Empowering recreational and professional students with the tools, technologies, tactics and techniques to make competent decisions in the backcountry.
We Know Snow
The International Mountain Climbing School is the only provider of the Silverton Avalanche School recreational and professional curriculum on the East Coast.
Born in Silverton, Colorado, a natural avalanche laboratory, the Silverton Avalanche School (SAS) is the oldest continuously operating avalanche training and snow safety program in the US.
SAS is focused on the student experience. We facilitate student-centered, inquiry-based learning, leveraging a continually refined and accredited curriculum, rooted in best practice and whilst utilizing new technology and proven resources.
Partnership for Excellence
The Silverton Avalanche School and the International Mountain Climbing School share a deep commitment to comprehensive mountain safety education through the SAS Provider Network.
The combination creates a powerhouse of mountain education that spans the full spectrum of alpine hazards, from technical climbing skills to snow science, leveraging Silverton’s 60+ year legacy as the nation’s premier avalanche education provider with IMCS’s 45+ years of expertise in comprehensive mountaineering instruction.
Which Course Should I Take?
Silverton Avalanche School is accredited by the American Avalanche Association (A3), which recommends the following course structure. IMCS offers a progression of learning through Rec Level 1, Rescue, and is hosting a Professional Level 1.
Recreational Level 1
Three-day Recreational Level One course engages students in hands-on curriculum designed to develop an understanding and application of tools to help navigate or avoid avalanche terrain.
Rescue Course
Avalanche Rescue is a one-day stand-alone course that covers the basics of companion rescue as well as the current best practices in rescue techniques and gear.
Professional Level 1
The first step in professional level training designed for those new to working in avalanche terrain or for experienced workers looking to stay current with industry standards.
See What Our Avalanche Education Students Have to Say!
Learn From Real Conditions, Not Just Classroom Theory.
We believe the best way to learn is through experiential education—applying knowledge with expert guidance in the field to build the skills needed for competent backcountry decision-making.
Meet our Avalanche School Educators
Jordan Cargill
Silverton Avalanche School Educator
Jordan has explored the globe, guided on three continents, and put up a few first ascents and descents. You can catch him smiling whether it’s a short trail run to catch the sunrise behind his home in New Hampshire, or at 20,000’ watching the mountain shadow unfold on the plains below. His limitless excitement for mountain adventures (plus a lot of training and certifications!) enables him to provide safe, customized, and unforgettable client experiences.
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– Certified IMFGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations) guide
– Certified AMGA (American Mountain Guides Association) guide -
Born and raised in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Jordan’s love for the outdoors was immediate and permanent thanks to family vacations, summers, and weekends exploring the mountains, rivers, and lakes of the northeast.
In his early teens he ventured into the vertical for the first time on New Hampshire’s classic Cathedral Ledge. Immediately, he was enraptured by the unique experiences, places, and people climbing unlocked. Since that first climb, his passion for the mountains steadily increased alongside a desire to share access and respect for these places through guiding and education.
Since then, Jordan has explored the globe, guided on three continents, and put up a few first ascents and descents. You can catch him smiling whether it’s a short trail run to catch the sunrise behind his home in New Hampshire, or at 20,000’ watching the mountain shadow unfold on the plains below. His limitless excitement for mountain adventures (plus a lot of training and certifications!) enables him to provide safe, customized, and unforgettable client experiences.
Rob Benton
Silverton Avalanche School Educator
Rob’s work spans guiding, professional avalanche education, and leading operational risk management programs. And through all of it, he’s driven by the same values he grew up with in Maine: work hard, stay humble, and always respect the weather. No matter the terrain or the team, that ethos guides every decision and every day in the mountains.
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AMGA Single Pitch Instructor
AMGA Assistant Ski Guide
AMGA Apprentice Alpine Guide
Avalanche Course Leader
Professional Level II Avalanche Course
Wilderness First Responder
Associate’s Degree in Outdoor Recreation and Tourism (Technical Guiding Focus) -
Rob Benton grew up in Maine, where winter arrived early, stayed late, and shaped a lifelong love for moving through snow-covered mountains. He spent his childhood exploring the state’s wild forests with his family—hiking, camping, and skiing—before graduating into a short but meaningful career as a ski bum. His passion for mountain travel eventually led him to pursue an associate’s degree in Outdoor Recreation and Tourism at Eastern Maine Community College, where he focused on technical guiding and outdoor leadership.
