Avalanche Education Course in Utah

Name: Avalanche Education Course in Utah
Brand: Red River Adventures
Price: 683.70 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.9 (1968 reviews)

Build practical avalanche awareness, terrain-planning, and companion-rescue skills for backcountry travel

4.9 stars• 2K reviews

Duration

3 days / 24 hours

Includes

Expert instructors, Blue Book, gear

Highlights

Build a foundation for skiing and splitboarding in or near avalanche terrain during field days in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. Learn to plan backcountry travel, assess terrain, make group decisions, and practice companion rescue techniques with expert instructors.

Plan backcountry travel in avalanche terrain
Identify avalanche terrain and hazards
Use the AIARE Decision Making Framework with a group
Practice companion rescue techniques

Itinerary

Prior to Day 1: Online pre-course learning (6-8 hours)
Day 1: Zoom Meeting - 5:00 to 8:00 PM
- Pre-course material is discussed and new information introduced
- Logistics for Saturday and Sunday are discussed
Day 2: Field Day
- Rescue and snow profiles are discussed and practiced by students
Day 3: Student-led tour
- Students plan and execute a touring day with feedback from instructors

What's Included

Expert instruction
AIARE Blue Book
Loaner avalanche safety gear when needed, including a beacon, shovel, probe, and pack

Important details

Ages 14+ only
Requires confidently skiing or riding upper-blue terrain in any conditions and touring about 2,000 vertical feet per day
Low Ratio sessions require previous touring experience, confident black-diamond riding in any conditions, and the ability to ski or ride 3,000+ vertical feet per day
Complete the required waiver before participating

Cancellation Policy

Cancel 31 or more days before the start for a full refund. Cancellations 30 days or less before departure are nonrefundable. If the operator cancels due to weather, insufficient bookings, or other circumstances and cannot reschedule, you’ll receive a full refund.

Product ID: K536KN

FAQs

No prior avalanche training is required for AIARE 1. Familiarity with your touring setup and transitions is highly recommended so you can focus on the course curriculum.

Bring your own touring equipment. Beacons, shovels, probes, and packs are available if needed, and demo Black Diamond AT skis and Chimera/Pallas splitboards are available.

Courses are limited to 6 students per instructor. The group typically has 2 instructors.

Review summary

4.9

Excellent

2K reviewsGoogle Maps

Red River Adventures has built an exceptional reputation around avalanche safety education and backcountry skiing guided tours. Reviewers consistently praise their guides by name—Carl, Victoria, Sierra, Brian, John, Ryan, Garth, and Jeremy all get called out for being both highly knowledgeable and genuinely fun to spend time with. The instructors strike that rare balance of being approachable and professional while teaching critical safety skills that clients feel truly prepared to use afterward. The AIARE avalanche courses get particularly strong endorsements, with participants noting they leave with confidence and practical frameworks for route planning, terrain assessment, and decision-making in the backcountry. Several reviewers mention the instructors' ability to create a welcoming environment where questions are encouraged, and one woman specifically appreciated the all-female class option for its supportive atmosphere. Whether it's a single guided ski day or multi-day certification course, the team adapts smoothly to changing conditions and different skill levels, making the experience both educational and enjoyable for newcomers and experienced skiers alike.

What people are saying

Top tier adventure company! My family and I had the pleasure of doing the half day canyoneering tour paired with the half day rafting tour. Steph (aka Jimmy) was our guide for canyoneering and we were beyond impressed. He did a great job of educating us on petroglyphs and local flora/fauna as we hiked into the canyon. My eight year old daughter also did the canyoneering tour and Steph went above and beyond coaching her through the rappels. As a parent I was most impressed by his attention to detail and safety. Rafting in the afternoon was also a great experience. Molly (aka Jersey Mikes) was our rafting guide and she also did an exceptional job and made sure everyone on the boat had a great experience. The other rafting guides on our tour were Ainsley and Seb; they were also very engaging and made the short bus trip more enjoyable with their comedy :-) Highly recommend this company. All of the staff that we encountered were friendly and seemed to truly enjoy what they do.

Mark Tripp

August 28, 2026

Mark Tripp

August 28, 2026

Meeting details

Holladay Park and Ride, 6200 Wasatch Boulevard East

Experience provided by Red River Adventures

Book with confidence

No hidden fees
The price you see is the price you pay. Nothing is added at checkout.
A real concierge team
Questions, changes or special requests? Our concierge team sorts it out with the operator for you.
Flexible cancellation
Most experiences refund in full when you cancel within the cancellation window.