The American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) has announced a new one-day avalanche education course designed to help backcountry skiers and snowboarders refresh their safety skills ahead of the 2026-2027 winter season.
Announced October 15th in Crested Butte, Colorado, the AIARE 1 Refresher is intended for backcountry travelers who have previously completed an AIARE 1 course or equivalent avalanche education. The program combines online learning with a full day of practical training in the snow with a trained AIARE educator.
Reviewing Critical Avalanche Safety Skills
The new course focuses on putting foundational avalanche safety skills back into practice before another winter of backcountry travel. Participants will review terrain management, communication strategies and companion rescue fundamentals through an online learning component before heading into the field.
During the on-snow portion, students will use AIARE’s recently updated fieldbook tool to plan and lead a backcountry tour, apply the organization’s Risk Management Framework and practice companion rescue techniques.
The course also offers an opportunity for touring partners to prepare for the season together. By revisiting communication strategies, discussing individual risk tolerance and establishing shared approaches to backcountry travel, participants can start the winter with a better understanding of how their partners make decisions in the mountains.
Research Supports Continued Avalanche Education
AIARE developed the refresher program following a study conducted with Eastern Oregon University that tracked nearly 1,700 students across three winters. The research found that participants who completed avalanche education courses measurably increased safer backcountry behaviors, including terrain selection, recognizing unstable conditions and reviewing decisions at the end of a day.
The AIARE 1 Refresher is designed to help sustain those behaviors over time while giving returning students an opportunity to revisit decision-making frameworks, human factors and rescue protocols based on current best practices.
“AIARE is committed to continually evolving our curriculum based on peer-reviewed research, best practices and what we learn about how people apply avalanche education in the field,” said Vickie Hormuth, executive director of AIARE.
Hormuth added that education does not end when a course is over, emphasizing the importance of practicing critical decision-making in real terrain with an experienced educator.
How to Take the AIARE 1 Refresher
The AIARE 1 Refresher will be available through participating course providers during the 2026–27 winter season. Backcountry travelers interested in refreshing their skills can find participating providers and course information at find.avtraining.org.
Founded in 1998, AIARE has served more than 130,000 backcountry users and offers over 1,500 courses across the United States annually.