Avalanche Education
2026 Course Dates Out Now!!
What is AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education)?
OUR COURSE OFFERINGS
- Who’s it for? The Avalanche Rescue Course is a one-day course aimed both at new & experienced recreationists & aspiring snow professionals looking to learn the nuanced natured of complex avalanche rescue scenarios.
- How we go? Participants may take this course on backcountry skis, split board, or snowshoes.
- Where do we go? Most courses utilize terrain on or near Mt. Washington and the northern Presidential Range.
- Why go with AMG? Acadia Mountain Guides is New England’s original and most experienced AIARE provider and is led by IFMGA Mountain Guide Jon Tierney. Our curriculum meets and exceeds the AIARE Avalanche Rescue curriculum. The Wilderness Medicine skills of our instructors allow us to teach basic backcountry/rescue medicine.
- Pre-requisites:
- Fitness, clothing, and equipment to ski or hike up to 3 miles round trip with a 10-pound pack. If skiing or riding, you should be advanced enough to ski ungroomed terrain at major northeast ski resorts.
- AIARE Avalanche Rescue is a prerequisite for the AIARE 2 and Pro 1 courses. AIARE recommends that all backcountry travelers keep their skills current by taking an Avalanche Rescue course and receiving a rescue card at least every other year.
In many ways finding a buried companion is the easy part! You now have to take care of a potentially badly injured companion(s). The Acadia Mountain Guides course is unique as it also includes basic information and training on post-rescue care developed by the IFMGA guide and Flight Paramedic Jon Tierney.
Tuition: $250.00 -Includes AIARE Av Rescue text hardcopy and PDF, beacon, probe, and shovel.
Dates | Location |
| December 21, 2025 | Mount Washington Valley, NH |
| Sunday, February 8, 2026 | Mount Washington Valley, NH |
| Sunday, February 22, 2026 | Mount Washington Valley, NH |
Group pricing is available. Also available by private arrangement. | |
A must for all who travel into the mountains in winter and will help you to understand safe winter travel. It is also a great tune-up for winter travelers who have some experience or prior training. Snowboarders, skiers, snowmobilers, snowshoers, and mountaineers will learn the basics of avalanche hazard formation through the relationships of terrain, snowpack, weather, and people. Participants will learn about interpreting forecasts, trip planning considerations, route selection, travel techniques, educated decision making, and search and rescue skills, including the use of transceivers and probes. The course combines classroom skills with field time to answer these questions: Where is the danger? When is it dangerous? Should we go on? What do I do if caught? (approximately 24 hours).
Our courses are typically structured to begin in the evening of day 1 and have an evening session on day 2 instead of meeting in the morning on day 1. This often allows participants to travel more conveniently. About 1/3 of day 2 and all of day 3 is spent in the field.
- Who’s it for? Anyone who travels in potential avalanche terrain – skiers, snowshoers, climbers, or snowmobilers.
- How we go? Participants may take this course on backcountry skis, split board, or snowshoes.
- Where do we go? Most courses utilize terrain on or near Mt. Washington and the northern Presidential Range.
- Why go with AMG? Acadia Mountain Guides is New England’s original and most experienced AIARE provider and is led by IFMGA Mountain Guide Jon Tierney. Our curriculum meets and exceeds the AIARE Level 1 curriculum.
- Pre-requisites: Fitness, clothing, and equipment to ski or hike up to 8 miles round trip with a 10-pound pack.
Have a group? Are you part of a college organization, ski club, etc.? We are happy to schedule a customized course for organizations, small groups, and individuals through New England, Eastern Canada. Of course, if you would like to schedule a course in Iceland or Colorado, we would be very pleased to work with you.
