Avalanche – Level 1

The Jackson Hole Outdoor Leadership Institute’s Level 1 is a 4-Day, 30-hour introduction to travel in avalanche terrain and avalanche hazard management. This course included pre-course assignments, classroom sessions and field experiences: 40% Classroom, 60% Field.

The course is expected to:

1. Provide a biological and cognitive framework for decision making, team building and partner selection while developing mindset and intention for interaction with the backcountry environment
2. Describe how, when and why avalanches occur.
3. Identify and describe avalanche terrain in the field
4. Describe and implement a framework for decision making and risk management in avalanche terrain.
5. Have had an opportunity to practice companion rescue with feedback and understand the framework and importance for continued practice of companion rescue skills.

Students can expect to learn to prepare for and carry out a backcountry trip in and around avalanche terrain, introduced to risk management tools and mentored in basic decision making while in the field and an introduction and practice of rescue techniques required to find and dig up a buried person.

A final debrief includes a lesson learned summary and opportunities to gain additional education and mentorship. Students are encouraged and counseled on how to apply the skills learned and told that no course can fully guarantee safety, either during or after course completion. A link is made to a future JHOLI Avalanche Level 2 course.