AIARE Avalanche Rescue Course - 2023

Avalanche Education Course

Avalanche Rescue

AIARE Avalanche Rescue is a one-day stand alone course that teaches best practices in avalanche rescue techniques and gear usage. Held at Berthoud Pass. Meet at 8:00am at Berthoud Pass Summit Parking Lot. Day ends 4:00pm.

CMC-DEN AIARE AVALANCHE RESCUE Session 1

One minute, you and your friends are enjoying a blue bird day skiing the backcountry. The next minute an avalanche sweeps down and takes a few of your friends down with it. Would you know what to do? Would you be efficient with your avalanche rescue gear and timely to get to your buddies? You want to know the answers before it happens. A good place to start is with the American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education, AIARE. Their Companion Rescue course will give you the skills, experience and confidence to manage an avalanche rescue.

AIARE Avalanche Rescue is a one-day stand alone course that is intended to be retaken on a regular basis in order to keep abreast of best practices in rescue techniques and gear. Participants will spend the day in the field receiving instruction on and practicing companion rescue. Field scenarios gives each participant an opportunity to role-role play in multiple search and rescue operations; while receiving instructor coaching throughout. The small instructor to student ratio, 1:6, ensures each participant is achieving the course goals and their own personal goals.

Course outcomes include solid practice opportunities to improve rescue efficiency and rescue times. Experience working in simple and more complex burial scenarios. Participants' organizational and decision making processes in a stressful group setting will be tested and improve. 

Upon successful completion of the course, participants receive an AIARE companion rescue card acknowledging the completion date.

AIARE Avalanche Rescue is a prerequisite for AIARE 2. In addition, AIARE recommends that all backcountry travelers keep their skills current by taking an Avalanche Rescue course and receiving a rescue card at least every other year. CMC requires it every 5 years at least to refresh and update skills for CMC leaders and instructors who lead or instruct in avalanche terrain.

Our AIARE Program Leader is Karin Pocock, a 20+ year snow industry professional, and an exceptional educator and AIARE Program Leader. Check her out at skylinebackcountryguides.com 

CMC Members & Non-members, (Guests), who travel in avalanche terrain, this course is for you. 

Guests - If you are not a member of the Colorado Mountain Club, seriously think about signing up. Sign-up to be a member before you sign-up for the course. As a CMC member, you'll enjoy an immediate savings of $20. Benefits include gear and event discounts, access to many more classes, cool trips, fun events and tons of like-minded folks who love the Colorado outdoors. Being a CMC member is guaranteed to enhance the experiences that fill your backcountry and mountaineering adventures.

LOCATION - EXPECTED TO BE BERTHOUD PASS.

Badges you will earn:

Course Requirements

This course has no scheduled activities.

Roster
Required Equipment

Clothing:  Bundle up folks. 8 hour field days will commence even during very cold and snowy weather. In Colorado that means layers and back-ups. Hand and toe warmers. Extra gloves and insulation recommended.

Helmet for skiers and split-boarders; optional for snowshoers

Ski goggles and sunglasses

Mode of Travel: AT or Tele skis, split-board, snowshoes

Food for the day, consider hot drink, water, energy snacks

Sunblock, personal med kit, your normal repair kit suitable for your gear 

Think 10 essentials to keep you alive in the cold Colorado winter.  We'll cover it and questions in the zoom lectures.

Avalanche Gear - The Club expects to have Beacon/Probe/Shovel kits available for loan to those students who do not possess their own avalanche gear.  If you do not presently own the gear, you may hold off on purchasing it, and consider borrowing this gear from the club. Especially if you have not made any decisions about the extent of your backcountry winter forays, whichever winter discipline you are contemplating pursuing.

Course Materials

You must register for this course to see course materials.