Tuition: $600.00 -Includes AIARE L1 text hardcopy and PDF, AIARE Field Book, beacon, probe, and shovel.
| Dates | Location |
| December 19th – 21st, 2025 | Gorham, NH & Mount Washington Valley, NH |
| December 27th – 29th, 2025 | Gorham, NH & Mount Washington Valley, NH |
| January 9th – 11th, 2026 | Gorham, NH & Mount Washington Valley, NH |
| January 30th – February 1st, 2026 | Gorham, NH & Mount Washington Valley, NH |
| February 14th – 16th, 2026 | Gorham, NH & Mount Washington Valley, NH |
| February 17th – 19th, 2026 | Gorham, NH & Mount Washington Valley, NH |
| February 20th – 21st, 2026 | Gorham, NH & Mount Washington Valley, NH |
| February 27th – March 1st, 2026 | Gorham, NH & Mount Washington Valley, NH |
| February 28th – March 1st, 2026 | Sugarloaf, ME |
| March 13th – 15th, 2026 | Gorham, NH & Mount Washington Valley, NH |
| March 20th – 22nd, 2026 | Gorham, NH & Mount Washington Valley, NH |
Group pricing available. Also available by private arrangement. | |
Our hybrid option delivers the classroom portion of the standard AIARE 1 course online, paired with your choice of several field weekends to fit your schedule. This course is essential for anyone traveling into the mountains during winter and serves as both a foundation for safe winter travel and a valuable refresher for those with prior experience.
Skiers, snowboarders, snowmobilers, snowshoers, and mountaineers will all benefit from learning the fundamentals of avalanche hazard formation by examining the interactions between terrain, snowpack, weather, and human decision-making. Participants will practice interpreting avalanche forecasts, planning trips, selecting routes, and using effective travel techniques. The course emphasizes making educated decisions in the backcountry and develops critical search and rescue skills, including the use of transceivers, probes, and shovels.
Our hybrid course consists of one online classroom day, followed by two in person field days. This format allows participants to customize which online classroom day and in person field days to fit their schedule.
- Who’s it for? Anyone who travels in potential avalanche terrain – skiers, snowshoers, climbers, or snowmobilers.
- How we go? Participants may take this course on backcountry skis, split board, or snowshoes.
- Where do we go? Most courses utilize terrain on or near Mt. Washington and the northern Presidential Range.
- Why go with AMG? Acadia Mountain Guides is New England’s original and most experienced AIARE provider and is led by IFMGA Mountain Guide Jon Tierney. Our curriculum meets and exceeds the AIARE Level 1 curriculum.
- Pre-requisites: Fitness, clothing, and equipment to ski or hike up to 8 miles round trip with a 10-pound pack.
Tuition: $600.00 -Includes AIARE L1 text hardcopy and PDF, AIARE Field Book, beacon, probe, and shovel.
| Online Sessions | Field Days |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, December 17th, 2025 | Fri–Sun, December 19th – 21st, 2025 |
| Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 | Sat–Sun, January 3rd – 4th, 2026 |
| Wednesday, January 14th, 2026 | Sat–Sun, January 17th – 18th, 2026 |
| Thursday, January 29th, 2026 | Fri–Sun, January 30th – February 1st, 2026 |
| Wednesday, February 11th, 2026 | Sat–Mon, February 14th – 16th, 2026 |
Our season-long AIARE Level II course aims to give the student the most hands-on experience possible, reshaping the model of avalanche education from a fire hose to extended mentorship through a model of tracking the entire season’s snowpack, communicating with teammates, and making real-time backcountry decisions. We believe avalanche education should not exist in a bubble but rather be presented as the student would practice daily. Through three Zoom sessions, five online classroom assignments, and four field days, we will track weather systems, identify layers of concern, explore multiple backcountry ski zones in the White Mountains, and refine our decision-making skills.
• Who’s it for? Advanced backcountry skiers and split boarders wishing to take their decision-making skills to the next level.
• How we go? Participants may take this course on backcountry Skis or Split board.
• Where do we go? We will utilize terrain on or near Mt. Washington and the northern Presidential Range.
• Why go with AMG? Acadia Mountain Guides is New England’s
original and most experienced AIARE provider. AMGA Apprentice Ski Guide and AIARE Course Leader Rob Benton lead this course. Our curriculum meets and exceeds the AIARE Level II curriculum standard. The season-long course is the first of its kind to be offered on the East Coast and offers ample continued learning and mentorship.
• Pre-requisites: Intermediate to advanced mountain travel skills on skis or split board. Ability to safely ski ungroomed black diamond terrain. At least one to two seasons of backcountry skiing could also be defined as having completed at least 6 to 10 ski tours in avalanche terrain since completing your level I course.
