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AAI Level 1 Avalanche Course

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Tuesday thru Thursday February 28, March 1 & 2 - This course is now full

Time: Tuesday Remote Learning 6 - 8 PM; Wednesday and Thursday classroom and on the snow 8 AM - 4 PM
Location: Mt. Hood Meadows (Wednesday and Thursday - Tuesday evening is remote learning Zoom class)
Category: Avalanche Course presented by Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Patrol

The Course

Level 1 Avalanche Students can expect to have a mix of touring, skiing and classroom lectures. Learn how to combine the avalanche forecast with field observations to make informed decisions about traveling in the backcountry.

Avalanche Level 1 provides a solid foundation in avalanche knowledge and skills. The AAI Backcountry Avalanche Checklist helps to focus the curriculum around a systematic approach to sorting and prioritizing information in the complex environment of decision-making in the backcountry. This course will travel in the backcountry, in and around avalanche terrain. The classroom portion of the course will be online, with the majority of it self-paced online learning.

 

Curriculum

This course focuses on the following:

  • Basic avalanche terminology
  • Recognizing avalanche terrain
  • Travel procedures in avalanche terrain
  • Formation of the mountain snowpack
  • How weather changes the snowpack
  • Human factors and how they can influence decision-making Interpreting the avalanche forecast bulletin
  • Tour planning
  • Avalanche transceiver use and rescue skills
  • Field observations of terrain, snowpack, and weather
  • Basic use and interpretation of stability tests
  • Use of the Backcountry Avalanche Checklist in the field to provide a system for prioritizing information, working as a team, and minimizing possible human factor traps
  • Classroom decision-making scenarios to practice use of the checklist Next steps

What is included on a course:

  • Professional instruction
  • Online course workbook
  • Online/classroom and field instruction
  • Lift tickets (unless otherwise noted), if the course is operating out of a ski area

What is not included on a course:

  • Transportation to and from the Mt. Hood Meadows
  • Alpine Touring (AT), Telemark or Splitboard Gear
  • NO SNOWSHOES ALLOWED
  • Avalanche rescue gear
  • Food 

Refund Policy

Mt. Hood Meadows must have written notice of your cancellation or course exchange by emailing refunds@skihood.com. Cancellations made more than 30 days before your registered course (marked by the date of the intro evening Zoom session) are eligible for Stored Value or a refund minus a 10% administrative fee. Course exchange requests made more than 30 days before your registered course are permitted at no cost. Cancellations or course exchange requests made within 30 days of your reservation will be permitted minus a 30% administrative fee.

Recreational Level Courses: Cancellations made within 7 days of your course start date and/or “no shows” are non-refundable and no reschedule option will be available.

If a course is canceled by Mt. Hood Meadows for any reason, the participant has the option to reschedule to another course, be refunded via Stored Value for the value of their course or be issued a full refund. 

We look forward to working with you this winter. Thank you for choosing Mt. Hood Meadows for avalanche education.