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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!
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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.
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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!
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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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