With countless off-piste options and majestic wintry vistas each step of the way, Estes Park and the nearby Rocky Mountain National Park beckon backcountry enthusiasts year after year. While the area’s amazing terrain and snow are perfect for carving big turns, they are also ideal for learning about the one thing that shouldn’t be overlooked when venturing out of bounds—avalanche threats. If you’re planning on visiting off-piste areas, freshening up on your avalanche safety skills becomes of paramount importance. The Estes Park area’s conditions make for a perfect snowy classroom in which working on these skills will jog your memory and make you remember all you need to know about group management techniques, snowpack, terrain, and hazard evaluation from the previous AIARE Level 1 course. You never know when these techniques could come in handy, and with an experienced guide leading you throughout the process, you are guaranteed to walk away a more self-reliant mountain adventurer!
Take in the expansive views of snowy landscapes all around you
Prepare for upcoming off-piste trips by revising the necessary skills
Refresh your memory and broaden your existing avalanche safety knowledge on fantastic terrain
Refresh your memory and build upon your already existing avalanche safety skills and knowledge on this 8-hour Avalanche Level 1 Refresher Course in the breathtaking Estes Park! Freshen up on various skills such as group management techniques, discuss snowpack, terrain, hazard evaluation, and travel techniques in the backcountry with your experienced guide, and become a much more confident out-of-bounds traveler!
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 traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Estes Park, Colorado, please refer to Colorado’s COVID-19 Travel Guidelines and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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:
What’s not included:
In order to get the most of this guided Avalanche Level 1 Refresher Course in Estes Park, you need to have a moderate level of fitness. You will be on your feet for about 6-8 hours. 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. Skiers must be able to hike for several hours at a time while carrying a small pack.
Prerequisites:
AIARE Level 1 Course or equivalent Level 1 training is required. Students must be able to travel in the snow on either an AT/Tele setup or splitboard and bring appropriate equipment for traveling on snow to class.
For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring:
For personal items, we recommend bringing:
All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:
Ski rental locations are in Boulder, CO, 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:
AIARE Level 1 refresher courses in Estes Park can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
To get to Estes Park, most people fly into Denver International Airport 1.5 hours from Estes Park. From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle service and a taxi.
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. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ability of the group.
Day Trips Cancellations
Fully refundable within the initial 48 hours from booking, unless the trip date is less than 7 days from the time of the booking.
Cancellations up to 7 days prior to the trip date are refundable 100%.
Cancellations within 7 days prior to the trip date are non-refundable.
This guided Avalanche Level 1 Refresher Course in Estes Park will cover:
