Education

caution avalanche area yellow sign with a person and mountains in the background

What is Avalanche Safety Training?

Avalanches occur when a mass of snow breaks loose and rapidly descends down a slope. They are violent and dangerous, like nature’s bulldozers. To prepare for this wild force of nature, we educate ourselves. Avalanche safety training delves into the science behind this common phenomena, educating participants on factors like […]

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man in a red jacket snowshoeing on an evergreen covered mountain

CWRAG AIARE Avalanche Classes 2022-2023

Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides is holding a multitude of avalanche classes in 2022 and 2023. For years, cwrag has been exploring and educating in the backcountry. Safely traveling in winter conditions is vital for an outdoor enthusiast. Specifically if you ski, snowboard, snowshoe, or climb, this class may be […]

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black and white compass graphic

Orienteering

Did you know that a map is nearly worthless without a compass? Did you know a compass is nearly just as worthless without a map? Now here is a question for you: How often do you have one and not the other? Happens all the time. Fear not! With some […]

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man high above a group on top of a rock ledge teaching folks how to rock climb

Top Rope Anchors

  Climbers, we have all been there: You top out on a climb (whether it’s a project or just a casual Sunday afternoon) and you reach the anchors and someone says “oh can you throw a TR anchor on that?” For some reason, as climbers, we want to top rope […]

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brown puppy in the snow learning to be an avalanche rescue dog

Avalanche Rescue Dogs

At Colorado ski resorts, a dog riding a chair lift is not a surprise. In fact, dogs throughout the western United States and world are becoming members of ski patrol and avalanche rescue teams at astounding rates. With an extraordinary sense of smell and high aptitude, these woofers are sometimes […]

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two women smiling and wearing hats sitting in a grassy meadow taking a break from hiking

The Art of Guiding

Last year, on a blue-bird day in January, while out snowshoeing with some clients in Rocky Mountain National Park, one of my clients turned to me and said, “You get to do this for a living!?” I looked around incredulously and said, “Yep!” Although it may seem like your guide […]

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person in an orange jacket skiing on a narrow trail on the side of a mountain

Ski Touring

What does the perfect ski tour look like to you? Chasing corn in 50-degree couloirs in the springtime? Sweet sweet deep winter powder shots in alpine bowls? 3 days of hut-to-hut trips hanging with the crew? The word “Perfection” is subjective but we are all chasing that ideal ski tour. […]

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