There are several scholarship opportunities for AIARE Instructor Training courses and AIARE PRO courses, as well as AIARE 1 classes. Please note that you must apply for the respective course for which you seek a scholarship. .

Kizaki-Wolf Scholarship for Instructor Training, Course Leader Training & PRO Training

The Kizaki-Wolf AIARE Scholarship supports outstanding outdoor professionals in furthering their avalanche education and teaching skills. This scholarship provides full or partial tuition for an Instructor Training Course, Course Leader Training Course or PRO 1 or PRO 2 course. The selection committee focuses on four criteria in evaluating applicants:

• Outdoor professional career (guide, patroller, outdoor educator, etc.) dedication and achievement;
• Demonstrated leadership, character, and fellowship;
• Under-represented populations within outdoor professionals;
• An appreciation of, and commitment to, an inclusive and diverse community of outdoor recreationalists and professionals.

Application Process:

• CV, including outdoor professional positions, education, courses, certifications, and number of days worked annually as an outdoor professional.
• Video (5 minutes or less), upload to YouTube or Vimeo and be password protected. Please address the following:
  • What is your background? What led you to an outdoor professional career? Include any critical events or experiences.
  • What are your goals and career aspirations as an outdoor professional? As an avalanche professional?
  • Why are you a great candidate for this scholarship?
  • How have you demonstrated an appreciation of, and commitment to, an inclusive and diverse community of outdoor recreationalists and professionals?
• Three professional references who can attest to your character and intellect in an outdoor professional-setting.
• Submit CV, video and references in one package/email to kizaki@avtraining.org
• Deadline for submitting your application is September 15th and notification by October 15th.

Post-course Debrief:

• Scholarship recipients must provide a brief, post-course video debrief discussing their experience, what they learned, how it will apply to their career development, and any advice or words of wisdom they’d give to future scholarship recipients.

Kizaki-Wolf AIARE Scholarship Recipients

Guides Fund Yearly Scholarship

George Dirth Memorial Scholarship

The George Dirth Memorial Scholarship fund supports Colorado-based backcountry skiers/snowboarders. The Fund provides partial tuition for an AIARE 1 course. Please visit George Dirth Memorial for more information on this scholarship opportunity.

Backcountry.com and Backcountry Babes Women’s  Scholarship

An exciting partnership between these organizations working to promote more women becoming AIARE Course Leaders.  The scholarship extends over multiple seasons and is intended to cover the costs of moving through the progression of courses required to reach the full credential.  More info and application can be found on Backcountry.com’s website.  Application period runs through early August.

If you need to cancel your course, please notify AIARE as soon as possible. AIARE will refund course tuition less a $150 administrative fee for cancellations made at least 40 days before the start of the course. There are no refunds or course transfers for cancellations within 40 days of the start of the course. The exception to this policy is for any cancelations due to COVID-19. If you have COVID-19 symptoms, have a positive test for COVID-19, or must self-quarantine because you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, AIARE will offer a tuition credit of the full amount paid for the course. This tuition credit may be used for a course starting anytime before the end of our 2022-2023 season.

AIARE reserves the right to cancel a program if there is insufficient enrollment or health or safety concerns beyond our control. For programs canceled due to low enrollment, AIARE will give a full refund. For programs canceled due to events beyond our control, including but not limited to governmental restrictions (local, state, or federal) or natural disasters. AIARE will refund the tuition less a non-refundable administrative fee of $150 for an ITC, CLT, and PRO1 and $250 for the PRO2.  The non-refundable administrative fee helps defray some of the costs AIARE incurs, which include staff time, administration costs of our venue partners, and non-refundable venue deposits. AIARE is not responsible for travel and other costs incurred outside of course tuition. We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance.

Once the course has begun,  tuition is non-refundable and non-transferable. AIARE does not tolerate participant behaviors that create a hostile learning environment, including physical or verbal harassment and reserves the right to remove a participant from the course without refund. Participants who are removed from the course or who voluntarily choose to leave the course early for any reason, including but not limited to sickness, personal emergencies, or injury, will be responsible for all associated costs, such as medical costs, and related travel and logistical costs.  

