Level 2 Avalanche Course
Recognized by the AMGA
Avalanche Processes and Leadership
The level 2 course builds on what was learned in the level 1. Topics such as rescue, travel in avalanche terrain, snowpack metamorphism, and stability assessment are reviewed and covered in greater depth. Exceptions to Level 1 "rules" are introduced.
Forty percent of the course is classroom based and the other sixty percent is field based. We will travel in the backcountry, in and around avalanche terrain.
This course will cover the following:
- Weather history and how it applies to stability assessment
- Route selection and planning
- Multiple burials and advanced rescue techniques
- Advanced topics in snowpack metamorphism
- Documentation as per SWAG guidelines
- Advanced stability analysis: applying strength, structure & energy into a stability assessment
- Avalanche mechanics
- Route finding and group management in complex terrain
- Human factor traps, escapes and observations
- Decision making and group management
Course Requirements
- Level 1 avalanche course
- Minimum of one season between the level 1 & level 2 used to apply the tools and strategies learned on a level 1.
Time Commitment
4-days or 40 hours
Cost
$400 ($435 for the Missoula course)
Recommended Reading
Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, Bruce Tremper
Snow, Weather and Avalanches: Observational Guidelines for Avalanche Programs in the United States (SWAG)