Tuition: $700 -Includes AIARE L1 text hardcopy and PDF, AIARE Field Book, lodging, breakfast & dinner, beacon, probe, and shovel.
| Zoom Classroom | Field Days |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, January 6, 2026 | Thursday, January 8, 2026 |
| Tuesday, February 3, 2026 | Thursday, February 5, 2026 |
| Tuesday, February 24, 2026 | Thursday, February 26, 2026 |
| Tuesday, March 3, 2026 | Thursday, March 5, 2026 |
Custom AIARE Courses
The AIARE Custom Avalanche Education Course offered by Acadia Mountain Guides is a comprehensive and tailored program designed to provide participants with essential knowledge and skills to make informed decisions in avalanche terrain. This course follows the curriculum developed by the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), while incorporating the expertise and experience of Acadia Mountain Guides’ professional instructors.
Through a combination of classroom instruction, field sessions, and hands-on training, this custom course focuses on empowering participants to assess avalanche hazards, understand snowpack dynamics, and apply risk management strategies in backcountry and mountainous environments. The course content is specifically tailored to the needs and objectives of the participants, ensuring a personalized learning experience
Why choose Acadia Mountain Guides for your avalanche education?
Our instructor team is the strongest in New England, and our courses reflect that. We were at the table early on when the concept of furthering public avalanche education in the U.S. was being discussed, and the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education was being created. For several years we were the only climbing school sponsoring AIARE avalanche courses in the eastern U.S. We often ran them at a financial loss, brought avalanche guru Karl Klassen (Canadian IFMGA guide, chief forecaster for the Canadian Avalanche Association, and initial technical director for AIARE) in from western Canada to teach them, and corralled all of our friends to attend to have enough people to run the course. In fact, many of the snow rangers and current avalanche course providers who are working or have worked on Mount Washington were participants in those early courses.
Each participant on an AMGCS avalanche course will be provided a beacon, probe, and shovel. Additionally, each group of four will be provided a group snow study kit. Of course, if you have your own, you are welcome to use it.
At each course, we bring a selection of brand new beacons, probes, and shovels along with avalanche packs and snow study tools. Students can try these and purchase them at a significant discount if they like. If you need outdoor gear, all AMGCS clients also get a lifetime 15% personal purchase discount at AlpenglowGear.com.
We have access to Katahdin, and some years we run an avalanche course there! Hands down, Katahdin is the best area in New England for an avalanche course. For our Katahdin avalanche courses, we stay in a warm bunkhouse (courtesy of Baxter State Park) and are only minutes away from real avalanche terrain on various aspects. The area works well for both skiers and snowshoers.
Today, times have changed, and the demand for courses has created an abundance of courses and providers. While all the courses are good, we believe ours to be superior, and our instructors are why:
IFMGA/AMGA International Mountain Guide | AMGA Ski Mountaineering Guide | AMGA Alpine Guide | AMGA Rock Guide | AMGA Rock and Alpine Instructor / Examiner 1997 - 2007 | AIARE Level III Avalanche Certification | AIARE I, II & Resccue Course Leader | Flight and Critical Care Paramedic | Professional guide since 1983, climber and skier since 1975 | American Avalanche Association and AMGA Professional Member | Registered Maine Guide
AIARE Pro 1 Avalanche Certification | AIARE I, II & Rescue Course Instructor | Wilderness First Responder | Professional Ski Patroller
American Avalanche Institue Level III Certification | AIARE Level I, II & Rescue Course Leader | Canadian Avalanche Association AST-2 | Senior Outdoor Emergency Care Certified | Proffesional Ski Patroller
AIARE Professional Level 2 | AIARE Level I, II & Rescue Course Instructor | Wilderness First Responder | AMGA Ski Guide Apprentice
AIARE III Certification | AIARE Level I, II & Rescue Course Leader | AMGA Rock Instructor | AMGA Ice Instructor | AMGA Apprentice Alpine and Ski Guide | Ph.D. in Education
AIARE Pro 1 Avalanche Certification | AIARE Level I, II & Rescue Course Instructor | Wilderness First Responder | B.A. in Sports & Recreation Management | M.A. in Sports Psychology | AMGA Ski Guide Apprentice