This cancellation and refund policy goes into effect immediately upon course acceptance.

We strongly encourage you to purchase travel insurance (including medical and evacuation insurance) to protect your financial investment to cover the costs of in the event that you need to cancel from the course, you are injured prior to or during the course, or AIARE needs to cancel a course due to lack of snow or events beyond our control.  Here are two insurance companies you can consider:

• IM Global offers a plan for Travel LX Plan allows greater flexibility, however need to sign up for the insurance within 20 days of registration.
• World Nomads

Students are required to attend all class sessions and field exercises. Limited absences for family or medical concerns can potentially be accommodated. Review of missed curriculum or examinations is the student’s responsibility. 

Cancellation Policy for AIARE Continuing Education Courses and Mentorship Program

If you need to cancel your CE course, please notify AIARE as soon as possible. AIARE will refund course tuition for cancellations made at least 21 days before the start of the course. After 21 days, AIARE will withhold 50% of course tuition for cancellations or will transfer your registration to another course, pending space available. 

AIARE reserves the right to cancel a program if there is insufficient enrollment. For programs canceled due to low enrollment, AIARE will give a full refund.

Once accepted to an AIARE Mentorship Program, there are no refunds within 28 days of the start of the program. If you receive a scholarship or grant and are canceling for reasons other than illness or injury, your ability to apply for future scholarships may be impacted.

There are no refunds or course transfers once the course has begun. AIARE does not tolerate participant behaviors that create a hostile learning environment, including physical or verbal harassment and reserves the right to remove a participant from the course without refund. 

This cancellation and refund policy goes into effect immediately upon course or program acceptance.

AIARE Instructor and Course Leaders keep on top of updates to AIARE curriculum, industry and teaching best practices, and their own professional development through annual continuing education. The AIARE CE Program provides AIARE Instructors and Course Leaders the opportunity to choose from a menu of course options in order to tailor their individual professional development needs. 

Instructors meet this annual requirement with a course offered by AIARE at least every other year. For the non-AIARE CE years, Instructors can choose a CE course offered by AIARE or from a growing list of approved professional development opportunities. Instructors keep their instructor or course leader status active by paying annual dues and completing an AIARE Continuing Education course OR submitting proof of approved non-AIARE continuing education by October 31 of each year. After this date, Instructors who have not completed any of these requirements become inactive (not permitted to teach) until they do. Have questions? See our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Inactive instructors must complete their professional development requirements for the previous season in order to become active again. If a course is completed after October 31 to reactivate an Instructor’s status, this course will not count towards the Instructor’s CE for the following season. In other words, the Instructor must take an additional course in that season to fulfill the requirement for professional development at the start of the next season. Instructors who are inactive for one year or more will need to work with the Rec Program Director to define an appropriate professional development plan in order to become an active AIARE Instructor.

2020 PRO 1 requirement: All AIARE Instructors must have a PRO 1 certificate or equivalent by Nov 1, 2020. Pro 1 or 2 courses from any A3 Pro course provider counts as AIARE-offered CE.

2020-21 AIARE Continuing Education Courses

In response to the uncertainty due to COVID-19, AIARE Continuing Ed is going completely online for the 2020-21 season. By doing this, we will be able to better support Instructors with free webinars on  hybrid instruction, avalanche-related professional development, and panel discussions. If you are a Provider interested in custom in-person CE for your staff, please let us know by using this form.

Also new for the 2020-21 season, we are piloting two mentoring programs with the goal to increase the number of people we can coach as mentees and train as mentors in the following years. We are offering individual mentorship pairings for about 10 Instructors or Course Leaders along with group coaching for 2 cohorts of 6 Instructors or Course Leaders. AIARE mentoring programs count as AIARE offered CE

Webinars will use the Zoom platform. This webpage outlines operating system requirements. You will be expected to participate in the webinar with video, so you will need to have a computer or tablet with a camera, speakers, and microphone and be participating from a place that has reliable high speed internet access and is quiet and relatively free from distractions. The webinars will be 4 hours long, with 1:6 ratios, capped at 18 participants in order to support discussion and idea sharing. All webinars will be $50.

AIARE 2 CE

The goal of this course is to provide AIARE Instructors/Course Leaders with the tools and background information so that they can deliver relevant, applicable and excellent AIARE 2 programs to recreational users.   more

ITC Upgrade CE

The goal of this course is for current AIARE Instructors and Course Leaders to gain familiarity with the 5-day models of AIARE Instructor Training so that they have the tools and resources to succeed in their upcoming programs and/or provide mentorship to newer instructors going through the program.    more

Teaching and Learning CE

The goal of this course is to provide AIARE Instructors/Course Leaders with resources and tools so that they can better assess their students’ learning and understand prior to, during, and at the end of their AIARE programs.      more

Individual Mentorship Program

The individual mentorship program pairs a current AIARE Instructor or Course Leader with an AIARE Instructor Trainer for about four-hours of 1:1 virtual meeting time.      more

Cohort Mentorship Program

The cohort-based mentorship program provides group coaching for a cohort of six AIARE Instructors or Course Leaders. Experienced AIARE Trainers will lead each cohort and facilitate an inclusive and collaborative learning environment online.      more

Non-AIARE CE Courses

Non-AIARE courses are approved by AIARE on a regular rolling basis. General guidelines for acceptable courses are those that are open to any AIARE Instructor to enroll (ie not in-house employee training) and equivalent to at least 8 hours of instructional time (classroom, online, or self-study). If you would like to suggest a course, please send a course description and syllabus to AIARE Rec Program Director, Liz Riggs Meder.

Course Description

The AIARE Course Leader Training (CLT) is a five-day course that trains highly-experienced AIARE Instructors to lead Avalanche Awareness, Avalanche Rescue, AIARE 1, and AIARE 2 courses. Participants will apply their operational risk management skills and experience as AIARE Instructors while learning how to create positive learning environments for AIARE course students. Participants will use their deep understanding of the AIARE curriculum to learn how to manage a team of instructors to meet the learning outcomes of the AIARE curriculum.

Participants are assessed for their readiness to lead AIARE courses on the CLT course and will receive feedback on their risk management and instructional skills. Individuals who are assessed as ready to course lead and have a current or pending professional membership with A3 will be able to apply for AIARE Course Leader status. Individuals who are assessed as not yet ready to lead AIARE courses will work with AIARE staff to create an individualized plan to develop the necessary course leader skills. 

For more detailed information about requirements, see the AIARE Instructor Qualifications document.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites for the Course Leader Training include:

1. 7 seasons of winter backcountry experience involving leadership and decision making in avalanche terrain
2. Significant experience instructing AIARE 1, 2, and Avalanche Rescue courses
3. Letter of recommendation from an AIARE Course Leader outlining readiness to lead courses, competence delivering AIARE curriculum, and skills leading avalanche course participants in the field
4. PRO 2 certificate or equivalent
5. Currency with AIARE Instructor dues and continuing education requirements

Application

 New Application Process

In the 2020-21 season, AIARE will move to collecting applications during an application period instead of processing applications on a first-come basis. This provides AIARE time to review and prioritize complete applications and creates a more equitable system to accommodate applicants who don’t have reliable computer access for long periods in the summer.

The application period closes on August 23, 2020. 

Complete Applications Receive Priority

We will prioritize complete applications. Please ensure that your profile, which you can view by logging in at http://avtraining.org, reflects that you have significant experience instructing AIARE 1, 2 AND Avalanche Rescue Courses. If you have questions about your profile, please contact AIARE’s Office Manager, Don Svela.

To apply for the Course Leader Training, please be ready to submit the following in a digital format:

• A completed resume form that details 7 seasons of backcountry experience involving leadership and decision making in avalanche terrain. 
• A letter of recommendation using this form from a current AIARE Course Leader you have worked with that speaks to your readiness to become a course leader.
• Your PRO 2 certificate (or equivalent – email Pro Program Director Sean Zimmerman-Wall if you feel you have equivalent training). If you took your course from AIARE (either a PRO 2 or an AIARE 3), this will show up in your profile. If you took your course from another provider, you will need to provide a PDF or JPEG of your certificate.

