Curriculum

AAA primary logo          Avy 1 - AIARE

There is no one single, official, nationally recognized curriculum for avalanche education in the USA. However, there are established curriculum standards and guidelines. The American Avalanche Association (A3) is the non-profit body that has established these general standards for avalanche curriculum, while also certifying curriculum providers throughout the US. A3 oversees professional and recreational avalanche training programs to ensure programmatic quality, consistency, and up-to-date curriculum content. The organization is the U.S. certifying body for avalanche education.

The American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) was founded to provide instructors with the tools to educate students about the knowledge and decision-making skills necessary to travel in avalanche terrain.  The American Alpine Institute’s Avalanche Course instructors are AIARE-certified instructors and will teach the standardized AIARE curriculum on each course.

The goals of this course are to introduce the fundamentals of avalanche awareness and risk management, emphasizing practical decision-making in the field. Rather than offering fixed answers, it teaches students how to ask the right questions and apply a thoughtful, hands-on approach to traveling in avalanche terrain.  To establish and maintain proficiency in the knowledge and techniques covered in this course, students will have to practice extensively and regularly on their own after leaving the program.

Students Will Learn:

  • Types of avalanches
  • Characteristics of avalanches
  • An introduction to how avalanches form and release
  • Avalanche terrain
  • Trip planning and preparation
  • Travel techniques
  • Decision making
  • Applying forecast information

​This course does not cover snow science or avalanche technology in any detail. While it touches on and introduces advanced subjects such as snowpack development and metamorphism, these are discussed at a basic, non-technical level.

The course includes an online classroom portal where students will be assigned classwork to complete prior to the course starting.  Through relevant and engaging assignments, students will develop a basic understanding of avalanche terminology, how to identify avalanche terrain, and how the mountain snowpack forms. This will allow students to get the most from their face-to-face instruction.

This course can be completed on skis, splitboard, or snowshoes.  If you lack backcountry skiing or splitboarding experience, you can take our Intro to Backcountry Skiing or Splitboarding Courses.

Details

Prerequisites:

  • Prior backcountry travel experience on skis, snowshoes, or splitboard.
  • Have good physical fitness, including being able to hike for multiple hours with a 20 – 35lb backpack with minimal breaks.
  • Be able to dress appropriately for being outside in snowy, winter conditions, and be outside for a full day.
  • Be able to maintain your personal nutrition and hydration needs throughout the day (you may not have an official break for lunch – these are often done “on the go” – so you need to be able to manage your personal needs in this regard).

If you have extenuating circumstances, please be sure to notify both the Administrative office when registering and also notify your Course Leader on the first morning of your course so they are aware.

This course can be completed on skis, splitboard, or snowshoes.  If you are a skier or snowboarder, you will need to have previous backcountry experience on your touring skis or splitboard. The field days of your Avalanche Course should not be the first time you are on your backcountry setup. If you lack backcountry skiing or splitboarding experience, you can take our Intro to Backcountry Skiing or Splitboarding Courses or take our Winter Comprehensive Part 1.  See Course Options page for more info.

If you do not have previous backcountry experience and are not able to attend one of these Intro Courses, please plan on using snowshoes for the field days of your AIARE 1 Course. If snowboarders do not have a splitboard, you are welcome to use snowshoes for the hike uphill, then snowboard down; however, this can often be more cumbersome.

​Avalanche Gear

The AAI Equipment Shop rents avalanche gear, including beacons, probes, and shovels.  We also have backcountry skis and boots, snowshoes, and splitboards for rent.  We also carry packs and ski poles for rent.  See AAI rental pricing sheet.

Course Options

Hybrid or In-Person Courses

We offer two options for our courses:

  • Hybrid courses with two online evening interactive lectures on Tuesday and Thursday, plus two in-person field days on Saturday and Sunday, unless otherwise specified.
  • Standard courses with one full day in-person classroom session plus two in-person field days (Veterans using GI Bill benefits must enroll in these standard, in-person sessions).

Winter Backcountry Skills Part 1

We offer a combo course of our Intro to Backcountry Skiing or Splitboarding Course, AIARE Avalanche Level 1, and AIARE Rescue.  It’s the most well-rounded and cost-effective way to build the skills you need to confidently venture into the backcountry.  To view the available dates, please visit the webpage.