Since then, Rob has built a career as a ski guide, avalanche educator, and operational risk management professional, working everywhere from the steep gullies of the White Mountains to the high, cold slopes of the Alaska Range. He has guided, taught, and skied in the Tetons, the Wasatch, the Eastern Sierra, Iceland, the Chic-Chocs, and beyond. Rob is known for pairing sharp judgment and technical precision with a relaxed, good-humored teaching style—someone who can talk snowpack structure one minute, crack a joke the next, and, if asked, drop a haiku or remix a song on the skin track.
Rob’s work spans guiding, professional avalanche education, and leading operational risk management programs. And through all of it, he’s driven by the same values he grew up with in Maine: work hard, stay humble, and always respect the weather. No matter the terrain or the team, that ethos guides every decision and every day in the mountains.
Benny Allen
By winter, an avid backcountry skier and avalanche educator. By spring, summer, and fall, you’ll find Benny sailing around the world in competitions near and far. He’s crossed the Pacific in a sailboat six times and can tell you endless stories of being on the high seas.
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AIARE Pro 1 Avalanche Certification
AIARE I, II & Rescue Course Instructor
Wilderness First Responder
Professional Ski Patroller
Stuart Webb
Silverton Avalanche School Assistant Educator
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Stuart grew up in coastal Virginia, moving to New Hampshire in 2023 after stints in North Carolina, Colorado, and California. Her outdoor climbing began amidst the New River Gorge’s beautiful sandstone, and some of her favorite places to climb include Western North Carolina’s granite domes and Vedauwoo, Wyoming’s sharp crystalline cracks. Drawn to New Hampshire for the access to climbing, skiing, and the ocean alike, Stuart has found a home in the White Mountains and feels lucky to spend the seasons exploring the area’s unique beauty.Stuart is driven by a desire for continual growth through curiosity and is eager to share her experience and knowledge with others. Aside from climbing, she can be found in the pottery studio, with a good book, somewhere in the water, or trying to learn a new art form.
Alexandra Roberts
Alexandra is a professional photographer and passionate backcountry skier who spends much of her winter exploring the Whites on skis. She’s drawn to the challenge and beauty of winter travel and has developed strong backcountry skills through seasons of experience in varied terrain and conditions around the world.
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Alexandra grew up in Bar Harbor, Maine, where her parents owned restaurants on Main Street. Creativity ran deep in her family—her mother, a chef and photographer, built a darkroom in the basement when Alexandra was 13, sparking a lifelong love of storytelling through images. After working as a web designer for eight years, she made the leap to full-time photography in 2009 and eventually found her true home in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Alexandra is a professional photographer and passionate backcountry skier who spends much of her winter exploring the Whites on skis. She’s drawn to the challenge and beauty of winter travel and has developed strong backcountry skills through seasons of experience in varied terrain and conditions around the world.
Alexandra brings an easygoing, supportive presence to her work, valuing the camaraderie and shared learning that come from traveling in the mountains together. When she’s not behind the camera, you’ll find her skiing, trail running, hiking, climbing, fishing, or enjoying the outdoors with her dog.
Gabrielle Croto
Gabi began guiding as a student at Prescott College in Arizona, rafting down silty brown rivers, backpacking through the desert, and learning the ropes of a climbing guide. From there, she continued north to Haines, Alaska, where she guided on glacier-fed lakes, Canadian snowfields, and receding ice. She is a Wilderness First Responder and EMT, blending technical training with a passion for education and safe, memorable adventures.
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Born and raised just outside the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Gabi grew up with the outdoors as her playground. Hiking, backpacking, and skiing were family staples. She started on Nordic and downhill skis, then moved to telemark gear with her dad, skinning up the hills around their home. These days, you will more likely find her on a splitboard chasing icy lines, but her love for being outside in all its forms has stayed constant.
Gabi began guiding as a student at Prescott College in Arizona, rafting down silty brown rivers, backpacking through the desert, and learning the ropes of a climbing guide. From there, she continued north to Haines, Alaska, where she guided on glacier-fed lakes, Canadian snowfields, and receding ice. Along the way she built her skills as a Wilderness First Responder and EMT, blending technical training with a passion for education and safe, memorable adventures.
Back in her roots of good ol’ New Hampshire, she shares most adventures with her white husky, Sitka. Whether running, biking, skiing, or simply sitting by the water with some yarn and a sweater-in-progress, or a good book, you’ll find Gabi and Sitka outdoors. Gabi also works as an EMT on a local service.