AIARE Level I+

Course Overview

We are excited to offer this 4-day Avalanche training and backcountry skills course. Four days in the Mt. Shasta Backcountry with Senior Guide and Avalanche Educator Rich Meyer. Completion of this course will include AIARE Level I, AIARE Rescue Class, and a day to put all the new learned skills to practice while choosing appropriate terrain for the conditions. At the end of the course, you will receive a certificate of completion.

Rich Meyer has over 20 years of guiding in the backcountry and saw a need to offer an extra day to tour while debriefing the course content with real-world scenarios. This will be a great opportunity to learn and practice the details of avalanche hazard assessment and mitigation with plenty of time in the field ski touring.

NOTE: This is a ski/board-specific course. Touring skis or split boards are required – snowshoes are not sufficient.

Upon completion of the Avalanche level one course you will have an understanding of:

• Trip Planning and Preparation 

• Types and characteristics of avalanches 

• Types of avalanches, their motion & size classification 

• Avalanche danger scale 

• An introduction to snowpack metamorphism and layering 

• Field observation techniques 

• Stability tests

• Avalanche terrain recognition, assessment and route finding

• Proper decision making

• Intro to Companion Rescue and equipment

For lodging in the town of Mount Shasta before and after your trip we recommend our partners at Summit Lofts and LOGE Mt. Shasta. They offer a discount to our climbers and guests.