AIARE 2 Avalanche Course in California - Private
We'll cover the following topics:
- Mountain Snowpack
- Mountain Weather
- The Avalanche Problems
- Trip Planning
- Snow and Weather Observations
- How to Practice Small Team Avalanche Rescue
- Terrain Choice
- Human Factors and Assembling your Team
- Trailhead Departure Check
- Route Finding
- Track Setting
- Descent Choices
Online Portion
6 hour online course prior to webinar
2 hour webinar prior to field days
Field Day 1
8:00 am Meet your guide and review the plan for the day. The guide will discuss the avalanche problem for the day, the proposed route up and options for the ascent and descent. The guide will conduct a Trailhead Departure Check/Beacon Check.
8:30 am Tour to a zone where we can make snowpack observations pertinent to the current avalanche problem, including a Snow Pit.
12:30 pm Tour to a zone that is appropriate for practicing small team avalanche rescue.
3:30 pm We will close the program at the trailhead with a quick review of the skills that we learned, a synopsis of the avalanche observations that we made and an overview of what to expect the following day in the field.
Field Day 2
8:00 am We’ll meet at the trailhead for our objective and students will lead us through the weather overnight and forecast for the day, the current avalanche advisory, our route plan and options, an emergency action plan and perform the trailhead beacon check.
8:30 - 3:00pm Throughout the day we will practice the skills that we’ve learned throughout the program in real time to execute our tour in good style. We’ll practice gathering observations, prioritizing information and making decisions with our teams.
3:30 pm We’ll regroup at the trailhead to debrief the tour and discuss the lessons of the day. Then we will close out the program by providing some guidance on good choices for your next steps in avalanche education and ski touring progression.
- Completed AIARE 1 and AIARE Avalanche Rescue Courses
- Advanced resort riding skills including off piste terrain in challenging snow conditions
- Proficient using ski touring and avalanche gear
- Moderate Fitness - Able to spend an active day outside, moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of roughly 1 hour between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 4-6 miles and climb 1,000-2,500 vertical feet throughout the course of the day.
- Innovative curriculum
- Lifetime access to our in-house built online course material
- Lift Ticket
- Group Safety Gear: Guide will be equipped with snow science tools and a first aid kit
- Leave No Trace Materials: wag bag
Tahoe Backcountry Skiing Gear List
- Avalanche Gear - Come prepared with your own gear or rent from Blackbird
- Ski/Split Touring Gear - Come prepared with your own gear or rent from Tahoe Sports Hub - use code BLACKBIRD10 for 10% off at checkout.
Know Before you go
Blackbird Mountain Guides offers both scheduled group programs and private programs.
Private programs are simply above and beyond what Blackbird Mountain Guides currently has scheduled. Scheduled courses are not always less expensive. Before booking a trip with Blackbird Mountain Guides, clients are encouraged to review the differences between these types of programs, and to decide what works best for them.
SCHEDULED PROGRAMS
Scheduled Programs have fixed dates, itineraries, objectives, curriculum, and costs. They typically appeal to solo individuals or small groups or who are looking to share the cost of their program with a larger group. Correspondingly, scheduled programs are less expensive for smaller groups (1-2), and they provide the opportunity to meet others with similar interests. If you have a large group (3+), Scheduled programs will often be more expensive. They can fill up quickly, and scheduling flexibility is obviously limited.
Scheduled programs will have advertised dates. All scheduled programs can be run as private programs with private dates/rates as well.
PRIVATE PROGRAMS
Private programs have scheduling freedom. They typically appeal to those who would like some flexibility in planning their own trip or course. In this regard, Itineraries and objectives can be tailored to suit current conditions as well as client goals. Private programs are normally less expensive for larger groups (3+). If you have a small group (1-2) private programs will be more expensive.
We'll cover the following topics:
- Mountain Snowpack
- Mountain Weather
- The Avalanche Problems
- Trip Planning
- Snow and Weather Observations
- How to Practice Small Team Avalanche Rescue
- Terrain Choice
- Human Factors and Assembling your Team
- Trailhead Departure Check
- Route Finding
- Track Setting
- Descent Choices
Online Portion
6 hour online course prior to webinar
2 hour webinar prior to field days
Field Day 1
8:00 am Meet your guide and review the plan for the day. The guide will discuss the avalanche problem for the day, the proposed route up and options for the ascent and descent. The guide will conduct a Trailhead Departure Check/Beacon Check.
8:30 am Tour to a zone where we can make snowpack observations pertinent to the current avalanche problem, including a Snow Pit.
12:30 pm Tour to a zone that is appropriate for practicing small team avalanche rescue.
3:30 pm We will close the program at the trailhead with a quick review of the skills that we learned, a synopsis of the avalanche observations that we made and an overview of what to expect the following day in the field.
Field Day 2
8:00 am We’ll meet at the trailhead for our objective and students will lead us through the weather overnight and forecast for the day, the current avalanche advisory, our route plan and options, an emergency action plan and perform the trailhead beacon check.
8:30 - 3:00pm Throughout the day we will practice the skills that we’ve learned throughout the program in real time to execute our tour in good style. We’ll practice gathering observations, prioritizing information and making decisions with our teams.
3:30 pm We’ll regroup at the trailhead to debrief the tour and discuss the lessons of the day. Then we will close out the program by providing some guidance on good choices for your next steps in avalanche education and ski touring progression.
- Completed AIARE 1 and AIARE Avalanche Rescue Courses
- Advanced resort riding skills including off piste terrain in challenging snow conditions
- Proficient using ski touring and avalanche gear
- Moderate Fitness - Able to spend an active day outside, moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of roughly 1 hour between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 4-6 miles and climb 1,000-2,500 vertical feet throughout the course of the day.
- Innovative curriculum
- Lifetime access to our in-house built online course material
- Lift Ticket
- Group Safety Gear: Guide will be equipped with snow science tools and a first aid kit
- Leave No Trace Materials: wag bag
Tahoe Backcountry Skiing Gear List
- Avalanche Gear - Come prepared with your own gear or rent from Blackbird
- Ski/Split Touring Gear - Come prepared with your own gear or rent from Tahoe Sports Hub - use code BLACKBIRD10 for 10% off at checkout.
the blackbird difference
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