6 Reasons to Take Avalanche Level 1 Safety Training
Steep slopes stacked with deep, fresh snow are the best ingredients for great skiing — and increased avalanche probability. Todd Passey breaks down the top reasons to take Avy 1 training.
Why Every Backcountry Traveler Needs Avy 1
Backcountry skiing and splitboarding are undoubtedly fun activities, but they're also incredibly dangerous. The best skiing occurs on steep slopes stacked with deep, fresh snow — two classic ingredients for avalanches. With proper education, you can learn how to avoid avalanches, make intelligent decisions in avalanche terrain, and rescue victims efficiently in the event of a burial.
1. Learn and Mitigate the Risks
You can't find a solution if you don't know the problem. "Anybody that wants to go into the backcountry should take an Avy 1, because that's the only way they're going to understand the risks involved and how to deal with those risks," says Todd Passey, IFMGA Guide and founder of In the Company of Guides.
Weather, snowpack, terrain, and human dynamics all factor into your risk assessment.
2. Learn How to Use Your Avalanche Safety Gear
Beacon, shovel, and probe — essential backcountry gear that only saves lives if you know how to use it. Studies show that survival chances plummet the longer a burial continues. In Avy 1, you'll learn beacon search techniques, probing, and shoveling strategies.
3. Balance of Theory and Field Experience
In the Company of Guides teaches hybrid avalanche courses, blending online classwork with two practical field days. Day one focuses on rescue techniques and snowpack assessment. Day two focuses on moving through terrain, field assessment, and identifying daily hazard signs.
4. Learn How to Plan and Execute a Tour
After the course, you'll have the skills to read the avalanche forecast, plan a conservative tour, and execute it safely — a critical foundation for any backcountry traveler.
5. Find Touring Partners
Courses are kept small — often 4 to 6 students — maximizing face time with instructors and enabling students to meet partners of similar skill levels.
6. Touring Tips
Beyond safety, Todd incorporates practical touring tips throughout: smooth kick turns, energy-efficient skin tracks, and transition speed — skills that matter when reaching a burial victim quickly.
Avalanche safety is a lifelong pursuit. An Avy 1 course is the start of the journey, not the end. Contact us with any questions — we hope to share a skintrack with you soon.