Avalanche Education
Why Avalanche Education Matters
The national avalanche database records an average of 75–150 avalanches per year where people were caught, buried, injured, or killed. As backcountry skiing, snowboarding, and mountaineering continue to grow in popularity, avalanche education has become the most important tool for managing risk in the winter mountains. Research consistently shows that trained backcountry travelers carry proper rescue equipment, make better terrain decisions, and recognize warning signs before committing to a slope. An AIARE avalanche safety course doesn’t just teach you how to read a snow pit — it builds the decision-making framework that keeps you and your partners safe.
AIARE Course Progression
AIARE Level 1 — Foundation for Backcountry Travel
The AIARE 1 is the starting point for anyone who recreates in or near avalanche terrain — backcountry skiers, splitboarders, and mountaineers. No prior avalanche training is required. You’ll learn to identify avalanche terrain, evaluate hazard using the AIARE Decision-Making Framework, and perform a companion rescue. The Mountain Guides use a hybrid course model: online learning modules followed by an evening virtual session and two full days in the field with AMGA-trained instructors. This format lets you maximize mountain time while minimizing time away from work.
Companion Rescue Course
Rescue skills are perishable. AIARE recommends refreshing them every two years, and a Companion Rescue course is a prerequisite for AIARE Level 2. This focused, one-day course covers transceiver search techniques, strategic shoveling, and realistic scenario practice — essential skills you hope you’ll never need but must have ready.
AIARE Level 2 — Advanced Decision-Making
The AIARE 2 is designed for experienced backcountry travelers who have completed an AIARE 1 and Companion Rescue course and have at least one season of travel in avalanche terrain. This advanced avalanche course deepens your understanding of snowpack assessment, weather patterns, and terrain management. Using the same hybrid format — online learning plus two field days — you’ll refine the decision-making skills needed to travel confidently in more complex terrain.
Women’s AIARE Courses
The Mountain Guides offer women’s-specific AIARE courses in Colorado and Montana, taught by experienced female instructors. These courses follow the same rigorous AIARE curriculum and hybrid format as our coed offerings, but provide a supportive learning environment where women can build confidence and skills alongside other women. Whether you’re brand new to the backcountry or looking to level up your avalanche education, our women’s courses are a great way to get started.
Where We Teach
Colorado — Rocky Mountain National Park & Boulder: Train in Colorado’s Front Range, where a variable continental snowpack provides an ideal classroom for learning to read avalanche conditions. Convenient to Denver, Boulder, Estes Park, and Fort Collins.
Wyoming — Jackson Hole & Grand Teton National Park: Learn in the legendary terrain of the Tetons with the guide service that has called Jackson Hole home since 1968. World-class ski touring and avalanche terrain right out the door.
Utah — The Wasatch & Salt Lake City: The Wasatch offers some of North America’s most stunning backcountry skiing, with terrain for every ability level. Easily accessible from Salt Lake City.
Montana — Whitefish & Blacktail Mountain: Located in the beautiful Flathead Valley near Glacier National Park, our Montana location offers uncrowded backcountry and a one-of-a-kind learning experience.
Why The Mountain Guides
The Mountain Guides have been leading people into the mountains since 1968, making us the second-oldest guide service in the United States. We are an AMGA-accredited company and an authorized AIARE course provider with operations across four states. Our guides are AMGA-trained and certified professionals who bring decades of real-world mountain experience into every course. Our hybrid course model — combining online learning with focused field time — means less time in a classroom and more time applying skills in actual avalanche terrain. When you’re ready to invest in your backcountry education, choose the guides who set the standard...