You will also be asked to fill out a brief medical form and provide emergency contact information.

Apply Now

Finalize Your Enrollment

We will notify applicants of their registration status by August 28. In addition to making payment, you will be asked to sign and/or acknowledge reading the following in order to finalize your enrollment:

• AIARE’s course cancellation policy. Please review this policy so that you understand non-refundable costs associated with these courses. We strongly encourage you to purchase trip insurance.
• Acknowledgement of essential eligibility
• AIARE’s code of conduct. Please read AIARE’s code of conduct and ethics for AIARE Providers and Instructors. AIARE does not tolerate discrimination, harassment, and bullying in any form. AIARE expects participants on it courses to contribute to and uphold a positive learning environment in line with the values described in our code of conduct.
• AIARE’s COVID-19 Disclosure

Course Dates and Venue Details

A special note about the 2020-21 season in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic:

The following courses represent our planned offerings for the coming season.  We have intentionally limited course sizes and chosen venues where we can use local instructors and promote more regional attendance. We have also suspended lodge based programming. You can review our COVID Updates and Course Cancellation pages to answer questions related to AIARE’s response and anticipated actions.  

We will do everything in our power to ensure courses are able to happen next year. Our priorities are the safety of our staff and course participants, in addition to ensuring we achieve the same high course quality as previous years. Course format is  still under consideration and efforts to reduce close-contact classroom settings are a priority. This may include using Zoom to conduct meetings and classroom sessions and limiting participants face to face interactions with only one instructor trainer. We will maintain communications from the time you register to keep you apprised of the format of the course.

Regardless of course format, precourse work will be required of all course participants. More information will be communicated upon acceptance, but plan for at least 4-5 hours of precourse work developing lessons and other materials for use on the CLT.

South Lake Tahoe, CA – Venue Details
Date: January 21-25, 2021
Cost: $1250
Classroom:Lake Tahoe Community College
Field: El Dorado National Forest venues south of South Lake Tahoe

Apply Now

Scholarships 

We recognize that cost is a barrier for professionals in the avalanche world advancing their training. Several new organizations have partnered with AIARE to offer scholarships this year. Please visit AIARE’s Scholarship Page for a detailed list of the exciting scholarship opportunities we have for the coming season. We look forward to continuing to grow  this list.

Course Description

The AIARE Instructor Training Course (ITC) is a five-day course that trains aspiring instructors to teach Awareness, Avalanche Rescue, AIARE 1, and AIARE 2 courses. ITC Participants learn how to work with a team under the supervision of an AIARE Course Leader to ensure students meet the learning outcomes of AIARE’s Decision Making in Avalanche Terrain Program.

Participants will receive feedback on their instructional skills and risk management in an educational context. This course description and sample itinerary can help give an idea of what typically happens on a course. Individuals who successfully complete the course and meet AIARE Instructor qualifications will be able to apply for AIARE Instructor status.

Prerequisites

The AIARE ITC equips experienced backcountry travelers who also have entry level training as an avalanche professional (a PRO 1 certificate) to teach the AIARE curriculum. To ensure the course can focus on curricular and instructional training, AIARE requires that potential instructors have familiarity with current AIARE-specific curriculum and tools, and not just general recreational avalanche training.

AIARE ITC Course Prerequisites:

• 5 seasons of winter backcountry experience involving leadership and decision making in avalanche terrain
• Recent (within the past 4 seasons) attendance on or observation of an AIARE 1, 2, and Avalanche Rescue course
• PRO 1 certificate from an A3 Pro Course Provider

Application

New Application Process This Season

In the 2020-21 season, AIARE will move to collecting applications during an application period instead of processing applications on a first-come basis. This provides AIARE time to review and prioritize complete applications and creates a more equitable system to accommodate applicants who don’t have reliable computer access for long periods in the summer.

The application period will close on August 23, 2020. 

