AIARE Avalanche Courses in Colorado
Hands-on Avalanche Education in the San Juan Mountains
Build the skills and decision making needed to travel more confidently and make informed decisions in avalanche terrain. Skyward Mountaineering offers AIARE avalanche courses in Colorado's San Juan Mountains, providing practical avalanche education for backcountry skiers, splitboarders, ice climbers, and mountaineers. Through a combination of classroom learning and hands-on field sessions, you'll learn how to recognize avalanche hazards, interpret forecasts, assess the snowpack, manage terrain, develop route plans, and make informed decisions with your partners.
With classroom sessions based in Silverton and Ouray, our avalanche courses primarily take place on Red Mountain Pass in some of Colorado’s best skiing terrain. All courses follow AIARE’s nationally recognized curriculum and are taught by AIARE Course Leaders and AMGA certified guides with a background in professional avalanche forecasting. From our AIARE 1 through AIARE 2 and specialized avalanche courses for ice climbers, our programs are designed to give you the skills and good habits to recognize avalanche hazards and make informed decisions in the mountains.
Schedule: Courses are full days (8 hours) of hands-on learning and ice climbing. Length of courses range from 2-3 days.
Group Size: All AIARE avalanche courses are taught with a maximum of 6 students per instructor.
Prerequisites: No previous avalanche education required for an AIARE 1 course. Students must complete AIARE 1 and AIARE Rescue before enrolling in an AIARE 2 course. Students on an AIARE 1 course must be at least intermediate level resort skiers/riders and have previous backcountry touring experience. We also offer a day of backcountry ski touring prep for those without previous experience.
Course Descriptions: AIARE 1 avalanche courses for skiers and alpinists and AIARE 2 courses for ski mountaineers.
Location: All avalanche courses are taught in Silverton and Ouray, Colorado.
Pricing: Varies based on the course.
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![The crown of a hard slab avalanche is in the foreground with sun shining through evergreen trees and snowy mountains in the background.]()
AIARE 1 avalanche education with hybrid online learning and avalanche rescue course. Based in Silverton, CO.
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![A gloved hand holds up surface hoar snow crystals.]()
AIARE 1 avalanche education course specifically designed for alpinists and ice climbers. Based in Silverton, CO.
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![A skier in red pants and a yellow jacket is probing avalanche debris during rescue practice.]()
1 day, hands-on avalanche rescue course. This course serves as a requirement for AIARE 1 students or as a refresher at the start of the season. Based in Silverton, CO.
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![Two students on an an avalanche education course dig a snow pit and isolate a column to conduct a stability test.]()
AIARE 2 avalanche education course for higher level learning. Based in Ouray, Colorado.
Which Avalanche Course is Right For Me?
AIARE 1 Avalanche Course
Your foundation for traveling in avalanche terrain.
The AIARE 1 course introduces the essential skills needed to recognize avalanche hazards, interpret avalanche forecasts, observe the snowpack with on-the-go tests and a full snow pit, evaluate terrain, plan backcountry travel, and make informed group decisions. This course is designed primarily for backcountry skiers and splitboarders.
Our Hybrid AIARE 1 + Avalanche Rescue course uses online learning to supplement in-person classroom and in-the-field learning. Additionally, the 3 day Hybrid AIARE 1 course weaves in the curriculum for the AIARE Avalanche Rescue course so students don’t need an additional course to meet the AIARE requirements.
AIARE 1 Avalanche Course
For Ice Climbers & Alpinists
Avalanche education built around winter climbing.
This 3 day AIARE 1 course applies avalanche education to the unique challenges and terrain decisions faced by ice climbers and mountaineers. Learn to evaluate avalanche terrain, snowpack, weather, and climbing route specific hazards while traveling primarily on foot in the winter mountains. This course is a specialty course designed for climbers, but is also highly applicable for students who prefer to take an avalanche education course without skis on. This course meets the same requirements for a standard AIARE 1 and students will still need to complete a separate 1 day AIARE Avalanche Rescue course.
AIARE Avalanche Rescue Course
Build the skills to respond when minutes matter.
Our 1 day companion rescue course focuses on efficient avalanche response, including transceiver searches, probing, strategic shoveling, and team rescue techniques. Take it alongside an AIARE 1 or as a refresher to sharpen your rescue skills before the winter season. The AIARE Avalanche Rescue course can be taken before, after, or during your AIARE 1 course.
AIARE 2 Avalanche Course
Take your avalanche decision making to the next level.
For experienced backcountry travelers ready to build on their AIARE 1 foundation, our AIARE 2 develops deeper skills in snowpack assessment, avalanche forecasting, terrain management, and route planning. Our AIARE 2 course is designed primarily for ski mountaineers, taking place during the late winter/early spring season when we’re able to analyze the winter snowpack at it’s deepest and get into steeper terrain.
Planning Your Course
Why Take an AIARE Course With Skyward Mountaineering?
Skyward Mountaineering is an official AIARE provider in Colorado, offering the highest quality avalanche course instruction, based in the Silverton and Ouray. In addition to the standard AIARE 1 and AIARE 2 avalanche education courses, we focus on courses specifically for ice climbers and ski mountaineers.
Our AIARE courses on Red Mountain Pass are an excellent venue for avalanche education, with easy access, great ski terrain, and complex avalanche problems. In addition to being AIARE certified instructors, our team are AMGA certified guides who have a wealth of experience forecasting avalanches professionally and are passionate instructors.