5 Reasons Why You Should Sign Up for an AIARE Course Now
As spring sets in and thoughts of dry trails and summer adventures trickle through our minds, Bluebird is busy planning next season’s AIARE avalanche course offerings — and it’s going to be an awesome year. While it’s easy to set aside your ski gear for the next 6 months and forget about weak layers lingering within the snowpack, here are 5 reasons why now is the best time to sign up for an avalanche course.
Wandering through the aspens around Bear Mountain is one of the perks of taking an AIARE course at Bluebird. Photo: Riley Hanlon
1. Get first dibs on dates.
While it may be hard to know what your schedule will look like in ten months, signing up for an AIARE course now means you won’t have to think twice about fitting it into your schedule next winter. Starting the season off with an AIARE course, or integrating it into your winter plans, will help you gain the confidence to go bigger and farther into the backcountry once the snow starts to fall. Plus, rest assured that with our AIARE Participant Cancellation Policy, you may reschedule up to 30 days prior to your scheduled course date, pending availability.
2. Take advantage of low prices.
Investing in avalanche courses, while incredibly important, is an expensive move. Bluebird just launched their 2022/2023 AIARE Early Bird Sale, and prices are at an all-time low — sign up now and put that extra cash you’ll save towards a new set of skins, upgraded beacon, or next winter’s adventure fund.
Sign up for an AIARE course with your friends now to guarantee that your whole backcountry touring squad stays up to date on their avalanche education. Photo: Owen Richard
3. Secure a spot in the right course.
Interest in avalanche education has substantially increased over the past 10 years, with extreme spikes in the last two years. With this trend, it’s important to make sure you get into the course you want as soon as possible. Plus, sign up now to make sure there is space for your friends in the same course as you! Staying in touch with peers is a great way to build backcountry partnerships, and taking courses together ensures everyone continues their avalanche educational development — a critical component of solid backcountry partners.
4. Keep the education fire alive.
As you pack away your backcountry ski/board gear for the season and turn to other sports, it’s easy to lose the excitement for winter and knowledge you’ve gained. Booking an AIARE course now means you’ll have something to stoke the education fire, along with a motivation to get in uphill shape and brush up on avalanche skills when the snow starts to fall.
Snow science is rad but this knowledge is perishable. Make sure to keep learning and applying your skills every season. Photo: Erik Lambert
5. Sign up now so you don’t forget later.
Similar to pre-season gear prep and trip planning, getting your avalanche education on the calendar now is another way to set yourself up for a successful season. Before your brain officially transitions to non-snow mode and you pull out the flip flops, sign up for an AIARE course — this will save you from scrambling next fall to get into a course and guarantee that you don’t forget about signing up.
There’s a specific technique to perform an efficient avalanche rescue — this information is the basis of AIARE’s Avalanche Rescue Course and is critical information for all winter backcountry travelers to have. Photo: Riley Hanlon
Refreshing your avalanche skills every season is an important part of being a responsible and informed backcountry traveler. Wondering what course is right for you? Check out what Bluebird offers to decide where to start or what to take next. Bluebird is offering multiple specialized AIARE courses next season including the following:
We may be biased, but free bacon, awesome terrain, and a community of people dedicated to learning makes Bluebird the best classroom around. See what’s available and sign up for an AIARE course now!
