What certification do I receive?

Students receive a Wilderness First Aid certification from Aerie Backcountry Medicine valid for two years.

Is companion rescue experience required?

Yes—prior companion rescue training or at least one season of backcountry touring with rescue practice is required.

What is the refund policy?

Refunds are available up to two weeks in advance; the course requires a minimum of six participants to run.

Are beacons, shovels, and probes provided?

They are not included but are available for rent—bringing your own is strongly recommended for practice continuity.

Do I need CPR certification?

CPR is not included; the organizers strongly recommend taking a CPR course such as the one Aerie Backcountry Medicine offers (example: Feb 6, 2025 event listed by the provider).

What is the daily structure?

Days 1–2 are classroom and short outdoor scenarios at Lone Pine State Park; Day 3 is full-field beacon/probe/shovel drills and multiple-burial scenarios at Blacktail Mountain Ski Area.

Wilderness First Aid & Avalanche Rescue Skills — Kalispell 3-Day Winter Rescue Course | Winter Activities | Workshop

Where the winter mountains press up from the northwestern edge of Kalispell, Montana, a three-day Wilderness First Aid & Avalanche Rescue Skills course teaches you how to find, unbury, and care for avalanche victims. This hands-on training runs at Lone Pine State Park in Kalispell for the Wilderness First Aid portion and finishes at Blacktail Mountain Ski Area near Lakeside for avalanche rescue drills. Over three focused days students move from classroom patient assessment and trauma care into field application with transceiver searches, probing, strategic shoveling, and patient stabilization after burial. Day one and day two at Lone Pine State Park cover patient assessment, life-threat management, musculoskeletal trauma, environmental illness, and evacuation decision-making with short outdoor scenarios integrated into the curriculum. Day three at Blacktail Mountain Ski Area begins with a classroom review, then moves outdoors to practice beacon searches, probe lines, shoveling technique and multiple-burial scenarios that end with team-led patient care and evacuation planning. What makes this course unique for the Flathead region is its combined focus: many rescue classes stop once a victim is uncovered. This offering pairs Wilderness First Aid certification with full avalanche burial responses so students practice not just locating a buried partner but stabilizing and caring for them under winter backcountry conditions. The instructors provide Aerie Backcountry Medicine’s Wilderness First Aid textbook and hands-on first aid kits for scenario practice, and the course culminates in realistic, timed rescues. This course is practical for backcountry skiers, splitboarders, snowshoers, mountain guides, and avalanche-aware travelers who already have companion rescue basics or at least a season of backcountry practice. Pre-requisites require prior companion rescue training or a year of backcountry touring with rescue practice; you'll be expected to move uphill 1,000 feet in a day and handle pack and gear tasks up to 50 pounds. Participants should bring touring gear or snowshoes, a beacon, shovel, probe, and winter clothing for field work; rentals are available. Logistics are straightforward: meet at Lone Pine State Park, Kalispell, MT for the first two days and at Blacktail Mountain Ski Area near Lakeside on day three. The class size stays small (6–12), which makes instruction and scenario time intensive and individualized. If you travel to Kalispell for winter backcountry objectives, this course converts anxiety into practical skills — the kind that save lives and build confident teams in steep, snowy terrain. Students leave with an Aerie Backcountry Medicine Wilderness First Aid certification valid for two years, the course textbook, and experience with rescue sled demos and team scenarios. Cost is $495 per person with a $100 deposit required at booking; refunds are allowed up to two weeks in advance and the course requires a minimum of six participants to run.

About Whitefish Vertical Adventures

Whitefish Vertical Adventures is a guiding company based in Whitefish, Montana, offering guided rock climbing, ice climbing, and backcountry skiing experiences in the Flathead Valley and surrounding ranges.

Programs include lift-accessed backcountry skiing (half-day and full-day) tailored for advanced and expert skiers and splitboarders; half-day ice climbs in Bad Rock Canyon and full-day frozen-waterfall ascents such as the Serenity Falls experience; multipitch rock clinics; single-pitch lead courses; Rock Rescue 101; a Backcountry Basics one-day clinic; and private rock climbing trips guided by AMGA certified instructors.

Trips are delivered as private or small-group experiences that emphasize skill development, safety, and route selection appropriate to participant ability and local conditions. The Backcountry Basics clinic caps enrollment at four participants to maximize hands-on instruction and decision-making practice. Ice climbing options include 30–40 foot routes near trailheads for skill building and longer 20–70 foot waterfall climbs for progressive learning; technical ice gear is provided on those trips. Rock clinics focus on anchor building, top belaying, efficient anchor transitions, rappelling, and lead climbing techniques on both bolted and traditional systems. Rock Rescue 101 teaches practical rescue sequences using standard climbing hardware.

Guides tailor each outing to participant goals and changing mountain conditions, with instruction in navigation, emergency planning, and safe group management. Offerings are available in half-day and full-day formats to match experience level and desired intensity. Bookings accommodate custom objectives such as skill progression or guided terrain exploration, and participants receive pre-trip information covering equipment, fitness expectations, and weather considerations.