Scheduled Programs
Winter 2024/2025
WOmen+ Season-Long
Avalanche Mentorship Programs
For those who are looking to hone in on their observation skills, to apply their already strong avalanche awareness knowledge in real-time, and to be a part of a cohort of women where the container will allow for an expansion in one's ability to express opinions within a touring group in a genuine and coherent way.
We will be touring each day, and so mentorship exists on a wide variety of skills and topics and will mostly depend on group desires and conditions.
Weekend Mentorship Programs
For anyone looking to update, deepen, and/or round-out their avalanche skillset. This course is crafted to expand your ability to communicate observations in a concise and professional way; offer tools and resources for strengthening your understanding of complex snow environments; and shed more light on group decision making strategies, while incorporating an experiential process of overlaying avalanche problems in the terrain. Course content is also somewhat dependent on conditions and group desires.
This course is not gender specific, and offers something that could be described as an Avy 1.5 or 2.5. One weekend total with options each month - different date options for Intermediate to Advanced/Expert skill level programs.
AIARE 1
“The AIARE 1 is a three-day / 24-hour introduction to avalanche hazard management.
Students can expect to develop a good grounding in how to prepare for and carry out a backcountry trip, to understand basic decision making while in the field, and to learn rescue techniques required to find and dig up a buried person (if an avalanche occurs and someone in the party is caught).”
Dates: December 6-8th, 2024
Program cost: $590
Payment portal adds 3% upcharge for credit card transactions
To avoid the upcharge, submit payment through Zelle (julieann@groundingtruth.com)
Location: Bellingham (Friday) & Baker Backcountry (Saturday/Sunday), WA
1 spot remaining
AIARE 2
Hut-Based, WOmen+
“The AIARE 2 is a three-day/24-hour course that provides backcountry travelers an opportunity to advance their decision making skills in more complicated situations such as being a leader within a small travel group, traveling in more complicated terrain, and/or developing a travel plan where resources are scarce.
The AIARE 2 builds on the introductory avalanche hazard management model introduced in the AIARE 1 and adds to it the evaluation of critical hazard assessment factors. Students will describe and discuss weather, snowpack and avalanche processes, and identify how these processes relate to observations and travel within avalanche terrain.”
Dates: February 23-27th, 2025
Program cost: $2000 - $2500 sliding scale
Location: Teanaway Valley, Fortune Peak Huts, WA
Rescue + Course
Become a more equipped backcountry partner in just 3 days!
AIARE Rescue Course + Wilderness First Aid for Backcountry Skiers
Dates: December 13-15th & December 20-22nd
Program cost: $695
Location: Baker Backcountry, WA
AAAIARE Rescue Certificate
&
Wilderness First Aid or WFR-Recert