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¦¦¦Backcountry Series: Tactical Terrain Integration
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Dates: Saturday, January 31, 2026 - Sunday, February 1, 2026 from 8:45 am - 4 pm ET (2 Days)
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Event Type: Education Clinic

Location: Smugglers Notch (VT) (Plan to meet your group on snow at the starting time listed above, outside the Sterling Madonna Base Lodge by the equipment racks. If we are notified of any change, we will email and/or text updated information to you. - Outdoor Registration)

Host Division: Eastern

Registration Information:
- First Chair Rate: $275.00 (available through Tuesday, January 6)
- Last Chair Rate: $300.00
- CEUs: 12

Prerequisites: Current PSIA-AASI Membership, Snow Sense and Planning webinar

Registration Deadline: Friday, January 30, 2026, 11:59 pm ET

Online Registration: CLOSED

Offline Registration: Contact the division office.

Course Description:

This two-day, on-snow experience is designed to put into practice the planning, safety, and decision-making skills introduced in the Snow Sense and Planning webinar. Participants will apply concepts such as route finding, group management, snowpack assessment, and emergency preparedness while traveling in a winter mountain environment. Skills including packing and equipment preparation, orienteering, hydration and nutrition strategies, and the use of avalanche transceivers will be reinforced. Expect to spend 6-8 hours outside each day, including a potential ascent to 4,000 ft. (weather permitting). Participants should arrive equipped for travel on Alpine Touring, Nordic, or Splitboard gear.

All registrants must participate in the Snow Sense and Planning webinar series prior to attending this on-snow event and should ensure an adequate level of fitness for two full days of hiking.

Learning Experiences:

Specific activities will vary depending on the group's needs and environmental conditions and typically include:

• Guiding and group leadership on an off-piste day tour.

• Participant-led trip planning and decision making for a full tour day.

• Scenarios requiring real-time application of snowpack analysis, navigation, and hazard recognition.

• Practice in communication, group awareness, and safe travel techniques in variable terrain.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this course, successful participants will be able to:

• Select routes based on weather, terrain, and group composition.

• Prepare and use maps with declination lines for effective navigation.

• Identify snow features and assess potential hazards encountered during travel.

• Organize gear and resources for a safe and efficient day tour, including food, hydration, first aid, repair kits, survival equipment, skins/wax, and avalanche safety tools.

• Adjust personal equipment to meet the demands of terrain and conditions.

Prerequisite(s):

Registered Members

Recommended Learning Resources:

• Review notes and materials from the Snow Sense and Planning webinar and check equipment you are using before you arrive.

Equipment/Materials Needed:

• Alpine Touring, Nordic or Split board equipment.