VIDEO: CAIC Warns Us That Wet Avalanches Are Still Possible as the Snow Melts View this post on Instagram A post shared by Colorado Avalanche Info Center (@coavalancheinfo) With the transition to summer activities well underway, avalanches might not be your first concern but should not be overlooked. Reports over the last few days remind us that wet avalanches are possible on and below steep slopes that hold snow in alpine areas. […] Avalanche AvyBrains | June 10, 2021 0 Comments
Skier and Mountaineer Killed in Separate Avalanches Yesterday in Mont Blanc Massif, France There was tragedy on Wednesday in the Mont Blanc Massif, France, on a day that should have been a celebration. On the day that the Aiguille du Midi gondola reopened after seven months closed, two men were killed in separate avalanches. Both avalanches were in the Cosmiques corridor, which had seen abundant snowfall in recent days, and Wednesday brought a short […] Avalanche AvyBrains | May 21, 2021 1 Comment
5 Skiers Killed in 2 Separate Avalanches in the French Alps Near La Grave Yesterday Three men and two women were killed in two separate avalanches in the French Alps yesterday, local media is reporting. Three backcountry skiers in a couloir leading to the Grande Ruine above the Adèle Planchard refuge in the community of Villar-d’Arêne in the Haute Alps, near La Grave, were carried over 1,300-feet by an avalanche triggered just below 12,500-feet at 10:30 […] Avalanche AvyBrains | May 4, 2021 0 Comments
Backcountry Safety Basics Part 4: Avalanche Forecasts [arve url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vh05bNGaXM"] Clay Malott | February 11, 2021 Likes Tweets 0 Comments
Backcountry Safety 101: Understanding Avalanche Terrain Brought to you by SCARPA Avalanches are not a force to be reckoned with. However, with proper backcountry habits, avalanche risk can be minimized. Related: Backcountry Safety Basics Part 5: Conclusion The diagram below is known as the avalanche triangle. To trigger an avalanche, you need all three things. The snowpack needs to be unstable and the location needs to […] Avalanche Clay Malott | February 8, 2021 0 Comments
‘SCARPA Backcountry Week’ = February 8-15: Avalanche Safety, Backcountry Gear Tutorials, Skin Track Trips, and More Brought to you by SCARPA SnowBrains’ Backcountry Week is upon us. Well, nearly—it starts on Feb. 8 and lasts through the 15th. And it’s going to be awesome. You guessed it: Backcountry Week means a full week of non-stop backcountry skiing and splitboarding-oriented articles about how to do anything and everything backcountry. This includes but won’t be limited to: How […] Backcountry SnowBrains | February 2, 2021 0 Comments
Crested Butte, CO Backcountry Report: Deep, Dry, and Perfect Powder Brought to you by 10 Barrel Brewing Report from January 25, 2021 Crested Butte, CO – We skied some of the best powder of our lives today. After a long dry spell, conditions have significantly improved and we went to be the first to get the goods. We set our objective high—skiing the north face of Carbon Peak. Carbon Peak […] Conditions Report Dominic Gawel | January 26, 2021 1 Comment
Chief of Swiss Mountain Guide Association Says COVID-19 Lockdown to Blame for Spike in Avalanche Deaths 14 people have died in avalanches in Switzerland this winter. Eight of those deaths were in the last weekend alone. Switzerland averages eight avalanche fatalities every winter. Related: VIDEO: Intense Rescue of Jones Snowboards Rider Buried 3-Feet Deep After Avalanche in Tahoe Backcountry The Swiss Moutain Guide Association’s chief Pierre Mathey believes that COVID-19 lockdown has something to do with […] Avalanche Martin Kuprianowicz | January 22, 2021 41 Comments
Mt. Emmons, CO Backcountry Report: Exposed Ridge, Powder, and Sun Brought to you by 10 Barrel Brewing Report from Monday, January 11, 2021 A frigid cold morning turned into a warm and sunny day skiing Mt. Emmons. Mt. Emmons, also known as the Red Lady, is one of the classic ski descents in Crested Butte, CO sitting at 12,343′. There are two ways to ascend Mt. Emmons in the winter: […] Conditions Report Dominic Gawel | January 12, 2021 2 Comments
Colorado Snowpack Weakest Since 2012 | CAIC Issues Special Avalanche Warning For Backcountry Skiers Since Friday, three Coloradans lost their lives in avalanche accidents, and 132 avalanches were reported. People triggered one-hundred-and-eight avalanches in the last week. More people die in Colorado’s avalanches than in any other state, and this year conditions are especially dangerous. Related: This Weekend Colorado Saw 121 Avalanches, 42 Triggered by Humans, and 3 Deaths This is not the landscape-changing […] Avalanche AvyBrains | December 22, 2020 0 Comments