Complete Applications Receive Priority

We will prioritize complete applications. Please ensure that your profile, which you can view by logging in at avtraining.org, reflects that you have taken or observed an AIARE 1, 2 AND Avalanche Rescue Course in the 2016-17 season or sooner. If you have questions about your profile, please contact AIARE’s Office Manager, Don Svela.

To apply for the Instructor Training Course be sure you have the following:

1. A completed resume form that details 5 seasons of backcountry experience involving leadership and decision making in avalanche terrain.
2. Be able to show that you have had recent attendance (2016-17 or sooner) on an AIARE 1, 2, and Avalanche Rescue course. Check that your profile is up to date by logging into the AIARE website and checking “My Courses.”
3. Your PRO 1 or Bridge certificate. If you took your course from AIARE, this will show up in your profile. If you took your course from another provider, you will need to provide a PDF or JPEG of your certificate when you apply.
4. You will also be asked to fill out a brief medical form and provide emergency contact information

Apply Now

Finalize Your Enrollment

We will notify applicants of their registration status by August 28. In addition to making payment, you will be asked to sign and/or acknowledge reading the following in order to finalize your enrollment:

1. AIARE’s course cancellation policy. Please review this policy so that you understand non-refundable costs associated with these courses. We strongly encourage you to purchase trip insurance.
2. Acknowledgement of essential eligibility
3. AIARE’s code of conduct. Please read AIARE’s code of conduct and ethics for AIARE Providers and Instructors. AIARE does not tolerate discrimination, harassment, and bullying in any form. AIARE expects participants on it courses to contribute to and uphold a positive learning environment in line with the values described in our code of conduct.
4. AIARE’s COVID-19 Disclosure

Course Dates

A special note about the 2020-21 season in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic:

The following courses represent our planned offerings for the coming season.  We have intentionally limited course sizes and chosen venues where we can use local instructors and promote regional attendance. We have also suspended lodge based programming. You can review our COVID Updates and Course Cancellation pages to answer questions related to AIARE’s response and anticipated actions.

We will do everything in our power to ensure courses are able to happen next year. Our priorities are the safety of our staff and course participants, in addition to ensuring we achieve the same high course quality as previous years. Course format is  still under consideration and efforts to reduce close-contact classroom settings are a priority. This may include using Zoom to conduct meetings and classroom sessions and limiting participants face to face interactions with only one instructor trainer. We will maintain communications from the time you register to keep you apprised of the format of the course.

Regardless of course format, precourse work will be required of all course participants. We use the book Presenting as a textbook. You will be expected to read this book, along with completing 3-4 hours of precourse work on lesson and instruction planning prior to the course.

Leadville, CO – Venue Details
Date: Dec 14-18, 2020
Cost: $1250
Classroom: Online
Field: Leadville and Vail Pass

Jackson, WY – Venue Details
This is combination motorized + non-motorized travel course
Date: Jan 4-8, 2021
Cost: $1250
Classroom: Online
Field: Togwotee Pass and Grand Teton National Park

Leavenworth, WA –Venue Details
Date: Feb 1-5, 2021
Cost: $1250
Classroom: Online
Field: Leavenworth and Stevens Pass

Apply Now

Scholarships

We recognize that cost is a barrier for professionals in the avalanche world advancing their training. Several new organizations have partnered with AIARE to offer scholarships this year. Please visit AIARE’s Scholarship Page for a detailed list of the exciting scholarship opportunities we have for the coming season. We look forward to continuing to grow  this list.

In the last five years, 25% of the avalanche fatalities have been individuals on snowmobiles or snowbikes. AIARE envisions education and increased awareness as a way to bring this number down. Over the last few years, AIARE has diligently worked in conjunction with experts in the snowmobile community to develop a motorized specific curriculum.

More than anything, AIARE wants to increase avalanche education participation in the snowmobile community. With the increased power and capabilities of a snowmobile; snowmobilers are able to climb higher and further than human powered backcountry travelers. This puts snowmobilers at  a greater risk of entering avalanche terrain unaware of their surroundings and the potential dangers in the backcountry.  

