How
to Choose an Avalanche Course
CGI would like to thank the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) for the following advice. For more information about AIARE, it's instructors, and programs, go here.
In
addition to AIARE's advice below, here is another simple question to
ask a potential avalanche course provider. Will everyone in the course
be required to wear an avalanche transceiver?
If your course will be going into avalanche terrain (Tuckerman
Ravine, for example) and the provider doesn't require or provide
transceivers for everyone, consider finding another
avalanche course! That provider has just broken one of the
most basic rules of travel in avalanche terrain which makes the quality
of the entire course suspect.
There's a lot of avalanche courses out there. How do you decide which one to take? Here's a few things to consider before you sign up and spend your money:
Know
where you are at:
Be honest with yourself and don't try to cut corners. If you've never
taken a course before or are just starting out, consider a basic course
as a beginning rather than trying to cut corners and taking a more advanced
course. If you are taking an advanced course, be frank about your prerequisites-you
may not get the most out of an advanced course if you don't have the
required background.
A
course should have clear goals:
An avalanche course should have well defined objectives which describe
what you will learn and how you will benefit from taking the course.
Without goals, you have no idea what you can expect and no way of knowing
if the course was successful for you.
An
introductory course should discuss decision making:
Many introductory courses are pretty good at giving you information
and knowledge but they do not have a way of making that information
and knowledge useful to you in the field. Everyone, at all levels, needs
to be able to use what they have learned to make a better decision in
the field. Some kind of reasoning process and decision making model
is a critical ingredient in making any avalanche course, even an introductory
one, useful and relevant once you are on your own in avalanche terrain.
Ask the course provider about the decision making component of your
course.
Introductory
courses should stand alone:
A Level 1 or Introductory course should be comprehensive and not force
you to take additional courses to provide you with a useable skill set.
When you leave an introductory course, you should feel you have enough
knowledge and understanding of basic avalanche concepts that you can
be more confident in deciding what to do in the field.
Advanced
courses should not just rehash introductory concepts:
A good avalanche training program will offer various courses, each of
which deal with specific subjects and issues, and which build on one
another. There is no single course that can teach everything you need
to know, so research the program you are considering and find out what
will be taught in the introductory course compared to the advanced course(s).
If the curriculum and subjects look the same for all the courses in
the program it's important to ask what the difference is and how your
training and education will progress if you choose to go beyond the
introductory level.
What
curriculum guidelines and resources are used:
A curriculum that has been developed in isolation by an individual or
company alone may not be up-to-date or adequate for your needs. There
are guidelines for what subjects should be taught on various courses;
these guidelines are set by national organizations such as the American
Avalanche Association and the Canadian Avalanche Association. Just meeting
the guidelines, however, may not be a guarantee of a good course. Specific
lesson plans, teaching aids, and student materials are what make or
break a course. Look for a course that has invested in resources as
well as made a commitment to curriculum guidelines.
What
is the scope of the course:
Because there are few standards that clearly describe what various types
of courses should cover, you may find that taking an introductory course
from one provider or instructor may not prepare you for an advanced
course at another school. If a variety of instructors and providers
in a number of locations around the country offer courses that are based
on the same standards, you will have the freedom to take different courses
from different instructors in various parts of the country without wondering
whether what you learned in your prerequisite course will be applicable
to the next level.
Price
shopping can hurt you:
Like any other product, you generally get what you pay for. If price
is your primary consideration when looking for a course you may end
up with an inferior course. Before signing up for a cheap, cut-rate
course check what you are getting for your money: what venue is being
offered, who will teach, what curriculum and resources are being used,
what is the student/teacher ratio… these are some of the questions
you need to ask when the price of a course looks too good to be true.
Finally, think about it this way: how does the cost of an avalanche
course compare to a pair of skis or the price of your transceiver, probe,
and shovel? Why are you reluctant to spend a little extra for something
that lasts a lifetime and will increase the safety of you and your partners?