Upcoming Avalanche Courses

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.

Central Wyoming College – Jackson Outreach
240 S. Glenwood St. #124, Jackson, WY

The Avalanche Rescue Course is an 8-hour course focused on leadership, decision-making and the actions necessary to be taken during an avalanche rescue. This course goes beyond the basics and prepares participants to assume leadership a leadership position during an avalanche burial and subsequent rescue.

This course can be taken as a stand-alone course and is also a prerequisite for enrollment in Avalanche Level 2 or Pro 1.

Central Wyoming College – Jackson Outreach
240 S. Glenwood St. #124, Jackson, WY

The Level 2 Course with Avalanche Rescue is a 4-Day 30-hour program that provides backcountry leaders the opportunity to advance their avalanche knowledge and decision making skills while developing leadership skills in avalanche rescue. 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. Provide the basis for a philosophical understanding of risk management and acceptance of risk.
3. Gather and prioritize information relevant for describing how seasonal weather has affected the snowpack process and current snowpack structure.
4. Create an avalanche hazard assessment without a local bulletin.
5. Describe, create and implement a framework for planning, decision making and risk management in consideration of leading a group in avalanche terrain.
6. Practice travel and terrain mitigation techniques under supervision with feedback in a variety of avalanche terrain situations.

The Level 2 builds from the introductory avalanche hazard management model introduced in the Level 1 and adds to it the evaluation of factors critical to mindset, risk management, stability evaluation, group management and terrain selection.

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 future professional level trainings.

Central Wyoming College – Jackson Outreach
240 S. Glenwood St. #124, Jackson, WY

The Level 1 Avalanche Refresher Course is for person who have successfully completed a formal Level 1 course and 20 days of backcountry touring since your course or have a minimum of 3 years of backcountry touring experience.

This 2 day, 13-hour continuing education module focuses on review of the avalanche bulletin, terrain selection, group management and leadership techniques used in and around avalanche terrain.

Students can expect:

1. Deeper understandings on how to read the avalanche bulletin
2. Deeper understandings of application of the bulletin to terrain
3. Deeper understandings of the strategies involved in group management
4. Deeper understandings of how to use terrain analytics to manage risk

Central Wyoming College – Jackson Outreach
240 S. Glenwood St. #124, Jackson, WY

The Level 1 Avalanche Refresher Course is for person who have successfully completed a formal Level 1 course and 20 days of backcountry touring since your course or have a minimum of 3 years of backcountry touring experience.

This 2 day, 13-hour continuing education module focuses on review of the avalanche bulletin, terrain selection, group management and leadership techniques used in and around avalanche terrain.

Students can expect:

1. Deeper understandings on how to read the avalanche bulletin
2. Deeper understandings of application of the bulletin to terrain
3. Deeper understandings of the strategies involved in group management
4. Deeper understandings of how to use terrain analytics to manage risk

Central Wyoming College – Jackson Outreach
240 S. Glenwood St. #124, Jackson, WY