in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The course is conducted entirely in the field, in venues such as the Teton Pass, Togwotee Pass and Grand Teton National Park. Beginners will spend the day learning the basics of companion rescue, while experienced participants will get the chance to review and expand their skill set through realistic scenario practice. At the end of the day, you will receive a rescue card acknowledging your completion of the course.

Learning outcomes

This one-day course is intended to be taken on a regular basis to maintain awareness of the best practices, rescue techniques and optimal gear for avalanche situations. Whether you’re a total beginner or an AIARE 1 or 2 Avalanche Course graduate, the AIARE Avalanche Rescue course is for you. The goals of the course are as follows:

- Train backcountry travelers in Avalanche Rescue skills
- Increase the likelihood of survival in an avalanche
- Emphasize that education and avoiding getting caught in an avalanche is the best plan; rescue is a backup in case everything goes wrong.
- Provide skills, practice methods for proficiency at the Avalanche Rescue standard
- Promote a culture of routine avalanche rescue practice and attendance of an Avalanche
- Rescue course every two years

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)

Ben W. about 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 C. about 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.

John H. about 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.

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 day 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:
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)
- Helmet – optional
- Avalanche safety equipment (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)
- Thermos or insulated water bottles. Lots of snacks.
- 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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