| Backcountry Education Program Series: Tactical Terrain Integration | Back to Calendar |
Dates: Saturday, January 31, 2026 – Sunday, February 1, 2026 from 8:45 am – 4:00 pm ET (2 Days)
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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)
Event Code: 326MU0131A
Registration Information:
– First Chair Rate: $275.00 (available through Tuesday, January 6)
– Last Chair Rate: $300.00
– CEUs: 12
– Spots Remaining: 5 (as of 31 minutes ago)
Event Prerequisite(s): Current PSIA-AASI Membership, Snow Sense and Planning webinar
Registration Closes: Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 11:59 pm ET
Online Registration: Click here to register.
Offline Registration: Please call the Eastern office (518) 452-6095 during regular hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm EST
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.
CANCEL/TRANSFER/NO SHOW POLICY FOR EASTERN EVENTS:
PLEASE NOTE: For the 2025-2026 season events, we have a new Unified Cancellation Policy.
IF YOU NEED TO TRANSFER or CANCEL: you can cancel your registration in your member portal at members.thesnowpros.org or call us at (518) 452-6095.
To transfer your registration to a different event, please cancel this registration and register for the new event.
If you need to cancel from an Eastern event:
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- Up to 3 weeks prior to the event start: Full refund of the cost of your event registration.
- Less than 3 weeks prior to the event start: 50% refund of the cost of your event registration.
- Less than one week prior to the start date and time of your event, event registrations are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Certain premier regional and national events follow a cancellation policy different from the standard cancellation policy outlined above. Please refer to those events directly for the applicable event cancellation policies.
If you need to cancel an Eastern premier event (an event that is 4 or more days):
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- Up to 3 weeks prior to the event start: Full refund of the cost of your event registration.
- Less than 3 weeks prior to the event start: 50% refund of the cost of your event registration.
- IF YOU DO NOT SHOW AT EVENT REGISTRATION AND DO NOT CONTACT US by 4:30pm on last business day before the event: No refund.
Please note that no refunds will be issued for events once attended. We encourage members to review event details carefully before registering to ensure a satisfactory experience. Extenuating circumstances (medical or bereavement) will be considered for a refund if notification is given at the earliest opportunity, and the request is received within one week after the start of the event.
Our goal is to ensure all events run as scheduled; however, there are times, with very little notice, that we may have to cancel or move an event due to factors beyond our control. We encourage you to consider this possibility when making travel plans.