The Gore Range Gravity Alliance is teaming up with Colorado Adventure Guides to offer a women's pod in an AIARE 1 course. The first day will be in a mixed classroom, and 2 out of the 3 instructors are women. The following two days are in the field, and our GRGA pod of women/non-binary folks will be grouped together with one of the rad lady instructors each day!
This class will be based out of CAG's basecamp in Silverthorne, Colorado. AIARE level 1 is a 3-day introduction to managing avalanche hazard where you will learn a repeatable process to manage your risk and learn from your experiences in the backcountry. Students will also practice preparing for and carrying out a backcountry trip, keeping track of conditions, communicating, making decisions about hazards while in the backcountry, and learning rescue techniques if an avalanche occurs and someone is caught. Our Level 1 course will include 24 hours of course work at a minimum. We want to make sure that you get the education that you need and don’t cut corners in delivering the best product so that we can maximize your commitment!
Meet Your Instructors:
Katie MacKnight:
Katie got her start learning to ski in Crested Butte, CO along with her first backcountry hut trip to the nearby 10th Mountain Division Friend‘s Hut. Upon returning to Fort Collins to complete a degree in Restoration Ecology and graduate studies in Forestry/Fire Science, she began familiarizing herself with the Medicine Bow and Never Summer Ranges. She is certified as an EMT-B and then Wilderness First Responder since 2008, Katie has safely enjoyed a decade and a half of navigating Colorado’s big backyard by way of mountain bike, cataraft, and skis and enjoys sharing that passion with others.
Kristen Buckland :
The first week after moving to Colorado from the flat Midwest, Kristen was walking in the Garden of the Gods, saw people rock climbing and thought, “I don’t know what that is, but I need to do it.” Kristen then immersed herself in everything outdoors related, spending the last 10+ years learning all she can about climbing, mountaineering, and skiing. She has climbed and skied all across the United States and internationally, with many climbing adventures to the North Cascades. Kristen is a supporter of avalanche education, teaching many students over the winter season. She enjoys the educational side of guiding and loves sharing knowledge with her clients. Kristen is WFR certified, an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, and an AIARE Avalanche Instructor.
Nicholas Bollen:
Nicholas has been lucky enough to call the Rocky Mountains home for his entire life. Whether it be backcountry skiing, rock climbing, bike-packing, or simply walking in the woods, Nicholas has always been drawn to a life outdoors. For the warmer months of the year, Nicholas works as an Outdoor Education Instructor leading extended wilderness trips across the western United States and in Alaska. During the winter months, Nicholas lives in Summit County and is excited to join the Colorado Adventure Guides team as an AIARE Avalanche Education Course Instructor. Nicholas holds Pro 1, AMGA SPI, AIARE Instructor, and Wilderness First Responder certifications.