Rec 2 Refresher Avalanche Course
Update Your Avalanche Avoidance Skills
Has it been a while since your last avalanche course? Do you need a tune up? This is your course!
This course is for those who have taken both Rec 1 and Rec 2 courses, have used those skills for a few years and now want an update. Avalanche avoidance techniques evolve fast and get rusty. It’s worth staying up to date to be a good partner in avalanche terrain. It also works well for the knowledgable and curious type, who have been learning and amassing questions over the years. We’ll follow a curriculum, but we’ll go on tangents to discuss snow and avalanche topics of your interest. We will work on skills non-stop while touring 2 - 3,000 vertical feet each day. Be prepared to learn and have fun!
We Will Cover
Rescue refresher and updates.
Review of Rec 1 skills.
Field observations and assessing conditions.
Selecting a route for the conditions.
Managing the group through that terrain.
Techniques for making good decisions.
Debriefing
Avalanche forecasting for remote Alaska.
Student led tour with instructor coaching.
Optional topics: sled evacuation, shelter building, ski anchors and belayed ski cuts, fire buidling, shelter building.
Where to from here
Date
Jan 25-26, 2025
Itinerary
Note: If the weather forecast predicts poor learning conditions at the planned venue we may shift to Turnagain Pass, Summit Lake, Hatcher Pass, Western Chugach, or the Chugach Front Range.
Day 1: Hatcher Pass
8 trip planning inside Vagabond Blues in Palmer.
10am - 4pm field session at Hatcher Pass.
4 - 4:30pm parking lot debrief.
Day 2: Turnagain Pass
8 trip planning inside CoasT Pizza in Girdwood.
10am - 4pm field session at Turnagain Pass.
4 - 4:30pm parking lot debrief and course wrap up.
Prerequisites
Advanced downhill ability. You must be able to ski or splitboard black diamond resort runs without falling. Being in control on skis is fundamental to reducing risk, group compatibility, group learning, and your learning.
Recent rescue practice. We will spend about two hours refining and updating our rescue skills. You should arrive being able to consistently find one person buried one meter deep in five minutes.
Proficiency with your field gear. You must be dialed with your backcountry gear including your bindings and skins. This is not a backcountry ski course. Sorry, no snowshoes on this course.
Fitness for two consecutive full days in the mountains, skinning about 500-3,000 vertical feet each day.
Ability to remain outside all day in cold and foul weather.
Age 16 or older and able to drive.
Cost
$350 each
Includes
Two days (16 hours) of instruction.
Professional instructors: AMGA Ski Guide certified and American Avalanche Association Pro 2 certified.
5:1 max student to instructor ratio
Certificate of completion
Field book
Does Not Include
Transportation to and from the trailhead.
Lodging, food, and drink.
The Avalanche Factor by Joe Stock or Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper.
Personal gear and avalanche rescue gear. See Course Gear List.
Reservation and trip insurance (recommended). See Reservation and Insurance Policy for details.
To Book
Booking opens October 1.
Contact us with any questions.
Upon booking you will receive more course information and some preparation homework.
“I won’t take an outdoor class from any other company!”
