AIARE Avalanche Rescue Course
Mount Baker - Snoqualmie Pass - Stevens Pass | WashingtonAIARE Avalanche Rescue Course
- Mountaineering School
- Pack Weight: 25 lbs.
- 1 Day
- Gallery
- Dates & Pricing
Alpine Ascents is a nationally recognized AIARE avalanche education provider and A3 (American Avalanche Association) member, offering rescue training aligned with the national AIARE curriculum and taught by certified instructors. The AIARE Avalanche Rescue course is a one-day field program focused on developing and sharpening companion rescue skills for backcountry skiers, splitboarders, and winter travelers.
The one-day AIARE Avalanche Rescue Course is designed to educate backcountry travelers on how to respond if someone is caught in an avalanche. Companion rescue is a necessary skill for anyone who works or plays in avalanche terrain, and this course serves to introduce and refresh best practices to keep skills sharp and effective.
Course Highlights
Decades of Experience: 30+ years of experience leading courses throughout the Pacific Northwest
Gear Support: Full-service gear department for equipment questions, consultations, and avalanche safety gear rentals
Varied Terrain: Multiple venue locations across the Cascades
Focused Instruction: Full day of field based instruction on avalanche rescue with optional additional online resources
Modes of Transport: AIARE Rescue can be taken on backcountry skis, splitboards, and snowshoes
Women’s Programs: Women’s-only courses available in partnership with SheJumps
We had an excellent instructor who provided opportunities to confirm our understanding of each concept.
He had great relevant experiences to share that drove the point home and made each technique memorable.
All three instructors were great and knowledgeable!
Sam’s an impeccable teacher with an amazing teaching style.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the basic overview of avalanches
- Learn efficient use of avalanche safety equipment
- Avalanche companion rescue single rescuer and companion rescue
- Practice techniques for executing a backcountry avalanche rescue
The Alpine Ascents Way
Our course dedicates a full field day entirely to companion rescue skills and their real-world application
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Partnerships with AIARE, A3, and SheJumps
We uphold the highest national standards and practices in avalanche education
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Course Locations
All courses based in the Pacific Northwest with easy access and varied terrain for hands-on instruction
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The Alpine Ascents Way
Our AIARE Avalanche Rescue course is a full day in the field, focused entirely on companion rescue skills and real-world application. Participants spend the day practicing rescue fundamentals and refining technique with AIARE-certified Alpine Ascents instructors, ski patrollers, and certified ski guides, all teaching directly from the national AIARE and A3 Avalanche Rescue curriculum. Our team brings deep local knowledge, strong instructional backgrounds, and a genuine passion for helping skiers and riders improve their rescue proficiency.
Instruction is practical, hands-on, and scenario-based. Students run rescue drills, build fluency with beacons, probing strategies, and efficient shoveling systems, and practice organized group response to avalanche incidents. By the end of the course, participants leave with a solid foundation in companion rescue, improved response times, and clear strategies for continued practice and skill development.
Our Partnership with AIARE & A3
Alpine Ascents is proud to partner with The American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) to provide avalanche education courses. AIARE is a nonprofit established in 1998 specializing in the development of avalanche education curriculum. AIARE’s mission is to save lives through education for recreationalists and professionals. Our instructors are certified by AIARE to teach avalanche education.
Alpine Ascents is a recognized American Avalanche Association provider. Our AIARE courses meet the national standards set by the American Avalanche Association (A3) to deliver high quality and proven curriculum with experienced educators. A3 providers are held to the highest industry standard for education and risk management. Additionally, A3 providers guarantee small class sizes and hands-on field experience.
Women’s Only Courses with SheJumps
Since 2020, Alpine Ascents has proudly partnered with SheJumps as the guide service for their fundraising climbs, avalanche courses and Snowpack Scholarship, and mountaineering and rock climbing programs. We value this partnership and are glad to support SheJumps in their mission.
SheJumps is dedicated to welcoming women, girls, and non-binary folks into outdoor spaces, and aims to empower women through educational experience and inclusive spaces. We partner with SheJumps for women’s only Avalanche Rescue courses each season, where participants learn from and alongside other women and non-binary folks. Please indicate SheJumps in the notes section of your application to join.
Mount Baker
Mt. Baker (10,781 ft), the highest point of the North Cascades, is a heavily glaciated dormant volcano. The twelve active glaciers of Mt. Baker cover an area exceeding 20 square miles. Mt. Baker is unique in its great mass of snow and ice and easy accessibility. This combination creates a perfect training ground for backcountry skiing and riding.
