Avalanche

AValanche Program

Our Goal: The National Ski Patrol Avalanche Program's goal is to provide premier avalanche safety and rescue education, specifically designed for the needs of patrollers, mountain search and rescue teams and members of the public participating in snow recreation (skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers, snowmobilers and climbers). To achieve this goal, the program provides distinct curricula appropriate for different stakeholder needs and different geographical conditions. All course curricula meets American Avalanche Association (AAA) guidelines for avalanche education.

Courses

Course Information

Availability & Cost

Courses are scheduled throughout the snow season. Some L1M1 courses may be offered before the snow flies. Course offerings may be found at www.nsp.org and on the division calendar and region calendars.

Cost varies from course to course and typically ranges from $75 to $150 for a complete Level 1 class and $150 to $250 for Level 2 class. Discounts are usually available for ski patrollers, SAR members and National Forest Service personnel. NSP is a federally-charter nonprofit organization. Instructors are unpaid volunteers. Course fees are charged to cover program maintenance and course-related expenses (e.g. travel, equipment and printing costs).

Some courses may be restricted to a certain class of students (e.g. SAR teams) or may offer priority registration to rescuers (e.g. ski patrollers). Unless otherwise noted, most courses are open to the public.

Our Instructors

Avalanche instructors are trained and mentored for years to earn their instructor credentials. Our instructors are highly competent field practitioners and exceptional educators with varied backgrounds and experience. They must meet active teaching and continuing education requirements in order to maintain their instructor certifications.

Avalanche Advisor