Monday, January 6, 2014

Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows Offer New 1-Day and 3-Day Avalanche Education Courses
Squaw's new 3-day AIARE Avalanche 1 course kicks off this Wednesday, with additional courses offered through January, February and March

[Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows, Calif.] January 6, 2014 - Starting this Wednesday, January 8, skiers and snowboards can take advantage of new avalanche education courses at Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. The one- and three-day courses teach the basics of snow science, how to access and read the avalanche advisory, how to operate standard avalanche equipment (beacon, probe, and shovel), and, most importantly, how to make good decisions.

The courses kick off this week at Squaw Valley with the three-day AIAIRE Avalanche Leavel 1 Certification course January 8-10 for $389, and the one-day avalanche awareness course on January 12 for $149.

Additional courses will be offered at both Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows in February and March. Full information including additional dates and details is available at www.squaw.com/lessons-rentals/adult-lessons/avalanche-awareness-education.

The one-day and three-day course follow the Avalanche Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) curriculum and is taught by AIARE Qualified Instructors.

Avalanche Awareness 1-Day Course

Learn the basics: terrain, weather, avalanche activity and mountain snowpack.
Avalanche statistics and human factors
Avalanche terminology and terrain
Snowpack and weather factors
Obvious clues
Avalanche advisories
Travel protocols
Companion rescue

AIARE Avalanche Level 1 3-Day Course

24 Hours of classroom and field work to become AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) Level 1 certified.
Advanced understanding of avalanche terrain, particularly from the perspective of stability analysis
Discuss how the snowpack develops and metamorphoses over time; and discuss the factors that contribute to spatial variability
Learn standard observation guidelines and recording formats for factors that influence or indicate snow stability
Advanced understanding of avalanche release and triggering mechanisms
Introduce a snow stability analysis and forecasting framework
Improve companion rescue skills including multiple and deep burials
Participants will receive Level 1 certificate upon successful completion of the course


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