AIARE 1 Motorized

This course addresses more than rescue and awareness; it is for those who intentionally want to travel in or through avalanche terrain and want to learn how to work with a group to manage their avalanche risk. Throughout an AIARE 1 Motorized course, AIARE Instructors identify and focus on unique elements of motorized backcountry travel, focusing on snowmobilers’ unique use of terrain, speed of travel, and group communication.

Check out our new Motorized Avalanche Rescue Videos, made for snowmobilers by snowmobilers.

How To Practice Avalanche Rescue: Snowmobile Edition

Preparing for your A3 Pro 1 Rescue Exam: Snowmobile Edition

Check out the following AIARE Providers to find AIARE Motorized Courses: 

Donate to the #LiveLargeUniversity AIARE Motorized Scholarship

The newly launched #LiveLargeUniversity AIARE Scholarship was created to help change the culture of Backcountry Snowmobiling and normalize advanced avalanche education,  inspire Sledders to pursue avalanche education as a benchmark for being a backcountry rider and build industry partnerships. Funds raised for this scholarship will be used to offer full & partial scholarships for individuals pursuing AIARE PRO, Instructor Training and Recreation courses.

You choose the amount

Your tax deductible gift allows us fulfill our mission of saving lives through avalanche education. Your support helps AIARE in the following ways:

• Reduce avalanche injuries and fatalities by providing us the means to build awareness to a wider audience
• Support research projects on the decision making processes of backcountry travelers.
• Improve, update, and develop new curriculum and training programs.
• Expand online educational resources for all backcountry travelers.

AIARE is not currently offering PRO 1 Bridge courses. 

Course/Exam Description

Photo: Chris Pruden

The AIARE PRO 1 Bridge Course/Exam is a two-day exam that provides certification for the experienced avalanche worker.

On the first day, participants will be introduced to the evaluation criteria for the course; they will participate in practice field sessions; and they will complete the rescue exam, written exam, and terrain photo exam. Day two consists of station weather, snow profile, snowpack tests, and field terrain evaluations.

Course/Exam Eligibility:

Bridge applicants are required to be currently working (guides, patrollers, highway workers, instructors). In order to be eligible, participants must provide documentation demonstrating they are routinely applying SWAG guidelines to daily observations and participating in their operations’ risk assessment (see Prerequisites).

The Bridge Course/Exam assumes the participant has backcountry experience and he or she is a working professional with field practice of applying the key decision-making aids taught in the AIARE 1, including the AIARE Trip Plan, the Communication Checklist, Avalanches and Observations Reference, and the Review the Day checklists found in the AIARE (blue) Field Book.

The Bridge Course/Exam is an evaluation to the PRO 1 standard, and is targeted for professionals who can document and demonstrate that their skills and experience in the workplace meet this standard. Students who are not currently in the workplace are advised to take the AIARE PRO 1 course, rather than the Bridge Course/Exam. In addition, students who may meet the minimum standard for the Bridge but lack depth of applied experience are encouraged to consider the AIARE PRO 1. Doing so will provide the student with not only the content and learning of the PRO 1 curriculum, but also the opportunity for mentored practice and feedback before evaluation.

A3 PRO 1 Bridge Guidelines

Course Description 

Where the PRO 1 focuses on avalanche workers as team members, the PRO 2 is designed for those who are (or will become) operational leaders, such as: the lead in avalanche forecasting operations and guides or ski patrol leaders who operate alone and/or will be responsible for risk management of a group or a team.  

Photos: Grant Gunderson, Dale Remsberg

The PRO 2 is an advanced professional avalanche course designed to continue the education of avalanche workers employed in ski areas, transportation, industry, ski and alpine guiding, outdoor education, and public forecasting centers. The course reviews best practices in avalanche risk management including data management and reporting, long term observation and documentation, risk reduction procedures, worker safety, and the development of strategies to limit the effect of bias and uncertainty on individual and team decisions.

