AAA Guidelines Purpose and Disclaimer of Liability

The purpose of the AAA Guidelines for U.S. Avalanche Education (“Guidelines”) is to provide a general benchmark for skill progressions between different levels of avalanche education, for the public’s benefit. AAA believes that avalanche education can be more thoughtfully, consistently, and responsibly conducted and can achieve more constructive outcomes for students when course providers and avalanche instructors in the United States strive to embrace common guidelines and practices.  

In developing and issuing these Guidelines, AAA does not intend to act as - or become - a regulatory body for the avalanche industry. Compliance with the AAA Guidelines does not guarantee that a course provider’s courses or programs will be safe, or that participation in that course or program will be free from harm. In choosing to voluntarily engage in avalanche courses or programs or recreate in outdoor, backcountry and/or wilderness settings, individuals must understand that they accept and assume the inherent risks of these activities. 

AAA does not oversee, control or warrant the character or quality of any individual or entity’s avalanche programs, including those of any listed course providers, and is not responsible for the content of their specific courses or programs. Those interested in taking avalanche courses from course providers listed on AAA’s website or otherwise, should independently investigate and assess these course providers and their specific courses and programs.