Mammoth Avalanche Courses: AIARE Education in the Eastern Sierra   Known for its high elevation, reliable snowfall, and long spring touring season, Mammoth Lakes is one of California’s premier destinations for backcountry skiing, and a...

Tahoe Avalanche Courses: AIARE Education in Donner Summit, Mt. Rose & South Lake Tahoe   With world-class terrain, deep Sierra storms, and easy access from California and Nevada, Lake Tahoe is one of the best...

Oregon Avalanche Courses: AIARE Education on Mt. Hood   From the flanks of Mt. Hood to the quiet ridgelines of the Central Oregon Cascades, Oregon offers a unique environment to take an avalanche course. With...

Washington Avalanche Courses: AIARE 1, Avalanche Rescue & AIARE 2 in the Cascades   With deep snowpacks, complex terrain, and easy access to big mountain environments, Washington State offers some of the best places in...

The Ultimate Guide to AIARE Avalanche Courses   If you want to travel safely in the winter backcountry, avalanche education is essential. AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) courses are the nationally recognized...

What to Expect in an AIARE 2 Course: Take Your Avalanche Skills to the Next Level   If you’ve already completed AIARE 1 and Avalanche Rescue and have a season or two of touring experience...

What to Expect in an Avalanche Rescue Course: Build the Skills That Save Lives   If you spend any time in the winter backcountry, Avalanche Rescue is one of the most essential skills you can...

What to Expect in Your AIARE 1 Course: A First-Timer's Guide to Avalanche Education   If you're signed up for an AIARE 1 course, or thinking about it, you’re taking the most important step toward...

Students observing the snowpack while touring on day 1 of AIARE 1. Photo: Zeb Blais.    Why Choose Blackbird for your Avalanche Course? Since its founding, Blackbird Mountain Guides has striven to provide the best avalanche courses...

Participants dig for a buried avalanche beacon (to simulate a buried partner) during a rescue scenario on a Blackbird Lift-Accessed Avalanche Rescue Course in Tahoe.  Opportunities to practice multiple scenarios in realistic terrain make this program...

Electromagnetic interference has long been a known issue with avalanche transceivers.  But how much of an issue?  And what do we do about it? The UIAA released guidelines earlier this month describing what types of electromagnetic...

Our Video demonstrates an excellent progression of snowpack tests that can help to flesh out the hazards in the backcountry snowpack.  It shows how to make snowpack observations and conduct snowpack tests to inform your understanding of the avalanche hazard.  Remember, you're not trying to be an avalanche forecaster - always read the avalanche forecast!

Avalanche Level 1 originally intended to do two things.  It aimed to provide a baseline understanding of avalanches and decision making to avoid avalanches and to provide rescue skills in the event of an accident. As it turns out, this was a lot to cram into the original 3 day AIARE 1.  That's where the Avalanche Rescue Course enters the picture.  This blog post investigates why this separation was a good thing and what the Avalanche Rescue Course means for your abilities in the field.

It seems that most everyone has received the message at this point: if you're going into the backcountry, you need to take an Avy Course.  But why is this so important?  Is it really all that complicated? Is it really that dangerous?  What do we learn in these classes anyway?