I've got my Avalanche 1 certification, so this means I can ski Silverton without a guide, right? They'll still charge me for helicopter rides though.
AIARE instructor Andrew Councell and class participant Aaron Mello dig a snow pit to assess snow pack instabilities and avalanche danger in front of Mount Aetna.
James “Hills” Hillard makes fresh powder turns in an area close to the Lost Wonder Hut called the Burn.
It was a back to school moment at 8 a.m. when 14 bleary-eyed backcountry users from Chaffee County arrived at the Steamplant for the Level 1 Avalanche course: Decision Making in Avalanche Terrain.
Held over three days during Presidents Day weekend, participants hoping to gain the skills needed to travel safely in avalanche terrain had a day and a half of classroom time to discuss concepts, a trip to Monarch Pass working on rescue techniques and a full day of touring and hands on practice.
Hosted by Salida Mountain Sports the class format was created by the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education and taught by AIARE instructors Mike Soucy, a Monarch Mountain ski patroller as well as a CMS guide, and fellow CMS guide Andrew Councell from Estes Park.
“The Avalanche 1 is designed as a stand alone coarse to provide users with the ability to plan a backcountry trip and if something does happen, having the rescue skills required, we’re not going to get too geeky on snow science,” Soucy said during the first day of class.
Technical skills involved in companion rescue and the study of snow pack stability were key parts of the curriculum, but one of the main goals of the course was to focus on asking the right questions instead of providing answers.
An example used was about a group trained in performing snow pack tests yet all were buried after digging a test pit at the bottom of an avalanche slide path.
Examining reported case studies involving avalanche burials utilized a large part of the classroom time. By identifying hazards or warnings that the victims failed to adhere to gave participants an idea of what to look for on their own trips. Photos and video footage connected to the studies left a graphic impression of what can take place in an avalanche.
Throughout the class Soucy stressed the importance of being aware of ones surroundings and how terrain selection can minimize risk in the backcountry.
The class also focused on human factors influencing avalanche risk or when group dynamics or social evidence lead backcountry users into unsafe situations. One example was a video clip portraying half dozen skiers descending a slope one at a time without consequence until the sixth began the descent between the tracks left by the others and triggered a slide. Soucy and Councell identified the phenomenon as social proof.
“You may have been two pounds away from triggering an avalanche, but skied away without consequence,” Councell said. “It’s a negative feedback loop.”
During the last day of the course participants had an opportunity to practice planning a tour West of Garfield while taking into account technical information and human factors. Members of the group were encouraged to practice many of the concepts discussed in the classroom and had a chance to perform snow pit tests and beacon checks.
This was the first Level 1 class offered in Salida and the sponsors and instructors hope to offer more in the future.
“After taking this class you might think you know more than you actually do. There’s a responsibility to polish up these skills,” Soucy cautioned at the end of the course.
More information about AIARE courses and a contact for Soucy are at http://avtraining.org. Colorado Avalanche Information Center offers current avalanche forecasts at http://avalanche.state.co.us/.
