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The North American Ski Training Center is now an AIARE Avalanche Course Provider.

Isn’t safety the #1 concern for all of us when it comes to skiing and riding in the sidecountry or backcountry? True to NASTC standards, our avalanche instructors are of the highest quality, professionalism, and experience level. This is a 3-day education and certification class in which you earn your AIARE Level I (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education).  It’s the minimum amount of know-how if you want to travel, ski, or ride out of bounds safely.  There is time spent in the classroom and on the snow daily.  Each year more resorts are lifting their boundary lines, allowing us to get to fresh snow and exciting terrain even after the resort itself is “skied out.”  

However, the risk has never been greater.  You need to know what you’re doing if you are heading out there.  A friend may say, “oh I know some avalanche safety stuff…” but really?  Do you want to rely on them, or have the knowledge yourself?  In this course, among other skills you learn how to plan a trip, what are the “red flags,” how to recognize different types of avalanche terrain and avalanches, how to perform certain observations and snow safety tests, route finding and terrain management, and how to use your beacon. 

So often accidents occur not as the result of one bad decision, but several. These human decision-making errors can be avoided.  The snow science around avalanche education is truly fascinating, and the Level I curriculum has come a long way.  The risk has never been greater, everyone is pushing the envelope. Get certified. You’ll enjoy it and be safer. 

Dates for the NASTC AIARE Level I courses: January 21-23 or February 11-13