AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Refresher Course 

As we teach more than a half-dozen avalanche courses each winter we have plenty of time to personally review new information that enters avalanche education and we are able to keep our skills honed. Our AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Refresher Course provides an opportunity for past AIARE Level 1 course participants to review their skills and to be exposed to new information and techniques that may have been introduced since completion of of your last avalanche course.

We begin with an indoor review of the basics and then spend the afternoon outdoors applying many of the skills covered during the field portion of your Level 1 Avalanche Course. While the basic structure of each Avalanche Refresher Course is the same, we use a portion of the day to cover new beacons, technology, or techniques to provide participants with an update of their avalanche education.

Depending on snow conditions, these programs take place either near Stevens Pass Ski Area or in Icicle Creek Canyon near Leavenworth, WA. All programs start at 8 am and generally finish around 4 pm.

The Classroom portion will include: 

• Making sense of the avalanche forecast
• Review of observation checklist
• Creation of tour plan
• Review of safety plan

The Field Session will include: 

• Travel in avalanche terrain
• Group management
• Bonding tests
• Review of new techniques or strategies for assessing stability
• Strategic shoveling
• Hazard recognition
• Strategic shoveling
• Rescue practice including multiple burials

On custom courses or with small groups, the itinerary can be customized to concentrate on skills that you select.

Sample Itinerary - AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Refresher Course 

8 am: Meet in Leavenworth or at Stevens Pass and begin classroom session.

11:30 am: Wrap up classroom session, move toward field session

Noon-3:30 pm: Conduct Field Session

3:30 - 4:00 pm: Wrap up and debrief

Qualifications 

Completion of AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course