Level 2 Avalanche Safety Course Overview
Understanding avalanches and their dangers is a must for any climber, skier, or backcountry enthusiast. We offer avalanche education courses following the established curriculum of the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE). Our Level 2 courses take place in the heart of the Pacific Northwest on Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, and Stevens Pass in Washington.
The Level 2 AIARE course is a three-day/24-hour course that provides backcountry travelers an opportunity to advance their decision making skills in more complicated situations such as being a leader within a small travel group, traveling in more complicated terrain, and/or developing a travel plan where resources are scarce. The course builds on the introductory avalanche hazard management model introduced in the AIARE 1 and adds to it the evaluation of critical hazard assessment factors. Students will describe and discuss weather, snowpack and avalanche processes, and identify how these processes relate to observations and travel within avalanche terrain.
During the field sessions of this course, students receive hands-on experience making decisions in avalanche terrain and practice with avalanche rescue skills. Our courses are offered at a six to one student-instructor ratio.
Many students enjoy pairing this course with our Backcountry Ski Seminar, which focuses on applying the knowledge gained from a Level 2 Avalanche Course and building on it with other helpful techniques for proficient backcountry travel. Together these programs give students all the necessary skills to travel in simple to challenging backcountry terrain with team members of equal or greater training.
Students who complete our AIARE 2 2023-2024 program will receive a 10% discount on a 6 Day Cascades Mountaineering course for the 2024 summer season.
Alpine Ascents and AIARE – American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education
Alpine Ascents is proud to partner with The American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) to provide avalanche education courses. AIARE is a nonprofit established in 1998 specializing in development of avalanche education curriculum. AIARE’s mission is to save lives through education for recreationalists and professionals. Our instructors are certified by AIARE to teach avalanche education.
Online Curriculum
Our program includes AIARE online education training. With this preparation, students can use the three days with instructors to dive further into avalanche theory and work closely on decision making in the field.
Level 2 Avalanche Safety Course Objectives
This course has been successfully used for educating skiers, snowboarders, split-boarders, climbers, and mountaineers around the world.
Students will come away with the tools to:
- Differentiate where specific avalanche hazards exist within the landscape and identify avalanche terrain where consequences may be more severe.
- Use and interpret weather, snow, and avalanche observations to locate appropriate terrain prior to entering and while in the field.
- Demonstrate leadership skills within a small team that include facilitating small group discussion, promoting appropriate terrain selection, and utilizing simple risk management strategies.
- Implement a basic forecasting framework that can be used in conjunction with and in the absences of local supporting avalanche information.
Prerequisites
- Participants must have the ability to travel in avalanche terrain.
- An AIARE 1 Course (strongly recommended) or equivalent Level 1 training is required.
- A winter of practical experience after the Level 1 course is highly recommended before taking the AIARE 2 course.
- AIARE or AAA approved one-day Avalanche Rescue Course.
Reading List
This is our highly recommended shortlist. We would be happy to pass along a longer reading list for those interested. These links will bounce to Amazon.com with reviews.
Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain
Bruce Tremper, Mountaineers Books
The Avalanche Handbook
Peter Schaerer and David McClung, Mountaineers Books
Snow Sense
Jill Fredston and Doug Fesler
This was an extremely well-run, well-organized expedition. Time and again we saw our guides make judgment calls which were clearly vindicated compared to other group’s decisions.
