North American Ski Training Center – Tahoe, CA

Category: Lake Tahoe

  • AIARE AVALANCHE LEVEL 1 2025-2026 (TRUCKEE)

    AIARE AVALANCHE LEVEL 1 2025-2026 (TRUCKEE)

    LEVEL 1 WITH THE OLDEST CONTINUALLY OPERATING AIARE SCHOOL IN TAHOE

    Click HERE to Venmo a $200 deposit to enroll, we will send you the online link today to start your class! 

    or PAYPAL: [email protected]/ ZELLE: 5303862102 / VENMO: @JENNY-FELLOWS-3
     
    NASTC is proud to be one of the two oldest continually operating AIARE schools in Tahoe/Truckee, offering avalanche classes since 1996, and AIARE courses since 2007.
     
    All AIARE Level 1 classes take place in Truckee/Donner Summit.
    Upon completion, students have their AIARE 1 certification.

    PRICE: $575 until Dec 1, then $635  (deposit of $200, balance due 30 days prior to fieldwork weekend)

    DATES:

    Dec 6-7, 2025 canc due to snow
    Dec 13-14, 2025 canc due to snow

    Jan 10-11, 2026 some room
    Jan 18-19, 2026 (Sun-Mon, MLK weekend) some room

    Jan 31-Feb 1, 2026 plenty of room
    Feb 7-8, 2026 plenty room
    Feb 15-16, 2026 (Sun-Mon, Presidents’ Day weekend)  room

    Feb  21-22, 2026 

    Mar 7-8, 2026 

    March 14-15, 2026 plenty of room, final class of the season

    Day 1 of your avalanche course is comprised of self-paced online coursework plus a 3-hour Zoom class with your instructor(s). When you enroll, we send you the online links. The Zoom is held usually on a Thurs night within 2 weeks of your fieldwork.

    Days 2 & 3 of your AIARE 1 are 8-hour fieldwork days in Truckee on Donner Summit with your instructor(s).
     
    Required skier or rider skill level: strong intermediate to expert. This means that at a minimum, you should be able to successfully link parallel turns with a pole plant down un-groomed blue terrain at a ski resort. If you want help reaching that level, sign up for our Jumpstart at Palisades clinic Dec 8-9.
     
    Text or call 530-386-2102 or email [email protected] anytime with any questions.
     
    “NASTC’s AIARE 1 was – bar none – the best experience I could imagine. I did my AIARE 1 five years ago with another provider in CO, but my NASTC course leader and instructors were so much more organized, professional, and fun! Didn’t hurt that we skied epic powder for two days! I am going to do an advanced ski clinic at Palisades with NASTC next.” –Beth, San Francisco
     
    Each year more skiers are venturing into the backcountry lured by the opening up of resort boundary lines and the promise of pristine powder fields and underpopulated terrain. However, with more access the risk has never been greater, and the need to know basic safety protocols, rescue techniques, avalanche hazard awareness, and management are essential to survival and having a great time out there.
     
    The AIARE curriculum is a 3-day intensive seminar designed to give you an understanding of avalanche formation, “nature’s billboard” observation skills, the ability to use an avalanche transceiver and probe, and how to dig a snow study pit. This is a minimum amount of know-how if you want to travel, ski, or ride in the backcountry or sidecountry safely. There is time spent daily in the classroom and in the field.

    The goals of the course are:

    • The student will be taught safe travel methods in avalanche terrain including trip planning and preparation, interpretation of the avalanche bulletin, observational techniques for snowpack, weather, avalanches, terrain analysis, safe travel techniques, and decision-making fundamentals
    • The student will be shown how to use various rescue equipment and companion rescue protocols
    • The student will be taught how to execute mock rescues in the field
    • The student will be introduced to the avalanche triangle, weather, snowpack, terrain and the human factor
    • Attain Level 1 certification upon successful completion
    In addition to your on-line coursework, you will have a 3-hour Zoom session with your full class and instructor(s) prior to the fieldwork weekend. You will meet from 8AM-4PM for your two days of fieldwork on Donner Summit (Johnson Canyon and Castle Peak/Boreal Snowpark).  We’ll also send you an equipment and reading list.  For field work/ski touring days be sure to dress in layers.  Bring a bag lunch with snacks and plenty of water.
     
    We will send you an updated itinerary as we get closer to the start of the course. This schedule may change slightly based on the group, weather, etc. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the NASTC office.
     
