AIARE 2 Avalanche Course on Mount Washington
Advanced Avalanche Education on Mount Washington
The AIARE 2 Avalanche Course is designed for experienced backcountry skiers and riders who have already completed an AIARE 1 and Avalanche Rescue course. This advanced avalanche education program focuses on snowpack assessment, avalanche forecasting, terrain management, and decision-making in complex avalanche terrain.
Mount Washington provides one of the most dynamic avalanche environments in the eastern United States, making it an ideal classroom for advanced avalanche training. Students develop practical skills while traveling through real avalanche terrain under the supervision of an IFMGA Mountain Guide. Prerequisites for this program include the AIARE 1 Avalanche Course and Avalanche Rescue.
Meet Your Instructor
Paul Rachele, IFMGA Mountain Guide
Paul Rachele is an IFMGA Mountain Guide with extensive experience as an avalanche forecaster, ski guide, avalanche educator, and mountain instructor. His background guiding and teaching in avalanche terrain helps students bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world decision making.
Why Take an AIARE 2 Course on Mount Washington?
Mount Washington is home to some of the most active avalanche terrain in the Northeast. Areas such as Tuckerman Ravine, Huntington Ravine, Gulf of Slides, and the Great Gulf provide a wide variety of terrain features and snowpack conditions that are ideal for advanced avalanche education.
Students learn how weather, wind loading, terrain shape, and snowpack structure interact to create avalanche hazards in a real mountain environment.
Why Take an AIARE 2 Avalanche Course?
Completing an AIARE 1 course is an important first step in avalanche education, but many backcountry skiers and splitboarders eventually encounter situations that require a deeper understanding of snowpack structure, terrain management, and avalanche forecasting. The AIARE 2 Avalanche Course is designed to help experienced backcountry travelers move beyond recognizing avalanche problems and begin developing the analytical skills needed to assess complex avalanche terrain.
During the course, students learn how to investigate snowpack structure, identify layers of concern, interpret weather patterns, and connect field observations with regional avalanche forecasts. Through a combination of classroom discussions and field-based learning, participants develop a more sophisticated understanding of how avalanches occur and how changing conditions influence decision making.
An AIARE 2 course is particularly valuable for skiers, splitboarders, and mountain professionals who regularly travel in avalanche terrain and want to strengthen their ability to evaluate conditions independently. The course emphasizes critical thinking, observation, and structured decision-making rather than relying solely on rules or checklists.
Mount Washington provides an exceptional environment for advanced avalanche education. The mountain's complex terrain, varied snowpack, and dynamic weather create real-world learning opportunities that help students apply advanced avalanche concepts in a meaningful way. By the end of the course, participants leave with improved confidence in terrain assessment, snowpack analysis, and managing risk while traveling in the backcountry.
Whether your goal is to become a more capable backcountry skier, improve your avalanche forecasting skills, or deepen your understanding of mountain snowpacks, the AIARE 2 Avalanche Course provides the tools and experience needed to continue your development as a backcountry traveler.
Common Questions about the AIARE 2 Avalanche Course on Mount Washington
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AIARE 1 focuses on foundational avalanche awareness and decision-making. AIARE 2 builds on those skills with more advanced snowpack analysis, terrain assessment, and forecasting techniques.
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Yes. AIARE requires completion of both an AIARE 1 and Avalanche Rescue course before enrolling in AIARE 2.
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Yes. Both skiers and splitboarders are welcome.
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Participants should be capable of traveling approximately 5,000 vertical feet in a day while carrying winter backcountry equipment.
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Field sessions are conducted in the Mount Washington area, including terrain commonly used for avalanche education and backcountry ski travel.
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AIARE 2 is an advanced avalanche education course designed to build higher-level decision-making and terrain management skills. It is not a professional avalanche forecasting certification.
2027 Schedule
January 16-17 (Evening Zoom 1/14)
February 13-14 (Evening Zoom (2/11)
Contact Core if a program is full or for custom dates.
