Written by: Bri Golden, Outdoor Educator and BVMA Guide
It’s winter in the Rocky Mountains! Framed by 13-and-14,000-foot mountains sits the beautiful town of Buena Vista, Colorado. Here the guides at Buena Vista Mountain Adventures (BVMA) are in full swing, guiding and teaching on these snow-covered peaks.
BVMA Guides are skilled professionals who explore the best backcountry terrain Colorado offers – and they would love to take you with them. So this winter, consider skipping the lift lines for a guided snow adventure or an AIARE Avalanche Education course with the folks at BVMA.
While resort riding is a great way to learn skiing and snowboarding basics, little compares to seeing the Colorado winter backcountry through the eyes of a local ski guide. In addition to avoiding lines and crowds, a backcountry experience with BVMA includes access to some of the best terrain in the Sawatch Mountain Range along the Continental Divide.
First, sip your morning coffee as your guide walks you through a gear check, safety talk, and plan for the day. Then, follow them as you skin or snowmobile into a beautiful, secluded ski area. You’ll ski or ride the same backcountry bowls, powdery glades, trees, and chutes that your guides love and soak in their knowledge of the terrain and the most efficient techniques to ski variable snow conditions. Whether it’s your first or tenth time skiing in the backcountry, you’ll learn new skills and make new memories when you plan your adventure with BVMA.
The best part of going with a BVMA guide is that you don’t need to be an expert because they are; while you should be a confident downhill skier or snowboarder, your guide will create a backcountry tour that fits your skill level, goals, and safety needs. BVMA guides pride themselves on safety, education, and professionalism. They come from various backgrounds, such as ski patrolling, military mountain training, avalanche instruction, and outdoor education. When you go with a guide, you have the confidence that you will not only have a safe and fun experience but also become a better backcountry skier or rider in the process. In fact, many BVMA guides are also qualified AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) instructors who teach recreationists to make safe and smart decisions in the backcountry every year.
Whether you plan to ski with the guides at BVMA or have the skills to venture into the backcountry on your own, taking ownership of your avalanche education goes a long way in encouraging safe and fun backcountry adventures for all. The AIARE framework follows a progression that teaches winter backcountry travelers how to avoid avalanches. The AIARE curriculum, taught by the experts at BVMA, combined with the easy access to terrain found in the Arkansas River Valley, allows for the highest quality avalanche education.
You’ll spend every moment of the course in the classroom or in the field, hands-on learning how to study weather patterns and impacts, practicing avalanche transceiver drills, measuring slope angles, and analyzing snow samples. With its entirely in-person class model, BVMA delivers an unmatched avalanche education experience for the first time or re-fresher AIARE I, AIARE Avalanche Rescue, and AIARE 2 courses.
Take your winter skiing and riding to the next level this winter with a backcountry tour or avalanche education course with BVMA. From partnering with The Trailhead gear store to customizing your backcountry adventure, BVMA is your hub for the full Colorado winter experience.
Visit www.bvmountainadventures.com to learn more about our guided snowshoe and cross-country ski trips for the whole family and to book your backcountry tour or AIARE Avalanche Education course.
