- Photo by: Guide Brian Warren
- Photo by: Guide Brian Warren
- Photo by: Guide Brian Warren
- Photo by: Guide Brian Warren
Overview
With some of the best backcountry terrain in North America, the Tetons offer a lifetime of opportunity to ski and snowboard in one of the most spectacular places on earth. Learning to negotiate the backcountry takes years of dedication and practice; Jackson Hole Mountain Guides offers avalanche courses and clinics to help you begin and refine your avalanche safety knowledge and make you a safer, more competent back country adventurer.
To prevent the spread of infectious disease on these courses, we will be using a virtual classroom. Students must have access to a Zoom-enable device and a stable internet connection throughout the course.
Participants in this camp must have experience touring on skis or a splitboard and be comfortable riding black diamond terrain at the resort or off-piste, ungroomed backcountry snow on slopes up to 30 degrees (blue square).
We highly encourage every backcountry user to take a Level 1 or 2 AIARE Avalanche Education Course and to follow up with yearly practice, so you enjoy a long lifetime of rewarding backcountry experiences. Along with our AIARE Courses, we offer a number of clinics and opportunities that get you into the mountains to put your back country skills to work!
For information on Level 2 AIARE Avalanche Education, click here.
Season Winter
Minimum Age 18
Trip Planner
Itinerary
Our AIARE Level 1 Courses are designed for people looking to build a foundation for safe Backcountry travel. This comprehensive 3-day course focuses on hazard evaluation, decision-making and companion rescue in avalanche terrain. One full field day is devoted to slope evaluation, route finding, and risk management. These courses include proper instruction for basic safety and protocols for safe backcountry travel. Over the 3-days you will learn the skills and tools needed to navigate the winter mountains and evaluate the snowpack when traveling through avalanche terrain.
CLICK HERE for a sample schedule.
Pricing
AIARE Level I Avalanche Course: Price: $495
The Mountain Guides does not provide transportation for its clients into the park. Clients will be responsible for paying the $35 vehicle fee at the park entrance unless they have a Golden Eagle Pass or equivalent .
Schedule
Winter 20/21 is sold out!
Check back in summer 2021 for next year’s dates!
Equipment
UPPER LAYERS
- Top Long Sleeve Synthetic: medium to expedition weight long underwear Guide Pick: Mountain Hardwear Butterman 1/2 zip
- Soft Shell or Fleece Jacket Guide Pick: Mountain Hardwear 32 Degree Jacket
- Shell Jacket with hood. Guide Pick: Mountain Hardwear Cloudseeker Jacket
- Puffy Jacket: Hood Recommended. Guide Pick: Mountain Hardwear Ghostwhisperer Jacket
BOTTOM LAYERS
- Bottom Synthetic or Wool Long Underwear Bottoms Guide Pick: Mountain Hardwear Butterman Tight
- Shell Pant: full side zips and built-in gaiters Guide Pick: Mountain Hardwear Highball Pant
- Socks: Synthetic or wool. Sized for your boots and blister protection. Liners recommended.
HEAD AND HANDS
- Gloves 3 pair: 1 light, 1 medium, 1 heavy pair Guide Pick: Mountain Hardwear Cyclone GTX Glove
- Hat: medium weight ski hat
- Hat: baseball or visor for sun
- Buff/neck gaiter
ACCESSORIES
- Back Pack: 30 to 40 Liter ski pack, Guide Pick: Mammut Pro Short Removable Airbag System Backpack
- Water & Food: Thermos or insulated water bottles are best. Lot’s of snacks.
- Sunglasses/ Sunglass Case
- Ski Goggles
- Extra Prescription Glasses/Contact Lens
- Sunscreen/Lip balm
- Headlamp-Extra batteries
- Laptop Computer — for Avalanche Courses only
SKI/SNOWBOARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE BACKCOUNTRY (Packages available for rent at JHMG)
- Boots: Alpine Touring, Telemark, or Snowboarding Boots
- Skis or Splitboard with compatible binding for boots
- Climbing Skins (fit to skis)
- Ski Poles
- Helmet (optional)
SNOW SAFETY EQUIPMENT (REQUIRED and available for rent at JHMG)
- Transceiver Guide Pick:Mammut Barryvox S
- Shovel Guide Pick: Mammut Alugator Twist shove
- Probe Guide Pick: Mammut Fastlock Probe 240
Travel
The Mountain Guides does not provide transportation for its clients into the park. Clients will be responsible for paying the $35 vehicle fee at the park entrance unless they have a Golden Eagle Pass or equivalent .
Grand Teton National Park is located roughly 30 minutes from our Jackson, WY headquarters. Our Jackson office is located in the south part of Jackson at 1325 S. Highway 89, Suite 104 and shares a parking area with Smith’s. Our phone number is (800) 239-7642 or (307) 733-4979. Most trips and classes will meet at this office for gear checks, preparation, and classes. The Jackson Hole airport is the closest, but Idaho Falls (a 2 – 2.5 hour drive) is a cheaper option and Salt Lake City (4 – 5 hour drive) are also air travel options. It is helpful to arrive a couple of days prior to your trip/class in order to acclimatize. Otherwise, you should arrive the day before and stop by our office for an equipment check. Do not plan on traveling the day after a significant climb – you will be tired and there are no guaranteed times when we will return to the trailhead. Plan on having accommodations for the night prior to and the night you return from a significant climb. There are a plethora of hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts in Jackson and the surrounding area. Accommodations near our office make your transitions convenient. It is highly advisable to make reservations as early as possible. Lodging recommendations and many more details can be found in the downloadable document below.
VIEW PDF
Trip Sponsors
As the signature sponsor of our AIARE Level 1 and Level 2 courses, all students enrolled will be able to test and demo all Mammut safety equipment for the duration of their course for no charge. Students who elect to take advantage of this program will be expected to fill out a review of the equipment they demo. Once submitted, they will receive a discount code for %15 off any full-priced Mammut airbag, beacon, shovel or probe.
Talk To Us
Here you’ll find online tools and information about joining us for a trip of a lifetime! To sign up for a trip, or if you have any questions, please call us. Listed on the left side of these pages are links that you may find useful, including printable forms and policies concerning a trip with JHMG. We encourage ALL prospective climbers to read our Preparation advice. Our office can help place you with others who are looking to climb.
