Aiare Ii

[samthaman]

I'm signed up for level II through the EMS climbing school in N. Conway on the 27 of march. anyone else going to be there?

to those who have already taken level 2, do you have any comments on what it will be like and what I can expect from the course?, any suggestions for getting the most out of it?

sam

[PWDR8S]

Do you know who's teaching the course? I took it with a few T4Trs last year and we had too much snow to get up into the ravine. We did on the last day and dug some pits but did not linger. ChickWhoRips was in the class.

Well worth it. Helps to prestudy so you'll have good questions on the material of the day. Locate a couple Farenheit thermometers now... It took me a while to locate them... most are in celsuis. I'll think of a few more pointers as time moves along.

Have skis and skins ready to go. 1st half was classroom and then field but it may work better for you... half days in class then afternoons in field. Pack lunches if you can.

[Cat in January]

Bring a notebook for field use. That is where the real practice comes in-in my level II we went through a couple of ways to evaluate a snow pit and I wish I had a notebook with me. If you have the $$ I would suggest the following if you do not have it: shovel, snow saw, crystal ID card, magnifying lens, maybe a slope indicator, but I find marks on the poles are easier.

[PWDR8S]

Yeah... forgot the most important... the AIARE field book PLUS a write-in-rain notebook with pencil.... good call Cat!:D

[chickwhorips]

Yah, I was in the Level II course last year... Well worth taking! Unfortunately there was too much snow that weekend and we didn't really do enough field trips, so hopefully you have more "class-friendly" conditions.

As for expectations, the focus is really on snow science and forecasting. We didn't do any beacon searches or rescue training (to my surprise).

[Cat in January]

wow that is a surprise given that they could have easily been done in those conditions.

[mainwaring]

if you took L1 here in the EC with EMS or Chauvin, i'd reach out to them for some ideas for books to read, websites to investigate in prep. go over your L1 folder.

L2 is much more academic (the snow science will be easier if you are familiar with physics).

bruce tremper's "staying alive in avalanche terrain" is a good resource. reading it will provide a good mix of crystal study, snowpack metamorphosis, concepts on loading and weather impacts of snow; safe travel, routefinding, etc.

i haven't taken L2 in the US but based on reading course syllabuses it should provide even amounts of (call it a "macro" level) approach to safe travel - routefinding, weather variables, terrain, rescue, etc. plus a very detailed level of snowpack analysis and metamorphosis (micro level).

if you're techy, take a camera...especially into the field rather than a notebook. that way you can document everything for the class and someone else can film while you work/observe. i would float that idea with the EMS instructor first to confirm its educational purpose. it could be shared with those in your class but, again, be conscientious of EMS and their decision. filming in the field at MW is weather dependent so i'd carry the notebook as a backup.

my .02: if you are serious about snow science and are planning on L3, etc. i would highly recommend you do it out west especially for the snow study, and specifically somewhere with a continental snow pack and better mid season (feb or march). i think the reasons are self evident; but if you want more explanation let me know.

[samthaman]

my .02: if you are serious about snow science and are planning on L3, etc. i would highly recommend you do it out west especially for the snow study, and specifically somewhere with a continental snow pack and better mid season (feb or march). i think the reasons are self evident; but if you want more explanation let me know.

not really planning on a level 3 at this point, but who knows what the future holds. I'm planning on moving west next winter and wanted to get level 2 under my belt before i got out there, even if this isn't the best place to learn it.

[PWDR8S]

Another good book to have is The Avalanche Handbook by David McClung and Peter Schaerer... very thorough and many pictures!
I like Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain but it doesn't seem to go into as good detail as the handbook does.

Not sure if they'll give you this, but it's hardcore but very useful in helping verbalise/writing your observations.... Snow, Weather, and Avalanches: Observational Guidelines for Avalanche Programs in the United States.

You'll need a loupe for detailed visual study of snow crystals. Start searching now if you haven't done so by now. I couldn't find one within 100 miles a month before my class. I ended up finding one in my old photography supplies... still use to this day for both snow study AND photography!

[mainwaring]

not really planning on a level 3 at this point, but who knows what the future holds. I'm planning on moving west next winter and wanted to get level 2 under my belt before i got out there, even if this isn't the best place to learn it.

cool. sounds like a pretty good plan. i would add that if you get into the (get your geek on, ***ever) snow pack analysis / metamorphosis is pretty fascinating.

i think this is in a separate thread in the safety forum, but the research this guy is doing at MSU is pretty interesting and may be worth a read:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/science/20cold.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

i'm sure that will be a good class and experience; enjoy!

[jshefftz]

Expect intense snow science and observations/testing protocols.
And like another poster said, SWAG is a must -- back when I took a course, we were still using the Canadian guidelines, since AAA was behind the times, but the AIARE L2 is all about implementing SWAG correctly.

I also have a bunch pf 6x LED loupes if anyone needs one.