Level 3 Avalanche Course

Level 3 is an advanced certification course for experienced and professional avalanche practitioners and professional guides. This course is 6 days long and completes the avalanche course of the Level 2 and 3 (10 days together). Individuals who receive a passing grade and successfully complete the course receive certification provided by the AIARE administration.

AIARE Level 3

AIARE LEVEL 3 AVALANCHE COURSE SCHEDULE FOR WINTER 2007/2008

January 20-25, 2008 - Eastern Sierra, June Lake California
February 17- 22, 2008 - Snow Basin Ski Resort, Ogden, Utah
February 25 - March 1, 2008 - Red Mountain Pass/Silverton, Colorado
The AIARE Level 3 meets the standards of the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) as a prerequisite for guides education and certification.
Cost: $1,100.00
12 participants minimum.
Courses fill quickly, please sign up early.
Download Level 3 Application at : http://avtraining.org/Avalanche-Training-Courses/AIARE-Level-3.php

Student Learning Outcomes:

  • Develop a snow stability and avalanche hazard analysis and forecasting.
  • Be able to form opinions about snow stability, avalanche hazard, and operational decisions.
  • Improve participants' observation and recording skills
  • Improve the participants terrain analysis skills.
  • Improve decision making in the field.
  • Improve understanding of the creation and metamorphism of the mountain snowpack.
  • Encourage active participation.
  • Advance participants' companion rescue skills.

68 hr Instructional Sessions (including class and field instruction)

  1. Pre course study and quiz
  2. Avalanche Terrain
    • Spatial variability and developing "excellent terrain skills"
    • Lectures, Case histories, and field terrain discussions.
  3. Craftsmanship and professional standards
  4. Review of study plot weather and snow profiles techniques
    • Calculating densities
    • Drafting techniques
  5. Review of snow crystals, sub classifications
  6. Operational stability and hazard forecasting
    • Twice daily meetings: am forecast; evening analysis
    • Operational forms and recording methods
    • Information exchange with nearest neighbor
    • Weather forecasting: actual data, upper levels data, ridgetop data, weather maps and images, forecasts, storm cycle tends
    • Avalanche path photos and image use
    • Run list use in hazard forecasts
  7. Avalanche safety equipment: burial prevention, reducing burial time, increasing survival time
  8. Companion rescue:
    • Review of pinpointing on a line, multiple burials (3 circle search, micro strip search) techniques, shovel techniques
    • Teaching techniques for patrol and clientele.
  9. Terrain travel and group management
    • Relate the Wx forecast to field weather observation
    • Gathering accurate info while moving through the terrain
    • "Off line" information: quick tests to confirm information known and reveal variation
    • Terrain discussions include: targeting known stability issues,anticipating, visualizing where will avalanches occur, where will the fracture occur, triggering, potential size, depth width, and length
    • Creating options in the terrain
    • Keeping field decisions consistent with office forecasts
    • Human factors affecting team and team leader decisions
    • Hazard evaluation, contradictious and safety margins
  10. Comparing field tests to study plot information. Including probing, hand tests, bonding tests, test profiles, RB, fracture line profiles, ski tests, etc.
    • Targeting weak layers
    • Stressing site selection/ relevancy
    • More info over space to add to baseline data
    • Use of snow profile checklist ("yellow flags,Lemons") to prioritize characteristics
  11. Case Study: Operational decision-making
    • Introduces a model of how decisions are made
    • Reviews terms which include judgment, decision making, common sense, heuristic traps
    • Illustrates human error and heuristic traps with a case study
    • Student groups identify and describe heuristic traps in the case study
    • Describes McCammon's definitions of Heuristic Traps
    • Concludes with common operational procedures to mitigate human errors
  12. Prepares for the examination process
    • Describe profile and field weather testing procedure
    • Describe terrain exam procedures
    • Describe written exam procedures
  13. Exam Day
    • Field Terrain Exam (includes control targets and exercise to illustrate variability)
    • Class terrain exam from photos
    • Weather observation exam
    • snow profile exam
    • Written exam (includes storm profile analysis)
    • Issuing a public bulletin
  14. Course Close
    • Review the goals stated by the students at the beginning of the week
    • Links to continued professional development, skill development, participation in seminars, AAA membership etc.
    • Debriefs student's strengthens and weaknesses
    • Student feedback form

Student Prerequisites:

Students must submit an application to the course provider which details they have met prerequisites:

  1. AIARE Level2 course
  2. Experience applying the level 2 skills and knowledge in a professional or personal program is required
  3. Personal resume:
    • Twenty day trips in avalanche terrain requiring decision-making and travel procedures
    • Twenty day trips with documented field weather and snowpack observations( to AAA SWAG or ORGES observation Guidelines standards)
  4. Rescue
    • Must be able to find ( by probe) two transceivers buried in a 30m by 30 m area in six minutes. (One transceiver is buried 30cm below the surface; the second is buried 40-60 cm below the surface 3 to 4 m apart). Led a rescue team in a mock avalanche rescue scenario OR have training and experience in a professional search and rescue group (e.g. ski patrol,etc.).
  5. Prior to the start of the Level 3 course, it is required that student complete the Pre Course quiz which is handed in to the course leader at the start of the course.