If you are a backcountry traveler, it is important to be prepared in the case of an avalanche or other natural event. Crystal Mountain offers intensive weekend-long safety and training courses featuring professional instructors with over 90 years of combined experience.
This intensive course focuses on the principles of stability evaluation,
route selection, safe travel and rescue. The first 2 days includes a
combination of classroom and fieldwork. The final day includes application
of skills on backcountry tour.
At the end of the program, students should be able to:
* Understand how victims get caught and why * Identify avalanche terrain * Understand basic avalanche mechanics * Recognize weather and snowpack conditions contributing to instability * Understand principals of route selection based on stability evaluation * Apply safe travel techniques * Understand basic self and partner rescue including efficient transceiver useVisit the IMG website for more info. mountainguides.com
This is the premier advanced course in the Northwest. The course features
instructors that are professional avalanche forecasters, with over 90 years
of combined experience.
The format of field and classroom allows the participants to focus on
forecasting problems specific to the Northwest. With more than 50% of the
instruction in the field, an emphasis is placed on skill development and
practice. Classroom workshops will contain some problem solving. This course
provides the greatest benefit to participants that have completed Level I
training and are familiar with avalanche fundamentals.
At the end of the program, students should be able to:
* Identify grain types and processes leading to them * Identify the weather patterns that develop weak layers * Understand the importance and dynamics of spatial variability * Identify complex avalanche terrain and select appropriate routes * Perform and interpret common stability tests * Understand the basic elements of field weather forecasting * Understand the role of human factors in accidents * Apply objective decision making methods in avalanche terrain * Perform efficient group rescueVisit the IMG website for more info.