Backcountry Rescue & Winter Survival

Meet at Sun Valley Guides Headquarters

401 Lewis Street, Ketchum, ID 83340

Time

9:00am - 5:00pm

Session

Full Day

Description

You and your friends are on the last run of the day, when one of them falls and hurts their knee. They are unable to stand up and you are far from the trailhead. The sun is beginning to set and there is a storm brewing in the distance. Now what?!

Learn what to carry in your pack in order to build improvised rescue sleds or be able to survive the night until help is able to come to the rescue.

In this day course, you will learn the following:

  • Learn and build the various rescue sleds currently in the market

  • See what a guide carries in their emergency/repair kit

  • Build snow shelters (Quinizee and tarp shelters)

  • Basic survival techniques in a winter setting

  • Package a patient in an improvised rescue sled and transport them through the terrain

  • Ways to request emergency services and be able to tell them where you are located

Prerequisites

None.

PRICING

$TBD/PERSON

*Guest to Guide ratio is 5:1 | Min. 3 | Max. 10

**Sales Tax and Forest Service fees not included

Equipment List
Gear Rental

Frequently Asked Questions

  • YSun Valley Guides does not provide personal safety gear for avalanche course participants, so please come prepared with the necessary and reliable equipment. This includes a 3-antenna avalanche transceiver, a metal avalanche shovel, and an avalanche probe with a click-lock mechanism.

    For more details, please see our equipment list.

  • All of our guides are licensed by the IOGLB and are highly-trained avalanche professionals and/or AMGA trained or certified. Our guides have an intimate knowledge of the vast mountains surrounding Sun Valley as well as the current snow and avalanche conditions.

    IOGLB stands for Idaho Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board. Guides that have been certified by IOGLB are licensed and held to standards set in place by  the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association, recognized as one of the most comprehensive licensing programs in the nation. For more information, please visit IOGLB’s website.

    AMGA stands for American Mountain Guides Association, an internationally recognized organization that offers rigorous training courses for guides in the alpine, rock, and ski mountaineering industry. Guides endorsed by AMGA are verified to operate at a high level of professionalism and with a deep knowledge of their sport. Learn more about AMGA here.

  • Yes. Sun Valley Guides is committed to providing safe and enjoyable adventures in the backcountry. All guests must read and sign a Release of Liability and Waiver of Claims Agreement prior to embarking on any guided trip. Be sure to read and sign the waiver prior to joining us in the mountains.  You can find your waiver in your reservation confirmation.  If you did not make the reservation, please ask whoever did to invite you to sign through their reservation confirmation email they received or email us at info@svguides.com 

  • A 50% non-refundable deposit is made to secure a spot on an avalanche course. Cancellations made with more than 2 weeks notice will receive a refund for the cost of the course, less the deposit fee. Cancellations made within 2 weeks of class start date are 100% non-refundable, but if a replacement for your spot can be found, we will transfer your deposit as credit for another course later in the same winter season with a $50 booking fee.

    Please keep in mind that these policies vary by service. See our full cancellation policy for details.

Have more questions? Visit our FAQ page.