Ski Touring Instruction and Avalanche Education
Skimo races are super fun, but there’s a whole wide world of skiing and splitboarding to be had outside the races and the resorts. But “Know Before You Go” and make sure you receive the proper instruction on avalanche dangers and ski touring. We’ve compiled a list of local resources for you to further your mountain education. For a full list of avalanche education, NWAC has a compiled resource.
For the Newer skiers:
Uphill Skills and Travel
Summit of Snoqualmie is offering an Uphill Skills and Travel lesson, an hour session on Wednesday nights. It focuses on the basics of ski touring such as skin useage, kick turns, and gear management.
One Day Intro to Ski Touring
A safe and fun introduction to the sport of backcountry skiing and splitboarding. You will learn about backcountry gear and the basics of touring while actually touring around the backcountry of Snoqualmie Pass or Crystal Mountain. PGS also offers a 3 Day Intro Ski Touring Course.
AIARE Level 1
Designed to introduce the backcountry enthusiast to the fundamentals of avalanche education. Will learn to recognize avalanche terrain, how to prepare for and plan travel in avalanche terrain, and be able to initiate an effective companion rescue in avalanche terrain.
One Day Intro to Splitboarding Course
You’ll start as a fledgling splitter and end with a few skills and a bit of knowledge to plan and execute a backcountry splitboard tour. From how to use your equipment and transitioning to downhill to efficiently moving through deep snow, riders will gain the skills to get you more comfortable in the backcountry
For the experienced:
Advanced Ski Touring Course
Ski a lot of vert in the Snoqualmie backcountry while learning in depth tour planning, route finding, gear management, terrain management, decision making, uphill and downhill movement skills, and much more.
AIARE Level 2
This course introduces snow stability analysis, and delves deeper into slab mechanics, snowpack metamorphism, and skier triggering principles. It is appropriate for ski patrollers, guides, and recreationists looking to learn the standards for observing and recording factors that influence snow stability.
