2022/23 COURSES

 In Cooke City & Red Lodge, MT 

Understand

Avalanche bulletins, ski & rescue equipment, and the recipe for an avalanche.

Identify

Obvious avalanche terrain, human factors and their role in decision making, and safe travel routes.

Apply

Risk management tools, in-field decision making, and rescue procedures.

Practice

Snowpack tests, observations, and route finding.

Why take an Avalanche Level 1?

If you want to explore the mountains during winter, awareness and understanding of avalanches is essential to safe passage. Level 1 Avalanche Courses give you the technical skills to identify hazards and employ techniques to improve your decision making. They include everyday practices that help you mitigate risk and avoid the worst-case scenario. With these tools, you might even save someone's life one day. 

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Beyond the safety aspect of these courses, there are plenty of other reasons to join. Avalanche courses are a great way to meet other like-minded backcountry users; many times our students walk away with new (and educated) partners. Similarly, these course help you dive into the inner working of these backcountry partnerships. Hopefully, you'll come out of this course with an rough understanding of the mechanics behind group decision making and its implications.

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Our courses are also a great opportunity to get to know a new area. Red Lodge and Cooke City are off the radar, and no guidebook exists for the backcountry terrain nearby. Although there is class time, we make the majority of our courses in the field and, because of that, you can expect to learn more about the terrain in real time.

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Regardless, the Level 1 is an important step in your backcountry learning. Whether you've been doing this for years or your just starting, we hope you come out of this ready to practice and apply the skills you've learned.

Why choose Beartooth Mountain Guindes?

Beartooth Mountain Guides has been providing courses for 20 years. Our Level 1 is taught by variety of experienced locals, mountain guides, and avalanche professionals. 

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Reasons to choose BMG:

• 3-day courses with field-time every day; we believe in learning by doing

• Direct instruction in town; no pre-recorded lessons and plenty of time for Q&A

• Low group ratios; typically 4:1 ratio, meaning more time with your instructor

• Minimal drive time; all BMG courses have little (< 15 min) to no daily drive time, unlike many courses with 1+hr daily drives

• Affordable price; we aim to keep our courses accessible

• Epic terrain; Between Cooke City's undoubtedly perfect location and Red Lodge's lift access

Cooke City or
Red Lodge?

Although both in the Beartooths, Cooke City and Red Lodge are two different venues for your avalanche course. Take a moment to consider which is best for you. 

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Cooke City

• Regularly deep and consistent snowpack (good skiing!)

• Destination ski town, perfect way to preview terrain

• In-town yurt classroom

• Minimal to no drive time; Skiing/riding from the classroom

• Scenic drive through Yellowstone in the winter

• Fewer accommodation options (book early!)

• 3+ hours to Bozeman and Billings

• Early to mid season course offerings

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Red Lodge

• Easy access; only 1 hr from Billings & Cody 

• In-town class, walking distance to coffee/bakery

• 15 minute drive time to field-sessions

• Lift accessed day, tickets included

• Variety of accommodation options

• Variable snowpack; usually reactive to our tests & great for learning

• Mid season (February 18-20)