Overview
Located in the beautiful Flathead Valley and beyond, The Mountain Guides Montana offers avalanche courses and skills clinics to help you begin and refine your avalanche safety and backcountry knowledge. Our goal is to help you become a safer, more competent back country adventurer. In our AIARE 2 courses we’ve taken it to the next level by providing students with ideal learning environments to suit their personal learning styles. We offer a 3-day in person program based in the backcountry near Whitefish Mountain Resort.
Whitefish Yurt-based Avalanche Courses from The Mountain Guides on Vimeo.
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!
Season Winter
Minimum Age 18
Trip Planner
Pricing
Resort based AIARE Level 2:
$650 Per Person
Schedule
CLICK HERE to view current availability and enroll in a course!
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
- Shell Jacket with hood.
- Puffy Jacket: Hood Recommended.
BOTTOM LAYERS
- Bottom Synthetic or Wool Long Underwear Bottoms
- Shell Pant: full side zips and built-in gaiters
- 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
- Hat: medium weight ski hat
- Hat: baseball or visor for sun
- Buff/neck gaiter
ACCESSORIES
- Back Pack: 30 to 40 Liter ski pack,
- 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
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
- Shovel
- Probe
UPPER LAYERS
- Top Long Sleeve: Mid weight backcountry oriented top Guide Pick: Black Diamond Coefficient LT Hybrid Hoody
- Mid weight insulated Jacket Guide Pick: Black Diamond Solution Jacket
- Shell Jacket with hood. Guide Pick: Black Diamond Recon LT Stretch Shell
- Puffy Jacket: Hood Recommended. Guide Pick: Black Diamond Access Down Hoody
BOTTOM LAYERS
- Bottom Synthetic or Wool Long Underwear Bottoms Guide Pick: Black Diamond Solution 150 Merino Base Layer
- Shell Pant: full side zips and built-in gaiters Guide Pick: Black Diamond Recon Stretch LT 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: Black Diamond Legend 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: Black Diamond Jet Force Pro 35 Airbag Pack
- 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 Guides Pick: Black Diamond Cosmo 350 R Rechargeable
SKI/SNOWBOARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE BACKCOUNTRY (Packages available for rent)
- Boots: Alpine Touring, Telemark, or Snowboarding Boots
- Skis: Guide Pick: Black Diamond Helio Carbon 95
- Splitboard: Guides Pick: Black Diamond X Cardiff Co-Lab
- Climbing Skins: Guides Pick: Black Diamond Ascension Nylon Climbing Skins ( must trip to fit skis)
- Ski Poles: Guides Pick: Traverse Compactor Ski Poles
- Helmet (optional)
SNOW SAFETY EQUIPMENT (REQUIRED and available for rent from TMG)
Travel
Because of Mountain Guides Montana’s location in beautiful Flathead Valley and proximity to Glacier National Park our venues for teaching are one of a kind. Flights come into Glacier International Airport (FCA) daily. Amtrak arrives once per day.
Because of The Mountain Guides Montana Whitefish, Montana location in beautiful Flathead Valley and proximity to Glacier National Park our venues for teaching are one of a kind. Flights come into Glacier International Airport (FCA) daily. Amtrak arrives once per day.
Community Partners
As the signature sponsor of our Avalanche Safety Courses, all students enrolled will be able to test and demo Mammut avalanche safety equipment during the course at no charge. In exchange, participants provide five photos of the gear in use it as well as a review of the gear OR a post on social media tagging @jhmtnguides and @mammutna.
Trip Sponsors
The Great Northern Powder Guides (GNPG) is an independent Cat Skiing operation in Northwest Montana, offering guided cat skiing in the pristine Whitefish Range of the northern Rockies. GNPG owns and operates the Powder House, a permanent yurt structure located 20 miles into the backcountry. The Mountain Guides Montana and Great Northern Powder Guides collaborate to offer our immersion-based 3-day Yurt AIARE 1 and 2 courses. The GNPG Powder House is a magical spot and offers a truly unique locale for cat skiing and avalanche education.
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 TMG. We encourage ALL prospective climbers to read our Preparation advice. Our office can help place you with others who are looking to climb.
