Provided by Utah Mountain Adventures
Salt Lake
Friday, December 26, 2025
Rec Avalanche Level 2 & Companion Rescue
Thu-Sun, Dec 26-29, 2025
Thurs & Fri virtual evening lectures (5:30pm - 9:00pm)
Friday: Avalanche Rescue Field Day (7:30am ~ 4:00pm)
Sat & Sun: Level 2 Field Days (7:30am ~ 4:00pm)
COST: $749 plus tax
Register here
Avalanche Level 2 & Rescue (Recreational)
This advanced, 32-hour course is designed to advance the practical knowledge of backcountry travelers with prior Level 1 training with at least one season of experience, seeking to build decision-making, forecasting, route-finding and leadership skills for recreational mountaineering, ski touring, split-boarding, snowmobiling, ice climbing, etc. For those who have recently taken an avalanche rescue course, please send us your certificate and we will issue a credit.
Course Description:
UMA's Level 2 is a 32-hr advanced avalanche course sanctioned by the American Avalanche Association (A3.) The Recreational Avalanche Level 2 focus is on decision-making for experienced backcountry travelers seeking to ski or climb bigger lines; travel in diverse terrain and snow packs; or ski out-of-bounds safely even when avalanche danger is considerable or high.
UMA instructors are A3 Pro members, highly trained and experienced as guides, teachers and athletes in various terrain, weather and snowpacks. Instructors share the practical tools and knowledge that they rely on to plan, travel, gather key snowpack information and make consequential decisions efficiently and effectively in avalanche terrain. Forty percent of the course is classroom-based. Sixty percent is in the backcountry, in and around avalanche terrain.
This course will cover the following:
Avalanche Rescue (Friday Field Day - 8hrs)
- Anticipating a rescue: terrain recognition and travel protocols
- Escape and survival strategies for avalanche victims
- Rescuer safety, last seen point, communication, common mistakes
- Transceivers: antennae, range variations, idiosyncrasies
- Beacon checks, trailhead and full-range; send and receive
- Single beacon searches, including deep burials
- Multiple burials; flagging functions with various beacons
- Basic patient care for avalanche victims; packaging & transport
- Small & large team rescues: response roles, tactics and scenarios
- Non-transceiver searches: spot probing; probe lines
- Gear to carry and recommended training for backcountry travel
- Emergency response procedures and interfacing with EMS teams
Level 2 (Sat & Sun Field Days - 16 hrs)
- Weather & snowpack history; current structure and layering
- Use of local advisory and other relevant available information
- Creating a hazard rating in remote terrain where no advisory exists
- Student tour planning using maps, apps, timelines and safe margins
- Scale of terrain; paths & specific features; mapping snow cover
- Group management in complex, committing terrain & snow packs
- Characteristics & distribution of 7 primary avalanche problems
- Prioritizing snowpack tests and observations based on current problems
- Snow pit practices: hardness, shears, tests (CT, ECT, PST, DTT)
- Interpretation of test results (strength, structure, propagation, etc)
- Persistent weak layers (facets, depth hoar, surface hoar, etc)
- Clear & concise recording of observations; SWAG guidelines; snow profiles
- Student-led analyses of avalanche accidents to promote learning
- Group communication, teamwork and decision-making tools
Available Dates:
Thu-Sun, Dec 26-29, 2025 (Includes Rescue)
Thu-Sun, Jan 22-25, 2026 (Includes Rescue)
Cost $749
Register here or contact Utah Mountain Adventures:
phone: 801-550-3986