Avalanche Education

Hope this post is ok for the forum. The Everett Mountaineers is teaching an Avalanche 1 course for the 2006 / 2007 season. It is an AIARE level 1 course. Check it out on the link below. Any questions please mail me at telemarkski@comcast.net. Have a safe season out there. Oyvind Henningsen
www.everettmountaineers.org/skiing/skiing_courses.cfm

I've got many courses and lot's of free clinics at Avalanche Safety.org I'm glad to say they are not AIARE courses. AA, LI, and LII.

Was at ISSW 2006 in Telluride last week. I'll give a summary of the principal topics next week when I return from a trip to the desert.

Gary, can you explain your dislike of the AIARE organization?
I went to their website and they seem a bit disorganized and amateurish in terms of an organization, but they seem to have a noble mission statement.
Personally, I have left the fray between the various meanings of Level I, II and III here in the States, which varies radically from one organization to another. Instead I have driven north to Canada for Avalanche training, I took their RAC and Level I certification. Both of which I found to be very useful.
Like many things (guiding certifications, hut systems, heli-ski operations) they are much more regimented and much better organized in Canada. Although I appreciate the free-flowing/cowboy approach of us Yanks, I appreciate the organization and international standardization that the Canadians seem to love.
Also, them Canucks know their snow since they get so damn much of it.

I took my Level 2 and 3 from an AIARE course provider (Chauvin Guides, back east, on Mt Washington).
The course content and instructors were excellent.
I am now an apprentice avy instructor for the National Ski Patrol Eastern Division, which has its own curriculum and instructoring mentoring, but I hope to take an AIARE instructor training course this December.
AIARE is the only organization attempting to provide uniform course content and instructor training for recreational avalanche courses in the U.S. (Although I plan to become an affiliate member of AAA, their curriculum outline and instructor certification program are far more limited than what AIARE is attempting.)
Also, the AIARE website, while fairly bare bones and not very slick, is nevertheless functional and informative.

It's not so much a dislike of AIARE or any other provider. But this post probably was outside the guidelines (without approval of TAY) - or so it seemed to me. So, it put me in the awkward position of having to respond in kind since I was on a trip at the time to ISSW and the desert.

AIARE is a franchise provider of avalanche programs. I haven't taken one of their courses, I'm sure that as a franchise there will be some minimum level and standarization of programs-which is fine. But ultimately the quality of AIARE or any other program will be more a reflection of the quality and methodology of instruction, i.e. experience and teaching ability more than just the minimum standard of materials. I am sure the same is true of RAC programs where materials are provided to instructors. I've been reluctant to use the materials provided by RAC or AIARE programs but review them on occasion. I think it is safe to say that most instructors probably go a lot farther than minimum standards and base franchise materials. So, the question is not whether a program is AIARE or RAC, or whatever, it's really more a question of the quality and methodology of instruction. In that regard, materials and experience I am comfortable with my materials, but upgrade them annually - ISSW and the Avalanche Review and CAA newsletter are great sources of materials.

So, I really didn't mean to rag on AIARE, and certainly not on the CAA/CAC which has done some great things to further avalanche education.

Gary, can you explain your dislike of the AIARE organization?
I went to their website and they seem a bit disorganized and amateurish in terms of an organization, but they seem to have a noble mission statement.
Personally, I have left the fray between the various meanings of Level I, II and III here in the States, which varies radically from one organization to another. Instead I have driven north to Canada for Avalanche training, I took their RAC and Level I certification. Both of which I found to be very useful.
Like many things (guiding certifications, hut systems, heli-ski operations) they are much more regimented and much better organized in Canada. Although I appreciate the free-flowing/cowboy approach of us Yanks, I appreciate the organization and international standardization that the Canadians seem to love.
Also, them Canucks know their snow since they get so damn much of it.

I was contacted with questions about this thread. First, excellent job by all of the posters of elaborating on your different viewpoints while still keeping things civil.

It is true that Oyvind_Henningsen didn't ask before posting his info, but when it comes to avi/bc ski/snowboard courses conducted by the Mountaineers there's pretty much a blanket approval already in place, because these courses are part of their educational mission and will be of interest to TRs visitors. Gary has posted before about the courses he teaches, and has gotten approval to do so because spreading word about them is in the general interest of the bc community.

The pre-approval process for posts is intended to keep out spam, primarily defined as either blatant commercial advertising or as material which is of no interest or objectionable to TRs visitors. Posters are still encouraged to contact Turns All Year before posting if there is any doubt - this will ensure that the "TAY peer pressure vigilantes" won't descend on a post before a moderator can step in (that's not a criticism of the vigilantes - you play a very important role in keeping the TRs the way we all want them to stay).