Overview:
This special course has been developed specifically for snowmobilers and snow bike riders.
Avalanche Fundamentals
The Level 1 provides a solid foundation in avalanche knowledge and skills. Â The AAI Backcountry Avalanche Checklist helps to focus the curriculum around a systematic approach to sorting and prioritizing information in the complex environment of decision-making in the backcountry. Â Forty percent of the course is online/classroom based and the other sixty percent is field based. We will travel in the backcountry, in and around avalanche terrain. Â Snowmobiles and snow bikes will be used in class to access terrain. Â Vehicles not provided. Â Must be able to ride off trail in powder and varied snow conditions in mountainous terrain. Â Requires intermediate backcountry snowmobile skills.
This course focuses on the following:
- Basic avalanche terminology
- Recognizing avalanche terrain
- Travel procedures in avalanche terrain
- Formation of the mountain snowpack
- How weather changes the snowpack
- Human factors and how they can influence decision-making
- Interpreting the avalanche forecast bulletin
- Ride planning
- Avalanche transceiver use and rescue skills
- Field observations of terrain, snowpack, and weather
- Basic use and interpretation of stability tests
- Use of the Backcountry Avalanche Checklist in the field to provide a system for prioritizing information, working as a team, and minimizing possible human factor traps
- Classroom decision-making scenarios to practice use of the checklist
- Next steps
Prerequisites
- Wyoming snowmobile registration sticker required in class.
- Snowmobile not provided
RECOMMENDED READING
- Snow Sense, Jill Fredston & Doug Fesler
- Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, Bruce Tremper
- Avalanche Essentials, Bruce Tremper
Additional Information
Still have questions? See our frequently asked questions section for details on gear, what’s provided on a course, and more.
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