Women’s Specific courses

Beartooth Powder Guides is proud to have some of the best and most qualified female guides in Montana. These courses will be instructed and hosted by women guides, and course enrollment will be limited to ladies only, creating a comfortable and relaxing learning environment for women who want to take their backcountry skiing safety and skills to the next level. Below are more details on the women’s specific Avalanche Level 1 and 2 Courses & the Ladies Ski Mountaineering Camp.

*Beartooth Powder Guides is an approved American Avalanche Association course provider. All Level 2 courses offer curriculum which exceeds the requirements set forth by the American Avalanche Association.

Ladies Only Level 1. + POWDER

The biggest complaint about Level 1 Avalanche Courses is we never get to ski enough Powder 🙂 This is a 4 day Level 1 course. By adding a 4th day to the trip, we can cover all the necessary Level 1 topics and spend one day dedicated to POWDER skiing. * We pick the day with the most optimal conditions to go POWDER skiing!

During the 4 days, participants will be exposed to techniques and skills required to be a competent backcountry partner. This will include a combination of lectures and field sessions, where students will get hands on experience in learning about snowpack layering, terrain management, weather elements, decision making, and rescue skills. PLUS a day of dedicated POWDER skiing!

Ladies Only Level 2 Avalanche

*Beartooth Powder Guides Recreational Level 2 Avalanche Course is a 4 day course that was created for advanced backcountry skiers and riders that want to go deeper into the backcountry and take their backcountry avalanche knowledge and companion rescue skills to the next level. Prior avalanche training and experience required. (Completed Level 1 or experienced backcountry travelers that have attended a basic avalanche course).

**This course includes an 8 Hour Avalanche Rescue Course for students planning on continuing on the AAA Pro Avalanche Education track. (Pro 1)



Course Overview:

During the 4 days, participants will elevate their techniques and skills to become an advanced backcountry traveler and partner. This will include a combination of lectures and field sessions, where students will get hands on experience in learning about snowpack layering, terrain management, weather elements, decision making, and rescue skills.

This 4 day (32+ hour) course  will be 40% classroom based and 60% field based and includes an entire day dedicated to an objective based ski tour.

  • Location: Cooke City

  • Cost: $850

  • Prerequisites: Completed a Level 1 Course. Students must be fit enough to travel a minimum of 6 miles per day, climbing as much as 2500 vertical feet per day. Students must have Alpine Touring skis, Telemark skis or Splitboard with skins for travel. Minimum one season between Level 1 and taking Level 2.

  • Food not included.

RECOMMENDED READING

  • Snow Sense, Jill Fredston & Doug Fesler

  • Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, Bruce Tremper

  • Avalanche Essentials, Bruce Tremper

  • SWAG- Snow, Weather and Avalanches: Observational Guidelines for Avalanche Programs in the United States (SWAG)

Ladies Only Ski Mountaineering Camp

This 4 Day course will take place in the heart of the Beartooth Mountains and will be staged from Cooke City at our Mount Zimmer Yurt. The alpine routes and ski mountaineering objectives in this area are the perfect place to develop the skills necessary to safely climb and ski classic ski mountaineering routes throughout the world. Weather/Conditions permitting, the objective of the course is to also climb and ski some of the classic ski mountaineering lines in the Beartooths.

This Ski Mountaineering Camp will be hosted by lead guide and Certified AMGA Ski Guide, Nina Hance. Late March and April is our favorite time in Cooke City, with a deep and generally stable snowpack along with warmer and longer days, it makes for the best conditions to get into big alpine ski routes in the Cooke City region.

**The Camp is guided at a 3:1, students:guide ratio 

  • Location: Mount Zimmer Yurt Cooke City, Montana

  • Camp Limited to 6 Students

Ladies Only Hut Based Level 1 Avalanche

This hut based course is open for public enrollment A. It will be based out of  The Woody Creek Cabin  above Cooke City, MT. The cabin is a 2.5 mile skin from Cooke City, and is situated within 1/4 mile of the Wyoming border and the North Absaroka Wilderness. This venue offer easy access to high elevation glades and alpine terrain alike, making this a great venue to learn about terrain and the snowpack while being fully immersed in the mountains for the duration of the course. This course is limited to groups of 10 for the Woody Creek Cabin. This course does not include food. Your guides will not be staying with you and will be traveling back to town in the evenings.

During the 3 days, participants will be exposed to techniques and skills required to be a competent backcountry partner. This will include a combination of lectures and field sessions, where students will get hands on experience in learning about snowpack layering, terrain management, weather elements, decision making, and rescue skills.

  • Cost: $679 per person

  • Location: Woody Creek Cabin 

  • Price includes 2 nights lodging. You will be responsible for your own food and cooking.

  • Course Limited to 10 students