Avalanche Pro 1 by Snowmobile: For Freeride Sledders or Skiers
Oct 2, 2026 · @Lee Blazek
Maybe you ride big freeride lines on a snowmobile or snowbike and have never clicked into skis. Maybe you ski or split-board and use a sled to reach your terrain, or you'd rent one for the course. Either way, you've done your Level 1 and Rescue, logged a season or more in avalanche terrain, and you're ready for professional-level training. The Pro 1 is your next step.
Avalanche Savvy is gauging interest in a snowmobile-based Pro 1 for both groups, planned for late January or early February 2027. Add your name to the list at the bottom of this post and we'll be in touch first.
What is the Pro 1?
The Pro 1 is the first course in the American Avalanche Association (A3) professional training track. It's built for avalanche workers early in their careers, and for experienced workers who want to stay current with industry standards.
The Pro 1 moves you from "how do I stay safe today?" to "how does an operation collect data, assess hazard and make the call?" You'll work through:
Observations to industry standard: weather, snowpack and avalanche observations, collected and recorded the way operations do it
Hazard and risk assessment: the basics, put to use in daily hazard and risk discussions and the forecasting process
Terrain and travel: sharpening terrain recognition and travel skills, and characterizing avalanche paths and avalanche occurrences
Snowpack and terrain together: building on your own terrain experience to understand how the two interact
Instructors coach and evaluate you throughout, in the field and in the classroom. Pass the final written exam and several field exams, and you earn an industry-standard certification recognized by A3.
Two groups, one snowmobile-based Pro 1
The whole course runs from snowmobiles. That means more terrain, more observation sites and more avalanche paths each day, on a course built around collecting data in an operational setting.
Freeride snowmobilers and snowbikers
No skis needed. You ride the course on your own machine, and you're already covering more avalanche terrain in a day than most backcountry users see in a week.
Turn riding into a career: snowmobile guiding, snow safety for motorized operations, and avalanche education for riders
Lead your crew with confidence: bring professional-level observation and hazard assessment to every ride day
Use your strengths: read terrain from the sled, reach far-flung observation sites, and characterize paths others can't easily get to
Skiers and split-boarders with a sled (or who'll rent one)
You already use a snowmobile to reach your terrain, or you're ready to rent one for the course. Snowmobile rentals are available at Steamboat Lake Outpost. Field days go to learning, not long approaches.
Open doors in the industry: guiding, patrol, cat and heli operations, and forecasting, many of which move by machine
Sample more snowpack: compare aspects, elevations and drainages in a single day
Ski what you study: link your observations to the terrain you actually ride down
The course is based at Steamboat Lake Outpost in Clark, north of Steamboat Springs in Northwest Colorado, where our instructors have spent years guiding, forecasting and teaching. Lodging and snowmobile rentals are available right at the Outpost, so you can stay, ride and learn in one place.
Who it's for
This Pro 1 is for freeride snowmobilers and snowbikers, and for skiers and split-boarders with their own snowmobile access (or a rental) who want to work in the avalanche industry, or who already do and need to stay current. Think aspiring sled and ski guides, patrollers, forecasters, snow safety staff, and serious riders ready for professional-level training.
Prerequisites:
An A3-recognized Recreational Level 1
An A3-recognized Avalanche Rescue course
At least one winter season (20+ days) of relevant experience
At least one full season between your Recreational Level 1 and the Pro 1
Not there yet? Our motorized and ski Level 1 and Rescue courses are the place to start, and we're happy to help you plan your path.
Register your interest
We're aiming for late January or early February 2027, and we'll lock in exact dates and group size based on who signs up, so add your name now. There's no cost and no commitment. Interested riders hear about dates first and get first pick of spots.
Here's the interest form https://forms.gle/i2iLeLzRHzQD8PF36
Questions in the meantime? Call (720) 367-1702 or email info@avalanchesavvy.com.
See you in the mountains, Avalanche Savvy
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