AIARE 1 Avalanche Course

Small-Group Instruction (Max 6 Students)

All courses are limited to 6 students to ensure direct instruction and meaningful time in the field.

• More individual feedback from your guide

• More time practicing avalanche rescue skills

• More terrain-based decision-making practice

• More discussion and scenario-based learning

• More time actually moving in avalanche terrain

This structure prioritizes learning quality over group size.

Why This Course Costs More — And Why It's Worth It

You'll find AIARE 1 courses for less. Here's what the difference actually buys you:

A guide who trains other guides. As an AMGA instructor, Keith doesn't just teach the AIARE curriculum — he's certified to train the instructors who teach it elsewhere. You're learning from someone who understands not just what to teach, but why it works.

Real instruction time, not a crowded field trip. With 6 students max instead of 10-12, you get more direct feedback, more reps on rescue skills, and more one-on-one terrain discussion — the difference between watching a demonstration and actually being coached through the decision.

A guide who does this full-time. This isn't a side gig for extra income during ski season. Guiding and teaching in these mountains is Keith's career — which means the judgment you're learning has been tested and refined over two decades, not one or two winters.

The real cost of skipping quality instruction isn't the money you save — it's the decision you get wrong in the field because no one caught it in the classroom first.

What You Will Learn

This AIARE 1 course follows the national AIARE curriculum and covers:

• Avalanche terrain recognition and hazard identification

• Snowpack, weather, and avalanche problem interpretation

• Backcountry trip planning and terrain selection

• Companion rescue (beacon, shovel, probe)

• Group communication and human factors

Emphasis is placed on applying these skills in real mountain environments.

Coming from Boston or NYC

Most of my students aren't local — they're driving up from Boston, New York, and around New England. That's normal here. It's 2.5 hours from Boston, about 4.5 from NYC. A lot of people just make it a weekend: drive up Friday night, course starts Saturday, home Sunday evening.

If you're weighing a course near you versus coming up here — Mount Washington has some of the most serious avalanche terrain in the Northeast. You're not learning theory in a parking lot. You're learning it where it actually matters.

Why Train in the White Mountains

Field sessions take place in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, including terrain influenced by Mount Washington.

This environment provides exposure to:

• Rapidly changing weather patterns

• Wind-loaded alpine terrain

• Variable snowpack conditions

• Real avalanche terrain decision-making

Training here builds judgment for Northeast backcountry skiing and splitboarding.