AIARE Level 1 Course with Irwin Guides

Course Description

The American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) is a 3-day, 24-hour introduction to avalanche hazards. With a mix of both classroom and field time, the focus of the course is to learn how to recognize hazards, how to manage and minimize them, and finally how to respond in case of an emergency.

Course Objectives

Students will come away from the course having learned:

– How to prepare and plan for a backcountry tour
– How to analyze an avalanche forecast
– How to identify avalanche terrain and avalanche types
– How to recognize hazardous conditions
– Basic snowpack understanding
– Route selection and terrain features
– Snowpack tests and interpretation
– Educated decision making
– Basic rescue techniques
– Group management

Why Take AIARE Courses with Us

– Irwin Guides avalanche education courses utilize up to 4 different drainages out of the Crested Butte basin, all within a ten minute drive from downtown Crested Butte. If ten minutes is too much and you want the all immersive experience, sign up for one of our hut based courses and ski from the front door!

– Learn from trained professionals who are educators and guides alike. With professional avalanche mitigation experience from the backcountry, ski areas, snowcat, and heli skiing operations, both with and without the use of explosives.

– Our guides are full-time practitioners who guide year round, around the world, drawing on an array of experiences throughout different snowpacks from around the world, which allows them to customize the teaching to every different group.

– AIARE Avalanche education began here in the Gunnison Valley, and the founders can still be seen around skiing, in turn influencing the quality and progression of Irwin Guides products.

– Unlike many AIARE providers, Irwin Guides limits course sizes to offer more personalized learning for each student, and ensure that each course is staffed by the highest quality instructors.