Military Avalanche Training
Our instructors have decades of avalanche forecasting experience and are experienced in the use of explosives in avalanche control, as well as forecasting in remote locations. Many have experience going into new areas and evaluating terrain from the air and then making operational decisions.
We have designed custom courses for over a dozen special operations teams. Below we list some common formats, but we can tailor the course to your unit’s specific training objectives, and your time schedule.
For more information or to book a military course with AAI please contact info@americanavalancheinstitute.com.
Weather & Avalanche Forecasting
This course is especially designed for military weather personnel who may be tasked with forecasting in remote mountain ranges. The course is taught by meteorologist Jim Woodmencey and other senior AAI instructors.
5 Day Option
Day 1 & 2 are two days of focused winter weather and avalanche-weather forecasting, including basic mountain meteorology, from synoptic scale influences down to mesoscale and microscale orographic effects.
Day 3-5 is spent on avalanche training and mountain travel skills. The course covers snow and avalanche formation, terrain evaluation, safe travel, backcountry avalanche hazard forecasting, and hazard evaluation. Throughout this course, we will concentrate on the forecasting techniques used for specific locations in mountainous environments. There will be map reading and forecasting exercises each day to give students some hands-on experience forecasting for mountain locations.
9 Day Option
Day 1 & 2 are two days of focused winter weather and avalanche-weather forecasting, including basic mountain meteorology, from synoptic scale influences down to mesoscale and microscale orographic effects.
Day 3 is spent at one of our local ski areas, learning the basics of skiing and/or improving existing ski skills.
Day 4 is spent honing ski techniques and learning the basics of ski touring – skinning, transitions, and skiing in soft snow.
Day 5-9 is spent on avalanche training and mountain travel skills. The course covers snow and avalanche formation, terrain evaluation, safe travel, backcountry avalanche hazard forecasting, and hazard evaluation.
Throughout this course, we will concentrate on the forecasting techniques used for specific locations in mountainous environments. There will be map reading and forecasting exercises each day to give students some hands-on experience forecasting for mountain locations.
Mountain Travel & Avalanche Course
This course is focused on avalanche training and mountain travel skills. The course covers snow and avalanche formation, terrain evaluation, safe travel, backcountry avalanche hazard forecasting, and hazard evaluation.
6 Day Option
We will cover route finding/map reading in complex terrain, efficient/safe movement in the snow covered mountains, and how to construct emergency shelters.
The goal of this course will be to make accurate assessments of weather, snowpack, and terrain information to create a daily avalanche hazard forecast for a given location, or route, in the mountains.
8 Day Option
Day 1 is spent at one of our local ski areas, learning the basics of skiing and/or improving existing ski skills.
Day 2 is spent honing ski techniques and learning the basics of ski touring – skinning, transitions, and skiing in soft snow.
Day 3-8 is spent on avalanche training and mountain travel skills. The course covers snow and avalanche formation, terrain evaluation, safe travel, backcountry avalanche hazard forecasting, hazard evaluation and rescue.
The goal of this course will be to make accurate assessments of weather, snowpack, and terrain information to create a daily avalanche hazard forecast for a given location, or route, in the mountains.
