Women’s Backcountry Avalanche Awareness Tour
What’s This Tour All About?
Think of it as “Day 3” of an AIARE 1 course—but without the hefty price tag or the stress of a certification exam.
Perfect for:
✅ Women new to backcountry travel
✅ Budget-conscious adventurers
✅ Anyone needing an avalanche safety refresher
You’ll get real avalanche education taught by AIARE-trained professional mountain guides, minus the classroom and with way more fresh air.
2025 Dates
March 1, 2025
$250
Trip Length
1 Day
Group Size
2-8
Destinations
Truckee - Tahoe Region
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A Day in the Backcountry—Adventure, Empowerment & Avalanche Safety
Ready to explore the backcountry with confidence? Join us for a fun, supportive, and skill-packed women's backcountry tour that blends the spirit of adventure with the critical knowledge you need to navigate avalanche terrain safely.
This isn’t just a tour—it’s an empowering day out in the mountains with women who share your passion for the outdoors.
We highly recommend taking our Avalanche Awareness Course & Avalanche Rescue Course before this tour. Book all three avalanche courses and save $50.
Alpinistas Adventures avalanche education programs are designed to mirror the components of national certificate courses, like AIARE, but without the cost or certificate—perfect for those new to backcountry travel, budget-conscious adventurers, or anyone seeking a refresher. Taught by AIARE-trained professional mountain guides, our courses deliver expert instruction to equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate avalanche terrain safely and effectively.
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9:00am - Meet your guide in the field at the designated trailhead & check-in.
We’ll perform a gear check and then begin our class.
11:30 AM - Break for Lunch
11:50 AM - We’ll continue the tour and layer in real-time decision-making based on our terrain travel.
3:30 PM Get back to the trailhead. Debrief of the day and discuss hi-lights, areas for improvement, goals, and next steps for progressing your outdoor skills.
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Avalanche awareness and experience using a beacon, probe & shovel is required as this is a tour to layer on top of those basic skills.
This trip is rated Intermediate. Although this is a novice tour day, the participants should have good fitness. We will be touring for 4-5 miles over the course of the day.
Excellent resort skiing / snowboarding skills required.
We recommend that you stay well hydrated and fed prior to departure to assist in mitigating altitude sickness if you are coming from sea level.
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Included in your booking:
Professional AMGA/AIARE Guide
4:1 client to guide ratio with a max group size of 8 clients, 2 guides
Group safety gear & first aid kit
Permit fees
Special discount to shop at the Alpinistas store
Not included:
Food & beverages
Guide gratuities
Required gear, see in below section (available for rent when checking out)
Avalanche beacon, probe & shovel
Personal items
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On Field Session - What You’ll Learn:
✔️ Recognizing Avalanche Terrain – Spotting red flags before they become real risks.
✔️ Decision-Making in the Backcountry – Learn when to send it and when to turn back.
✔️ Companion Rescue Practice – Practice using beacons, probes, and shovels effectively.
✔️ Snowpack Observations – Understand snow layers without getting too “science-y.”
✔️ Group Management & Communication – Stay safe together, make smart calls.
✔️ Touring Skills & Techniques – How to excel on the skintrack, practicing kick turns, understanding skin choices and other equipment must-haves.
This Day is for You If You Want To:
🌟 Feel more confident in avalanche terrain
🌟 Connect with adventurous women in the outdoor community
🌟 Learn lifesaving skills without the pressure of certification
🌟 Have fun while taking your backcountry knowledge to the next level
Gear List
Layering is the key to staying comfortable while being active outdoors. The secret to achieving maximum comfort with minimum weight is to bring versatile layers that can be mixed and matched to create the right amount of insulation, ventilation, and weather protection.
When packing, try to bring only what you need. This not only makes your load lighter but also helps our amazing field staff.
If you've already booked your trip, don't worry! You’ll be getting emails with a detailed list of what you'll need to bring (plus tons of other helpful information).
Are you looking to reduce your carbon footprint or save some money? Check out our shop at Alpinistas and the Re-Cover department for gently used gear online.
Get ready to conquer the outdoors, Alpinistas! We can't wait to see you on the trail.
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Backcountry skis or splitboard & related touring gear.
Backcountry touring pack that can fit your avalanche safety equipment
Avalanche beacon, probe & shovel
Technical jacket, pants or bibs that are water resistant
Base Layer Tops and Bottoms (Lightweight, Synthetic or Wool)
Midlayer options
Waterproof/Water Resistant Gloves
Beanie
Hiking Socks (Synthetic or Wool)
Sunblock, sunglasses and lip balm with SPF
Water (1.5-2.5 liters) or Hydration System
Electrolytes, snacks, lunch for the day
Personal Bathroom Kit: Toilet Paper, Ziplock Bags, Personal Wipes, Hand Cleaner - Pack it all out.
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This will be nice for you to have:
Snowshoes, touring skis or splitboard - but not required.
Fleece/Wool or Lightweight Gloves
Hat, Bandana or Buff for Sun Protection
Hot beverage in thermos
Extra socks
Have questions about the gear list?
Give us a call at 775-230-7125 or send us a chat or email.
Helpful for booking
What to expect after you book your reservation
After you book your reservation, you will receive a confirmation email. Over the following weeks as you start to get closer to your event date, you will receive additional emails confirming packing lists, itinerary details and other important or helpful supplemental information such as video course, start time and driving directions. The week of the event, you should be ready to go and you will receive a final email introducing your guides, providing you with their contact information and other last minute notes.
Your event does require a certain minimum number of participants to run. Don’t worry though, our group size is naturally quite small to keep it special and relaxing experience so the minimum booking requirement is also lower than other guide services.
What is the closest airport?
Sacramento, California
Reno, Nevada
Booking airfare?
If you are flying in for this trip, please contact us before booking airfare to make sure that your trip is confirmed. We require a minimum number of participants to operate.
General weather expectations
Mountaineering trips take place in the snow. Tahoe daytime temperatures can range vastly during the winter and spring season. You may encounter freezing temperatures in the early morning or very warm temperatures during the day. We highly recommend wearing layers to accommodate changing temperatures.
Travel Insurance
We highly recommend travel insurance to protect your trip in the event unforeseeable circumstances or illness comes up that interferes with your ability to join the trip.
“Dear women adventurers of all skill levels, you need to take a trip with Alpinistas! I just returned from the Cold Weather Skills workshop in Yosemite and I've learned more in three days than I have in all my years of hiking and camping. It's so rare to find guiding experiences that are fun, connect you with likeminded folks, AND equip you with a ton of new skills.”
— Ashley
“I had the absolute best experience on a rock climbing trip with Joanne! Every part of the weekend was fantastic - the camping experience was wonderful, the guides were knowledgeable and kept everyone safe, and the climbing was so much fun! I'm looking forward to future trips with Alpinistas, and love the work they are doing in making outdoor education more accessible to women!”
- Rebecca
What People Are Saying about Alpinistas
“The women I met that weekend were so amazing for their love of the outdoors, their curiosity, and their tenacious spirits. I learned so much from our skilled guides who made us feel safe to ask any and all questions regardless of how silly they might be. Thank you Alpinistas for a truly amazing weekend! I can’t wait for the next adventure 🏕️”
— Katarina
“I joined a Cold Weather course and winter camping weekend with them in Yosemite and absolutely love it! The guides are passionate about what they are teaching us, they are so supportive, and the event was organized so well.”
- Ashley-Marie