    Avalanche Kit Rental (beacon, shovel, probe): $40/day
     
    “If you want a beginning to end great experience, book anything with NASTC. This is their least expensive course and a very important body of knowledge (24 hours worth) if you go backcountry skiing with friends or even just off-piste at your home ski resort.” –Derek, Sacramento
     
    “I have taken ski improvement clinics with NASTC but this was my introduction to skiing away from the crowds and I LOVED it just as much. My guide was so helpful and fun!” –Lacey, 
     
     

    Dec 16-18, 2025 (Tu-Th)

    Jan 24-26, 2026 (Sat–Mon)

     

    Jan 9, 2026 (Fri before L1)

    Jan 23, 2026 (Fri before L2)

    March 13, 2026 (Fri before L1)

  • THREE CAMPS AT Palisades DEC 2026 AND JAN OR FEB 2027

    THREE CAMPS AT Palisades DEC 2026 AND JAN OR FEB 2027

    NASTC’s Jumpstart Your Ski Season and All Conditions All Terrain Camps
    Jumpstart (levels 6-10)

    Dates: Mon-Tues Dec 7-8, 2026 

    $945 includes 2 full days of instruction in your group of 6 or fewer plus one tech talk. Dec 7th we have an optional banquet at Bistro22 for $65 (apps, salad, entree, dessert). 

    Lift tickets: contact our office for lift tickets if you need them. 

    Lodging: we recommend Palisades Tahoe Lodge.

    Join us to kick off your ski season right with lots of mileage under the careful tutelage of our top instructors!  This carefully crafted curriculum will look at the building blocks of your skill package while skiing you all over the early season terrain. We’ll work on bumps, steeps, powder, carving, and more. Our top trainers examine what you have, what you need, lead you to new levels, and give you lots to work on for the season. Come enjoy personalized attention in this small group setting! We are looking forward to skiing with you and sharing our knowledge and experience in these incredible mountains with you. 

    NASTC’s All Conditions/All Terrain (Levels 6-10)

    Dates: Mon-Weds Jan 25-27 or Feb 22-24, 2027

    Note: all prices include 3 full days of instruction in your group of 6 students [or fewer] plus tech talks.

    On the final night we have a fun, optional banquet at Bistro22 for $65 (apps, salad, entree, dessert). 

    $1045 no lodging, no lift tickets
    $2750 (approx, exact lodging rates will be confirmed by Sept): incl 2 nights lodging at Palisades Tahoe Lodge + 3-day lift ticket

    The All Terrain/All Conditions course is NASTC’s trademark full immersion course designed to get you off that intermediate or advanced plateau. We started offering this extremely popular course when we began in 1994. Our highly experienced and nationally ranked coaches will help you make the changes you need to meet your skiing goals. Your goals are our goals! Through a successful methodology including breaking down your skiing to its fundamentals, reviewing the building blocks of high-level skiing in just two days, video, equipment discussions, fitness recommendations, practical technique/tactics, and lots and lots of mileage, our top trainers will guide you through our step-by-step progression towards improved skiing mastery.

    Palisades has it all when it comes to terrain and snow, we are looking forward to skiing with you and sharing these incredible mountains with you. NASTC is based in Tahoe. This has been our home for more than 25 years, and we use our experience and knowledge to make your experience here with us fun and memorable.

    Sample Training Day at all NASTC Palisades Camps:

    8:00-8:30am – Group up above Wildflower Cafe in The Olympic House, meet/greet, stretch & movement prep. Establish the day’s schedule and goals.
    9:00am-12:00pm – On snow: skill development via drills and technique work, terrain exploration.
    12:00pm-1:00pm – Lunch with your group.
    1:00pm-3:30pm – On snow: video, free-skiing varying conditions and terrain, personal feedback. 
    5:00pm-6:00pm – Indoor clinic: video viewing / technical session. 
    6:00pm – Banquet Dinner at Bistro22

    For more information or to enroll:

    Text or call 530-386-2102 or email [email protected]

    Palisades is an IKON PASS resort.

  • AIARE AVALANCHE LEVEL 2 (TAHOE/TRUCKEE)

    AIARE AVALANCHE LEVEL 2 (TAHOE/TRUCKEE)

    Dec 16-18, 2025 (Tu-Th)

    Jan 24-26, 2026 (Sat–Mon)

    Price: $695, to book please email [email protected] or text 530-386-2102

    Add the 1-day RESCUE COURSE:

    Jan 9, 2026 (Fri before one of our L1 classes)

    Jan 23, 2026 (Fri before L2)

    March 13, 2026 (Fri before L1)

    L2 + Rescue = reduced price of $895 total (4 consecutive days)

    Location: Donner Summit, CA 

    Pay via VENMO @jenny-fellows-3 or via Paypal link below: 

     

    The AIARE 2 course is a 3-day program that provides avid backcountry skiers and riders the opportunity to advance their avalanche knowledge and decision making skills. Led by the top instructors in the field, this is an advanced avalanche safety course for the general public.  The focus is on analyzing snow stability and avalanche hazard. The AIARE 2 builds from the introductory avalanche hazard management model introduced in the AIARE 1 and adds to it the evaluation factors critical to stability evaluation. Students will describe and discuss weather, snowpack and avalanche processes, and identify how these processes relate to observations and travel within avalanche terrain.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Advance understanding of avalanche terrain, particularly from the perspective of stability analysis.

