avalanche education

Backcountry Skiing Etiquette: The Dos and Don’ts

Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, a massive influx of skiers has entered the backcountry. With this, it is important to understand backcountry skiing etiquette. Remember, before you enter the backcountry, know before you go and get an avalanche education. Related: Utah Avalanche Center Expresses Serious Concerns About Backcountry Skiers Ignoring Basic Safety Rules DO – Practice Leave No Trace Principles The […]
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Dominic Gawel |
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Ski Club From Afghanistan Evacuated to Italy Amidst Chaotic Taliban Takeover

Bamyan Internatioinal

With the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, tens of thousands of individuals and families are trying to escape and are fighting for their lives. Several countries and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have contributed to the evacuation efforts, but with the Taliban seemingly in control and with groups like ISIS-K contributing to the high levels of uncertainty, the atmosphere in Afghanistan is extremely unpredictable […]
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Jesse |
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Blackbird Mountain Guides Offers Unique AIARE Avalanche Rescue Course on Donner Summit, CA

Blackbird Mountain Guides in Truckee, CA, is offering lift-accessed AIARE Avalanche Rescue Courses at Donner Ski Ranch this winter. These courses are unique in the area in that they utilize lift-accessed terrain for recreational avalanche rescue scenarios. Rather than practicing on flat ground, students will use more realistic terrain that will help them understand and optimize their position in the […]
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Mike Bartholow |
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Inclusivity in the Backcountry: Why Sharing (On Social Media) is Caring

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Brought to you by SCARPA Backcountry Week Backcountry skiing is getting more popular. There’s no hiding it and no way around it. You see it at the trailhead, and you see it on Instagram. Many people think that the more people who introduce themselves to this dangerous, out-of-bounds art, the worse everyone’s experience will become. Several social media posts this […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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This 2020/21 Season Could See More Backcountry Recreationists than Ever Before

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Recently, in an open letter, Vail Resorts’ CEO Rob Katz outlined what pass holders could expect in terms of Covid-19 safety precautions for this upcoming season. Of the policies outlined, Katz stated that reservations would be required for all guests before arriving at the resort. According to Katz, he noted that “everyone who wants to get on resort chairlifts will […]
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Spencer Cox |
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Fund Started to Create Avalanche Education Scholarship In Honor of Backcountry Rider Killed This Season

The Trace Carillo #dreamachieve Scholarship is seeking donations for the creation of an endowed scholarship to make avalanche education and training more accessible to those with financial need. Avalanche education is a key bridge that must be crossed in the path to becoming an experienced backcountry skier. Avalanche courses serve to better the skiing community by ensuring that every skier […]
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VIDEO: Know Before You Go | “With Great Freedom Comes Great Responsibility”

With the freedom of the backcountry comes responsibility. This social responsibility in avalanche terrain is paramount as backcountry use explodes. In this video, we'll outline three key factors that are imperative to protect ourselves as well as the access we have to backcountry terrain. Utah Avalanche Center Teton Gravity Research #KnowBeforeYouGo Posted by Know Before You Go on Tuesday, February […]
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AvyBrains |
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Avalanche Education Center Directory | Every Avy Class in the USA:

Avalanche safety training can mean the difference between life and death in the backcountry. From safe travel, avalanche terrain recognition, and snowpack layering to basic stability testing and companion rescue, there’s a lot to learn about backcountry avalanche risk. Before you’re ready to send it, check out Freeskiier’s list of local avalanche course centers to find one near you. This directory is presented by Arva Snow Safety Equipment. Arva has been designing avalanche safety equipment for over twenty-five years, and is consistently working with mountain patrollers and rescuers to […]
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ameliatraynor |
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“How Avalanches Kill People” | by National Geographic

Cartoon avalanches start with a snowball merrily rolling downhill, picking up more snow as it travels. That’s not how it really works, say avalanche experts, which explains the deadly results of recent avalanches that caught hikers off guard in Nepal. “Avalanches are a crazy thing,” says Karl Birkeland, director of the U.S. Forest Service National Avalanche Center in Bozeman, Montana. “They are natural disasters that we can trigger ourselves.” In Nepal, blizzard-driven avalanches have been blamed for the death of hikers on the […]
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Take This Avalanche Terrain Crash Course Now:

Avalanche terrain awareness map

Outside Magazine just published this great avalanche terrain map. The text below corresponds to the numbers and locations in the image above and helps to identify hazards and safe zones in avalanche terrain. The image, numbers, and text together create a great crash course in how to ascend and descend avalanche terrain. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK by Outside Magazine 1. Wind can displace tremendous amounts of snow, in some cases affecting the nature of the snowpack much more than a new storm. Wind-loaded slopes can be dangerous, while wind-eroded slopes are […]
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Knowledge is Power in Avalanche Terrain:

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In North America, about 30 people die in avalanches each year. We all need the knowledge to avoid getting into these avalanches and becoming another statistic. The Utah Avalanche Center’s Trent Meisenheimer and Craig Gordon wrote this article on December 5th, 2013. It’s a great piece that we can all learn a lot from. It’s not a mystery that avalanche professionals like Bruce Tremper (Utah Avalanche Center) or Dr. Bruce Jamieson (Avalanche Researcher) can create life-long careers in backcountry avalanche terrain, and they’ve been doing this longer than some of us have been alive. Are they really just that LUCKY, or is it […]
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