Avalanche Level 1 | Downing Mountain Lodge

Course Description

Format:

Two evening classroom sessions followed by two days in the field and two nights at the lodge.

Date | Location:

1.31.19 – 2.1.19 Classroom Component | Missoula, MT (location TBA)

2.2.19 – 2.3.19 Field Component | Downing Mountain Lodge

2.4.19 Morning debriefing session | Downing Mountain Lodge departure (participants return home)

Price: $450.00

Avalanche Level 1
The level 1 course is designed for current and aspiring backcountry travelers. This course focuses on developing a solid foundation in avalanche knowledge and backcountry travel skills. Following the American Avalanche Association (A3) curriculum instructors cover systematic approaches for sorting and prioritizing information in the complex environment of decision-making in the backcountry. Forty percent of the course is classroom based and the other sixty percent is field based. Participants will travel in the backcountry, in and around avalanche terrain.

This course focuses on the following:

Basic avalanche terminology
Recognizing avalanche terrain
Travel procedures in avalanche terrain
Formation of the mountain snowpack
How weather changes the snowpack
Human factors and how they can influence decision-making
Interpreting the avalanche forecast and advisory
Tour planning
Avalanche transceiver use and rescue skills
Field observations of terrain, snowpack, and weather
Use and interpretation of stability tests
Implementing systems for prioritizing information, working as a team, and minimizing possible human factor traps
Classroom decision-making scenarios to practice use of the checklist
Next steps