    2. Discuss how the snowpack develops and metamorphoses over time; and discuss the factors that contribute to spatial variability.

    3. Learn standard observation guidelines and recording formats for factors that influence or indicate snow stability. SWAG MODULE.

    4. Advance understanding of avalanche release and triggering mechanisms.

    5. Introduce a snow stability analysis and forecasting framework. The students will dig a snow pit and study the snow pit profile.

    6. Improve companion rescue skills including multiple and deep burials.

    Required reading:

    Snow, Weather and Avalanches: Observational Guidelines for Avalanche Programs in the United States, (American Avalanche Association, ISBN-13: 978-0-9760118-1-1) commonly referred to as the “SWAG.”   It can be purchased from

    http://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/swag/

    The text may also be available through amazon.com or local retailers. 

    Also recommended is The Avalanche Handbook (3rd edition, McClung and Schaerer)

    Optional reading before the course:
    Snow Sense by Jill Fredston and Doug Fesler
    Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper
    Avalanche Aware by John Moynier

    Equipment Suggestions: Alpine touring gear, telemark gear, splitboard, or snowshoes, backpack, avalanche beacon, shovel and probe – see the equipment/packing list below for a complete list.

    This course is 100% off piste with a short meet & greet via Zoom the week prior.

    Sample Daily Schedule:

    8:00am – Meet outside for beginning of course

    12:00pm – Lunch break

    1:00pm – Head outside for the on-hill practical portion

    4:00pm – End of training day

    PACKING LIST:
    Climbing skins
    Randonnee (AT) or Telemark boots, or snowboard boots
    Probe with cm ruling
    Adjustable ski poles (if no probe ski poles)
    Alpine Touring set-up or Telemark skis orsplit board
    Avalanche beacon
    Pack (2500-3000 cubic inches)
    Snow shovel
    Complete snow study kit incl 2 m folding rule, grain card and loupe, 2 C thermometers, 2 m length of knotted cord/rope, compass, slope meter, writing tools.
    GPS recommended not mandatory
    Snow density kit
    Altimeter watch
    Printed copy of the SWAG (Snow, Weather, and Avalanches: Observational Guidelines for Avalanche Programs in the United States). Published by the American Avalanche Association.
    Water bottle
    Small first aid kit (moleskin, bandaids, aspirin, personal meds.)
    Lunches
    Note book & pen for note-taking and pencil for filling in observations in logbook
    Ski/Snowboard clothing
    Light touring gloves (heavy liners etc.)
    Warm gloves (waterproof)
    Warm hat, baseball cap, headband, face mask, and neck warmer
    Goggles and sunglasses (2 pair goggles if you have them)

    Though it is acceptable to plot your snow profile data by hand, we strongly recommend using SnowPilot (snowpilot.org) or Avanet (avatech.com) snow profile plotting software. SnowPilot is free; Avanet requires a paid subscription.

    If you have any old or current field books in which you’ve recorded avalanche, snowpack, or weather data please bring them to our first meeting.

     

     

  • SUGAR BOWL ALL CONDITIONS MARCH 1-2, 2027

    SUGAR BOWL ALL CONDITIONS MARCH 1-2, 2027

    NASTC’s All Conditions/All Terrain (Levels 7-9)

    Dates: March 1-2, 2027

    Price Options:
    $995 no lodging, no lift tickets (includes 2 days in small groups of 5 or fewer, tech talks, video analysis, swag)
    $75 optional banquet dinner at Sugar Bowl on March 1st
    $tba lift tix 
    Reserve your room at THE SUGAR BOWL VILLAGE LODGE HOTEL (*see below for Lodge details)

    The All Terrain/All Conditions course is NASTC’s trademark full immersion course designed to get you off that intermediate or advanced plateau. When we began in 1994, this extremely popular course was the first thing we offered…at Sugar Bowl! Our highly experienced and nationally ranked coaches will help you make the changes you need to meet your skiing goals. Your goals are our goals! Through a successful methodology including breaking down your skiing to its fundamentals, reviewing the building blocks of high-level skiing, video, equipment discussions, fitness recommendations, practical technique/tactics, and lots and lots of mileage, our top trainers will guide you through our step-by-step progression towards improved skiing mastery.

