AIARE Recreational Avalanche Training

America’s Most-Used Avalanche Education Curriculum

A series of courses for anyone who travels in or near avalanche terrain — skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers, and snowmobilers. Most people take one or two courses. Some go further. Where will your avalanche education take you?

providers

US states + 3 countries

providers

US states + 3 countries

Which course is right for me?

Experience can't replace training. You need both. AIARE avalanche education gives backcountry travelers a proven framework for making decisions in a dynamic environment. Courses give you a chance to apply theory, focusing on real terrain, real scenarios, and group decision-making skills that even experienced riders don't always get right.

All AIARE courses meet or exceed the industry standard guidelines for recreational avalanche education set by the American Avalanche Association (A3).

Avalanche Awareness

Avalanche Awareness is an accessible starting point for anyone heading into snow-covered mountains. Whether skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, or snowmobiling, the risks of avalanches are real—and basic knowledge saves lives. Either attend an in-person avalanche awareness event, or take AIARE’s free online course: Avalanche Aware.


Free \| No prerequisite — Open to everyone	→ Find an avalanche awareness event

Avalanche Rescue

Avalanche Rescue is for everyone, whether you are just learning how to use your transceiver, an aspiring professional, or a backcountry traveler with many years of backcountry experience. This one-day course is a place to both learn new skills and keep your existing skills sharp. Avalanche Rescue is a prerequisite for the AIARE 2.

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

Describe and demonstrate what to do if they or a member of their party is caught in an avalanche.
Identify and be able to use the gear necessary for avalanche rescue.
Set up a realistic scenario in order to practice an avalanche rescue response.
Improve their response skills and times during and after the course with feedback from instructors and peers.
Develop a plan for continuing practice.


1 day in-person course \| No prerequisites — Open to everyone	→ Find an Avalanche Rescue course

AIARE 1

The AIARE 1 provides an introduction to a repeatable framework for decision-making in and near avalanche terrain. The course entails 24 hours of contact time (a combination of pre-course online learning, in-person or virtual classroom time, and time spent in the backcountry).

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

Develop a plan for travel in avalanche terrain.
Demonstrate the ability to identify avalanche terrain.
Effectively use the AIARE Risk Management Framework to make terrain choices in a group setting.
Demonstrate effective companion rescue.


24-hour course \| No prerequisites — Open to everyone	→ Find an AIARE 1 course

AIARE 2

The AIARE 2 is a three-day course for those who have taken an AIARE 1 and Avalanche Rescue and have had at least a year of backcountry travel experience. The AIARE 2 provides backcountry leaders the opportunity to advance their avalanche knowledge and decision making skills by applying their skills to new terrain and situations. Avalanche Rescue is a prerequisite for the AIARE 2. It is highly recommended that participants gain at least one season’s worth of backcountry travel experience between taking the AIARE 1 and the AIARE 2.

At the end of this course, students will be able 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 includes 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 absence of local supporting avalanche information.


24-hour course \| Requires AIARE 1 + Avalanche Rescue or equivalent	→ Find an AIARE 2 course

AIARE 1 Refresher

Took an AIARE 1 a few years ago and want to dust off your skills? The Refresher is a one-day course that revisits the key decision-making frameworks and updates your knowledge without repeating the full three-day curriculum.


1-day in-person course \| Requires a previous AIARE 1 or equivalent	→ Find an AIARE 1 Refresher course

Ready to find a course?

AIARE courses are taught by qualified instructors through 100+ certified providers across 13 US states, Argentina, France, and China.

Why AIARE?

Learn more about what makes AIARE the leading US provider of avalanche education.

why aiare