US Avalanche Education is now divided into two tracks at the upper levels: Professional and Recreational. Everyone is encouraged to start with an 8-12 hour Avalanche Awareness or Skills class. A one-day Companion Avalanche Rescue training session is the next step, and/or a 24-hour Level 1. After the general Level 1 for all, the Pro and Rec tracks diverge. UMA has chosen to focus primarily on Recreational snow travelers, including backcountry skiers and snowboarders, snowshoers, mountaineers and ice climbers. The Pro-Rec Split began in 2017-18, and aims to deliver better, more focused courses to each user group. The previous structure wasn’t serving everyone as well as it could. Recreational backcountry users have different needs from professionals, and having courses for both audiences meant everyone had to compromise in what they were learning. Pros include ski patrollers, avalanche forecasters and mountain guides. Their next class after Level 1 is the 5-day Pro Le...