Avalanche Education

Mountain Trip offers Level 1, Level 2, and Avalanche Rescue courses with Silverton Avalanche School curriculum designed to help those traveling in the backcountry during winter to expand their knowledge of risk management and practical rescue skills.

Our staff of AMGA trained or certified instructors have a wealth of experience in various types of snowpack and mountain ranges all around the world, but the stunning San Juan Mountains surrounding Telluride, CO are where we choose to call home, recreate, teach and guide. The San Juans have a notoriously unstable snowpack, with a structure that demands constant attention, careful planning and risk management. We bring our expertise and intimate local knowledge to our avalanche courses to provide the tools necessary to build a framework that will help you make good decisions when traveling in the winter mountains.

Avalanche education is the cornerstone of successful backcountry recreation and helps lay the foundation for a bevy of skills, which is why we’ve partnered with Silverton Avalanche School (SAS), the premier avalanche educators in Colorado since 1962, to bring the best in innovative mountain safety education. With a curriculum developed in and around the San Juans, we feel this program is the most well-suited to backcountry travel in these mountains.

As a SAS Course Provider, Mountain Trip utilizes an internationally vetted curriculum and state-of-the-art knowledge from MountainSafety.info. The course meets the guidelines set forth by the International Commission for Alpine Rescue (ICAR), and exceeds learning outcomes as defined by the American Avalanche Association (A3).

Mountain Trip is excited to offer skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers, snowmobilers, ski patrol, search and rescue personnel, and anyone interested in learning about the hazards of avalanches the opportunity to join our professional instructors for one of our of in-depth, hands-on courses. To learn more, see our Level 1, Level 2 or Avalanche Rescue courses.

We know courses can be cost prohibitive, especially for those living in mountain towns with a high cost of living. For assistance, check out the PI Avalanche Fund, which offers scholarships to individuals looking to further their avalanche education, and memorializes our good friend and former guide, Peter Inglis. 2024-25 applications are now open! Learn more and apply HERE.

If you have questions or are unsure of where to start in your backcountry progression, please contact the Mountain Trip office at [email protected] or (970) 369-1153.