Mission

Silverton Avalanche School’s mission is to empower recreational and professional students with the tools, technologies, tactics and techniques to make competent decisions in consequential mountain terrain while aspiring to reduce accidents and fatalities.

Vision and Values

Our Roots are Rescue; SAS is the oldest, continuously operating avalanche training and snow safety program in the US. 

Where the Snow Pros Go; SAS worked closely with the American Avalanche Association to bring professional training to the US. SAS is one of seven A3 pro providers and is one of only three ProAvSAR certification programs in the country.

International Best Practice; SAS has been a member of the International Commission for Alpine Rescue (ICAR) since 2016 and is an inaugural member of the mountainsafety.info workgroup consisting of 26 countries, NATO Center for Mountain Warfare Excellence, International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA), International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA), and Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF).

Educational Excellence; SAS’s faculty and instructor is composed of seasoned professionals with diverse skill sets embodying decades of firsthand field experience in backcountry rescue, technical response & recovery, mountain/ski/high altitude guiding, avalanche forecasting, dog handling, mechanized movement, operational planning and hazard assessment for industrial, transportation and tactical applications, critical incident management and advanced communications, decision making and leadership in austere environments.

Innovative Instruction; We espouse experiential approaches and student led field experiences while incorporating diverse ability levels, learning styles and backcountry travel modalities. We facilitate student centered, inquiry based learning, leveraging a continually refined and accredited curriculum, rooted in best practice and whilst utilizing new technology and proven resources.

A Pioneering Vision for Professional Avalanche Rescue, Education and Training; Leveraging the best instructors in the industry and unparalleled course areas, the school that defined US snow safety training in the 20th century continues to lead what that education looks like in the 21st!