PRO 2 courses run in close contact with different types of operations, including highway operations, agency forecasters, backcountry ice and ski guiding, and mechanized operations. Participants have the opportunity to gain real time experience watching how professionals manage risk in each context. AIARE PRO 2 courses bring in guest speakers, adding depth and diversity of experience to the course. These include backcountry forecasters, highway forecasters, researchers, and educators preeminent in their respective fields. PRO 2 courses focus on participants’ skills in application through classroom and field exercises.

In order to deliver this high level course, venues are chosen that meet the demands of the PRO 2 curriculum; this requires diversity in access to operations, terrain, snowpack, and logistics. In addition to the venue, course timing is crucial to successful delivery of the course. Courses must be scheduled with appropriate timing for participants to complete pre course writing and assignments. The timing of the course must align with the operations with which they are connected. This allows participants to experience these operations in real time. And, like any operation in the avalanche industry, course scheduling is subject to weather conditions.

Course Description

The PRO 1 is a multi-faceted course designed for several audiences. 

• Entry level professionals who are seeking training and certification for employment in avalanche programs at ski area, transportation, heli and ski tour guiding, alpine and expedition guiding, snowshoe guiding, snowmobile guiding, and public forecasting operations.
• Working professionals who want to better understand current industry standards and best practices as part of continued career development.

The PRO 1 covers topics essential to the workplace including identifying and characterizing avalanche terrain, understanding how avalanches form and release, collecting and analyzing weather, snow, and avalanche data, and communicating hazard and risk factors. PRO 1 students conduct daily operational forecast meetings, apply effective communication strategies, and debrief field observations and decisions. The course includes pre-course reading, class presentations and field exercises, and daily travel near or in avalanche terrain.

Successful students receive a PRO 1 certificate that is a national standard audited by the American Avalanche Association (A3). The evaluation criteria is taught and coached by the instructors and then evaluated during field exercises, mock operational exercises, and a written exam. The criteria applies guidelines established by the A3 publication, Snow, Weather and Avalanches: Observational Guidelines for Avalanche Programs in the United States (SWAG ed. 2016). Single-rescuer avalanche response, route selection, and group management in avalanche terrain is also taught and evaluated.

Photos: Erica Engle, Chris Pruden, Will Finley, Ruby Mt Heli

AIARE currently offers PRO 1 programs with different Modes of Travel: Ski/Splitboard and Motorized. We are refining our Alpine-Focused/Foot Travel programming for future courses.  Please enquire directly if you have questions about custom courses.

• Ski/Splitboard PRO 1 Programs are designed for the widest professional audience. Course participants must be able to safely travel downhill on skis/board through variable backcountry conditions. Participants must also be able to travel uphill at a moderate pace using skins.

• Motorized PRO 1 Programs are built to meet the both the logistical and operational needs of snowmobile professionals, including snowmobile guides, educators, and operational safety personnel.  Participants need to provide their own machine and be proficient riders through variable backcountry conditions.

These programs share the same goals, learning outcomes, and curriculum, but field travel will occur using different tools. In addition, the operational exercises on these courses will be tailored to the user groups, such as snowmobile guiding operations for the motorized programs. 

We have suspended Lodge Based Programs for the 2020/2021 season.

Any donation is greatly appreciated – please click on the ‘Donate’ button below in the amount you choose. Thank you!

$20.00

$100.00

$500.00

You choose the amount…….

Donate to the #LiveLargeUniversity AIARE Motorized Scholarship

The newly launched #LiveLargeUniversity AIARE Scholarship was created to help change the culture of Backcountry Snowmobiling and normalize advanced avalanche education,  inspire Sledders to pursue avalanche education as a benchmark for being a backcountry rider and build industry partnerships. Funds raised for this scholarship will be used to offer full & partial scholarships for individuals pursuing AIARE PRO, Instructor Training and Recreation courses.

You choose the amount

Your tax deductible gift allows us fulfill our mission of saving lives through avalanche education. Your support helps AIARE in the following ways:

• Reduce avalanche injuries and fatalities by providing us the means to build awareness to a wider audience
• Support research projects on the decision making processes of backcountry travelers.
• Improve, update, and develop new curriculum and training programs.
• Expand online educational resources for all backcountry travelers.