This Weekend Colorado Saw 121 Avalanches, 42 Triggered by Humans, and 3 Deaths Hundreds of avalanches have been reported in the mountains of Colorado already this season, claiming the lives of three people. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) is already reporting 436 avalanches since September, an increase over the 410 reported at the same time last year. Avalanche centers and search and rescue crews are anticipating a busy season in the backcountry […] Avalanche AvyBrains | December 21, 2020 1 Comment
74 Human-Triggered Avalanches in Colorado in 6 Days | Extremely Weak Snowpack For Much of State Right Now View this post on Instagram A post shared by Friends of CAIC (@friendsofcaic) With much of the inter-mountain West being dry in regards to precipitation for the first part of this winter, snow instabilities have formed. The snowpack is weak in a lot of places—and dangerous. Especially in Colorado. Related: The SnowBrains Podcast – Episode #4 – What’s […] Avalanche AvyBrains | December 16, 2020 1 Comment
New This Month: The SnowBrains Avalanche Forecast Tab New this month is our Avalanche Forecast tab, courtesy of Avalanche.org! Avalanche education/awareness is a HUGE component of SnowBrains and now you are only one click away from every avalanche forecast available in the United States. Related: The SnowBrains Podcast – Episode #4 – What’s The #1 Tool Available To Skiers & Riders in Avalanche Terrain? If planning on skiing […] Avalanche AvyBrains | December 15, 2020 0 Comments
Avalanche Safety Class Signups Skyrocketing This Season, Likely Due to Pandemic 2020-2021: The season of the backcountry. COVID is still letting some resorts operate—for now. But like an uncomfortable truth that no one wants to admit, ski areas may shut down again this season if ‘Stay at Home’ orders are reenacted due to surging coronavirus infections. And the skiing world knows this, whether or not it’s openly discussed. Related: California Governor […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | December 3, 2020 0 Comments
Pro Skier Nick McNutt Shares Video Demonstrating Pieps DSP Avalanche Transceiver Concern That Almost Killed Him View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nick McNutt (@nickmcnutt) on Oct 31, 2020 at 1:11pm PDT In recent weeks a social-media firestorm has been set ablaze as several pro skiers and ski industry professionals have come out claiming that the Pieps DSP Pro and DSP sport avalanche transceivers have a fundamental design flaw that is inherently dangerous. […] Industry News SnowBrains | November 3, 2020 3 Comments
Canadian Personal Injury Law Firm Files Class-Action Lawsuit Against Pieps/Black Diamond Pieps DSP Sport and Pro model avalanche transceivers have been blowing up on social media as of late — and not necessarily for all the right reasons. Related: A Deeper Look into the Controversy Behind the Pieps DSP Avalanche Transceiver An ongoing controversy has professional skiers, industry professionals, and backcountry users claiming that the locking mechanism on some Pieps model […] Gear Martin Kuprianowicz | October 28, 2020 1 Comment
Origins: U.S. Avalanche Mitigation In this week’s edition of Origins, we will take a look into the history of how avalanches have been avoided in and out of ski resorts. If you missed last week’s Origins on the Freeride World Tour you can check it out here: Related: Origins: Freeride World Tour Avalanches are extremely dangerous and fatal events. Avoiding them at all costs is […] Avalanche Ryan Flynn | October 9, 2020 1 Comment
Utah Avalanche Center Podcast: “Shame and the Social Contract” Up to 90% of non-fatal avalanches do not get reported. But why? In America, there is a strong culture of shaming when it comes to avalanches. No one wants to admit that they messed up and triggered a dangerous avalanche. Related: What I Learned From Triggering an Avalanche in the Backcountry Last Season In this podcast, Utah Avalanche Center forecaster […] Backcountry AvyBrains | October 8, 2020 0 Comments
Dendrochronology: History From a Tree’s Perspective Dendrochronology is, most simply, the study of tree rings. But why should we care about the rings on a tree that you can usually only see after a tree has been cut down? Leonardo da Vinci was the first person to note that tree’s rings responded to their surrounding climate. After his observation in the early 14th-century dendrochronology progressed slowly as […] Brains Alex Camerino | June 26, 2020 0 Comments
Unpacked Podcast: AIARE Instructor Randall Osterhuber Explores the Science Behind Avalanches and How to Avoid Them During the 2019/2020 ski season, roughly 23 avalanche fatalities were reported. This is just two shy of last season, despite the early closing of all US ski resorts and authorities discouraging risky backcountry travel. In this episode of the Unpacked Podcast, host Justin Zawilinski talks with Randall Osterhuber, a member of Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, AIARE instructor, and seasoned […] Avalanche SnowBrains | May 29, 2020 0 Comments
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