Location: Salt Lake City

Date: Thursday, February 27, 2025

Time: 6:00 - 8:00 PM MST

Date: Friday, February 28, 2025

Time: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM MST

Date: Saturday, March 1, 2025

Time: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM MST

Course Overview

The American Avalanche Association accredits this course.

Have you taken an on-snow avalanche class in the past but aren’t sure how to put it all together to formulate a trip plan with your backcountry partners? Do you want to feel more confident making safe decisions in the backcountry and becoming a valuable member of your touring party? Our Backcountry 201 course is designed to give you the skills to plan and execute a safe day in the mountains while enjoying the greatest snow on earth. This course dives into the “human” aspect of backcountry travel as you will work with a team to analyze the snowpack and create a safe touring plan for our second field day. In this course, you will spend two evenings in the classroom and two full days on the snow, learning to utilize the avalanche forecast, public observations, snowpit data, weather resources, and mapping tools professionals use to plan amazing days in the mountains and safely return home.

After signing up for this course, you will gain access to our Student Portal, which includes links to the pre-course work, detailed course information, avalanche resources, and more. Our first classroom session will be spent reviewing the pre-course work, understanding the current avalanche problems, and learning about weather resources used by professionals. On the snow, you will spend the first field day assessing the snowpack on many different aspects and elevations to better understand snow layering in the local area. That evening in the classroom, your field group will work together to make a trip plan for the following field day with the help of your instructor. On the final field day, you will implement your group’s trip plan while making constant snowpack observations and practicing safe travel protocol.

Who Should Take this Course?

This class is for those with prior fundamental knowledge and experience in the backcountry and who have previously taken a formal avalanche class and are looking to refresh their skills. You are expected to be familiar with your equipment and their functions and have prior experience in the backcountry. Intermediate to advanced downhill riding ability is required for this course. You should be able to ride a black diamond run in variable snow conditions. Being a competent rider is essential to staying safe in the backcountry, and there is no ski patrol available to help evacuate an injured rider out of the mountains. To maximize the course experience for you and all students, we recommend that you be fit enough to spend the day hiking uphill with skins on and descending slopes in unpredictable conditions.

What is Required for this Course?

You must provide your own skis or splitboard with alpine touring bindings and climbing skins. We do not allow snowshoes for this course. Please come prepared with your own avalanche rescue equipment (beacon/shovel/probe), and if you need to borrow these three items, please let us know so we can make arrangements.

Course Goals

• Understand how to utilize the avalanche forecast, public observations, and professional weather tools to plan a day in the backcountry.

• Learn how to clearly and concisely communicate snowpack information to your party.

• Identify avalanche terrain and non-avalanche terrain.

• Manage group dynamics to ensure safety in the mountains.

• Develop a process for formulating, communicating, and executing a trip plan.

• Understand advanced mapping techniques for backcountry travel.

• Learn how to become a valuable member of your backcountry party.

Cancellation policy

Our cancellation policy can be found here. If you have any questions, please email education@utahavalanchecenter.org

Winter Weather and Avalanche Hazard Policy

In the event of extreme winter weather and/or dangerous avalanche conditions, the UAC reserves the right to reschedule courses to maintain the safety of our students and instructors. If a course needs to be rescheduled, we will work with students to find the best rescheduled date and refund students who are unable to attend.