    Perched on top of Donner Summit, Sugar Bowl is Tahoe’s king of snow: most, lightest, best. And Sugar Bowl has it all when it comes to terrain: steeps, glades, open bowls (hence the name!), groomers, bumps…we are looking forward to skiing with you and sharing this fun, diverse, and historic resort with you. It is a mountain that naturally forces improvement…the terrain is part of the teaching. NASTC started at Sugar Bowl in 1994. We based and ran camps here for 25 years there, so we are excited to return after a brief break! 

    Sample Training Day at NASTC Sugar Bowl Camps:

    8:00-8:30am –  Welcome, meet/greet, stretch & movement prep. Establish the day’s schedule and goals.
    9:00am-12:00pm – On snow: skill development via drills and technique work, terrain exploration.
    12:00pm-1:00pm – Lunch with your group.
    1:00pm-3:30pm – On snow: video, free-skiing varying conditions and terrain, personal feedback. 
    5:00pm-6:00pm – Indoor clinic in private viewing room: video viewing / technical session
    6:30pm – Banquet Dinner (day 2 of 3) at The Sugar Bowl Village Lodge Hotel

    To get more information or to enroll:

    Text or call 530-386-2102 or email [email protected]

    STAY AT SUGAR BOWL DURING THIS COURSE! 

    Your day belongs on the mountain, not in your car on I-80, nor in lines to park or load that first chair. So stay at Sugar Bowl! Have a true vacation, treat yourself. Bridging old-world charm with a hint of European flair, the Sugar Bowl Village Lodge Hotel offers a most memorable mountain getaway. There is nothing comparable in the States: you leave your car in a covered garage and ride a small gondola (built in 1953) to the Lodge! You get to enjoy these unique slopeside accommodations in this classic high-alpine lodge just steps from the lifts. Join us, and be whisked away to America’s only snowbound village! For no additional resort fee, amenities offered include the classic Dining Room, the inviting Belt Room Bar, the exclusive Sporthaus Fitness Center & Spa and more.

    Photo courtesy Cath Howard

  • BACKCOUNTRY SKIING (TAHOE/TRUCKEE)

    BACKCOUNTRY SKIING (TAHOE/TRUCKEE)

    Are you new to the backcountry? This one-day will give you a solid introduction to the equipment and skills you need to get out safely. Meet at the trailhead and spend a full day immersed in this beautiful landscape away from the crowds. The day includes: putting on and taking off your skins, setting a skin track, basic route finding, avalanche awareness, terrain selection, and how to plan a safe & fun day with your friends or family. 

    Available by private booking, either individual or group

    Price: $199-$479 depending on group size

    Reservations: email [email protected] or Paypal $199 to [email protected] and you’ll receive an email confirmation.

    Avalanche Kit Rental (beacon, shovel, probe) – from us at $25/day 

    Ski Equipment Rental (skis, skins, not boots) –  reserve at local ski shops




  • PRIVATE GUIDED BACKCOUNTRY SKIING (TAHOE/TRUCKEE)

    PRIVATE GUIDED BACKCOUNTRY SKIING (TAHOE/TRUCKEE)

    Want to get out away from the crowds, lift lines, parking lot reservations, and $30 hamburgers? Are you new to the backcountry? Or are you a seasoned backcountry skier looking to learn some new descents? Hire a guide for a day! Our veteran guides can show you the way to great Tahoe snow away from the crowds, and help you increase your know-how, no matter how experienced you are.

    If you are new, we offer a one-day curriculum that will give you a solid introduction to the equipment and skills you need to get out safely. You will learn how to: use your ski equipment, choose terrain, skin, do kick-turns, set a track, basic mountain navigation/route-finding, to use your avalanche beacon, and of course do some great skiing! 

    So choose your day, plan your group (or come alone), meet at the trailhead and spend a full day immersed in this beautiful landscape away from the crowds. 

    FULL DAY (8am-3pm)                    HALF DAY (8am-12pm)

    1 person-$695                                       $495
    2 pp- $455 pp                                        $345 pp
    3 pp- $365 pp                                        $275 pp
    4 pp- $305 pp                                        $245 pp
    5 pp- $295 pp                                         $225 pp

    OVERNIGHT TRIPS

    $650 per day for one skier + $100 per day each additional skier


    Make your $100 deposit to lock in the date you choose, deposit is fully refundable up to 2 wks prior.

    Have questions? Email [email protected] or text our office at 530-386-2102. 

    Avalanche Kit Rental (beacon, shovel and probe) $30/day 

    We can also assist you if you are buying gear. Call our office for advice and guidance. 

    You’ll meet your guide at the designated trailhead. 

    Also consider AIARE Avalanche Level 1 or 2

    Depending on the group’s fitness and skill level, as well as daily conditions, skiers and riders will enjoy fresh tracks in a variety of terrain including trees and open bowls.

    Skiers or riders with little to no backcountry experience are welcome on this course as long as they are competent on ungroomed advanced resort terrain and be in at least moderate physical condition.