Membership Guidelines

Application review begins when a non-refundable application fee (equal to the dues of the member level you’re applying for) is paid and a complete application is received. The A3 Membership Trustee reviews all applications and makes recommendations to the A3 Board of Directors for Pro member ratification at each quarterly A3 board meeting. Affiliate Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. If your application is approved, your application fee will be applied to your annual dues.

Completing the Online Application

Applicants for Pro and Affiliate membership must thoroughly complete the "Avalanche Training & Experience" section of their member profile in the A3 database. The goal is to provide clear, detailed documentation of your professional-level experience. Prompts in the A3 database will ask you about:

• Avalanche courses you've taken or taught (MUST include dates and names of course providers)

• Avalanche-related employment (Must include current and past positions, paid or volunteer work. Must include names of employers, duties, number of days per season of active avalanche field work, supervisor contact info, and dates of employment)

• Avalanche research and/or publication contributions

• Avalanche-related professional references (Must include two or three avalanche-related professional references, including current email and phone contact info; references are particularly important for Pro applicants who are self-employed).

  **Incomplete applications, like those missing dates, or contact details will NOT be considered.

Professional Member Criteria

Below is information for those considering Professional Membership with the American Avalanche Association (A3). Please read through it thoroughly.

Professional Membership requires a minimum of four years of education and experience in snow avalanche control, prediction, remediation, and/or applicable and significant research or teaching in the field. (For this purpose, a year means a minimum of 20 days in a season of active avalanche work or avalanche-related fieldwork.) The following documentation may be included in your application to demonstrate four years of applicable work and experience:

Employment:

• Experience in forecasting, route-finding, rescue, explosive delivery, research, guiding, teaching, or similar fieldwork. Activities can be for different operations or employers throughout the winter.

• Active observation and work in a variety of conditions as they develop.

  *If your duties in a specific position include more than avalanche work, please be prepared to provide a tally of the days spent directly performing avalanche-related fieldwork. Ski patrollers, for instance, must document the number of days spent in active snow safety or avalanche control work.

  Education:

• Documentation of avalanche courses (taken or taught) that follow A3 or CAA guidelines, and that are taught by current A3 members or current A3 Recognized or Approved Providers, the National Avalanche School, or equivalent in-house or ongoing ski patrol and guide training.

• Documentation of acceptable continuing education including events such as the ISSW, A3 professional development seminars, or regional Snow & Avalanche Workshops.

• Advanced academic education directly connected with snow and avalanche studies (undergraduate or graduate work).

  Volunteer/Mentorship:

• You may include mentored but unpaid professional-level experience such as volunteer fieldwork for an avalanche center.

  Personal Accomplishments:

• Personal recreational experience, such as significant climbs, descents, traverses or expeditions if avalanches were a primary hazard and professional-level avalanche skills and decision-making were essential to your safety, may be considered for some, but not all, of your experience. Include details of routes and examples of professional-level documentation and analysis for such recreational experience.

*Please Note: Application fees are non-refundable - please familiarize yourself with the criteria before submitting your application.

Aspiring members who do not yet meet all of the criteria for Professional Membership may apply for Affiliate membership as they work towards these goals.