- Setting the world record for recorded snowfall in a single season (1,140′ in 1999), Mt. Baker remains one of the snowiest spots in the Pacific Northwest and the world
- The Heather Meadows area offers prime ski tours for skiers/riders of all ability levels, from wide bowls, to tight trees
Snoqualmie Pass
Snoqualmie Pass (3,100 ft), is located less than an hour from Seattle and offers a convenient escape from the city. A combination of high snowfall, easy accessibility, and desirable slopes and epic couloirs make Snoqualmie Pass one of the best zones in Washington and exceedingly popular with backcountry travelers of all experience levels.
- The roadside ski tours around Snoqualmie Pass and beyond are unusually steep and access excellent terrain
- Many consider Snoqualmie Pass to be one of the densest ski touring areas in the country by pure volume of runs
Stevens Pass
Stevens Pass (4,062 ft) is set deep within the Cascade Mountains off of Highway 2. This zone is known for deep powder and phenomenal tree skiing. Alpine terrain hidden high above the tree line offers skiers of all abilities a playground that has everything from large open bowls to steep narrow couloirs. Convenient roadside access provides an easy entry to sustained long vertical ski runs and the some of the highest quality snow in the state.
- Yodelin, a retired ski area just northeast of Stevens Pass, is a favorite zone featuring open glades and liberally spaced trees
- The Stevens Pass backcountry area has a convenient and short approach
AIARE Avalanche Rescue Course Blog
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Local Impact
Alpine Ascents maintains close ties with the Northwest Avalanche Center ‘NWAC’. We firmly believe in NWAC’s mission to equip our community and reduce the impact of Avalanches. As a supporting sponsor, you’ll find Alpine Ascents hosting ski education days with NWAC, collaborating on NWAC Avalanche awareness webinars, and contributing in-kind donations each year. Many of our guides/instructors also work with NWAC.
AIARE Avalanche Rescue Course FAQ
The AIARE Avalanche Rescue Course is an intensive, 1-day standalone program dedicated entirely to teaching and practicing companion rescue techniques, beacon searches, and emergency response procedures for backcountry travelers.
As a premier mountain guide service and recognized American Avalanche Association (A3) provider, Alpine Ascents ensures your training is led by certified professional guides who apply real-world expedition risk management and emergency response expertise.
AIARE recommends that all winter backcountry recreationalists refresh their rescue skills at least every other year. This course serves as an essential initial training for beginners or a vital skills sharpener for veterans.
Students learn avalanche rescue principles, safety equipment operation, beacon search strategies (signal search, fine search, pinpointing), rapid probing, strategic shoveling techniques, and how to execute a coordinated multi-burial companion rescue.
There are no formal prerequisites. The course is open to all skiers, snowboarders, splitboarders, snowshoe travelers, and mountaineers of all experience levels.
No previous ski touring or splitboarding experience is required. If you use touring gear, it is simply helpful to be familiar with your setup prior to the class.
We maintain a strict maximum 6:1 student-to-instructor ratio, guaranteeing personalized instruction, direct feedback, and ample hands-on practice time for every participant.
Courses are held in accessible Washington winter locations, including Snoqualmie Pass, Mount Baker, and Stevens Pass, providing realistic snow environments for rescue scenarios.
Participants must bring a modern multi-antenna digital avalanche transceiver (beacon), a sturdy snow probe, a metal shoveling blade, and appropriate winter snow travel equipment (skis with skins, splitboard, or snowshoes).
Yes. Required technical gear can be rented directly through Alpine Ascents, and instructors can even bring your reserved rental equipment straight to the course venue.
Participants should be in good physical condition, capable of carrying a 25 lb. daypack and moving approximately 1 mile with 500 feet of elevation gain while spending a full day active outdoors in winter weather.
Yes. We partner with organizations like SheJumps to offer dedicated Women-Only Avalanche Rescue courses at locations like Snoqualmie Pass to foster an inclusive learning environment.
No. Participants are responsible for bringing their own trail lunches, high-energy snacks, and at least two liters of water or hot drinks for the full day in the field.
Courses run on select dates throughout December and January, aligning directly with the peak winter snow season in the Cascades.
Upon successful completion, students receive an official AIARE Avalanche Rescue course completion certificate recognized throughout North America by outdoor organizations, guides, and employers.
