avalanche safety articles from Off-Piste Magazine. Making wise terrain choices, understanding the avalanche forecast, latest avalanche safety gear reviews. Advice from professional mountain guides about route planning, communication and on-the-fly snow stability evaluation
I like to start a day of touring with an innocent-sounding question; “Anyone know what the hazard is rated today?” This question is a very effective way to begin a conversation with your touring partners about the current avalanche conditions. I like to follow it up with something like, “Considerable, eh? What’s our main concern?” Now, with a discussion about… Read More
Avalanche Safety – Communication in the Backcountry With ski season comes avalanche season. It’s time to review the practices, communication, behavior and interactions with your ski partners from last season – take an honest and critical look at how the memories measure up on the safety front – think about the days you pushed the comfort zone and the days… Read More
Weak Layers A low-tech approach to identifying common avalanche culprits – by Larry Goldie Believe it or not, regardless of what triggers an avalanche, every avalanche has one thing in common: they all fail on a weak layer of snow. Personally, I would much rather be out skiing than standing around in snowpits looking at snow crystals and analyzing weak layers…. Read More
Avalanche Safety – Keep it Simple NSAW, the Northwest Snow and Avalanche Workshop, was held in late October. As usual, the event was excellent and is a great way to jump start your avalanche safety brain for the season. NWAC recorded all of the presentations this year and recently posted them on their YouTube channel. All of the presentations are high… Read More
Avalanche Beacon 101 If you’re in the market for an avalanche beacon (avalanche transceivers), today’s units are incredibly proficient search tools. Digital signal processing and directional guidance are all standard fare. We handed a collection of the latest avalanche beacons to rank novices with no tips or directions beyond how to switch to search mode. Search results for a single… Read More
As winter transitions to spring, changes in the snowpack can take place at an alarming rate, catching even the most experienced skiers off guard. Spring avalanche hazard is every bit as important as winter. By the time March rolls around, the sun is significantly higher in the sky than it has been all winter. This increased sun angle can add… Read More
What’s Your System? Managing Your Human Factor – Joe Stock I’ve never been caught in avalanche. Maybe it’s because I’m good at mountain travel. Maybe it’s because I maintain a healthy margin for error. Maybe it’s luck. In any case, I work hard to avoid avalanches. I’m in the snowy mountains most of winter. The odds are against me. One of the… Read More
We’ve been practicing with an assortment of current model avalanche beacons for an upcoming article in the print magazine. The bulk of our testing has focused on mid-level beacons aimed at solid recreational users like the BCA Tracker 3, Barryvox Element, Ortovox 3+ and Pieps DSP Sport. All of these avalanche beacons feature three-antenna technology and a signal marking function (suppression… Read More
There’s no shortage of books on avalanche safety, and Utah Avalanche Center Director, Bruce Tremper, is the author of one of the best, Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain. One thing books like Staying Alive and others lack, however, is a readability and first person approach that appeals to readers with a less technical background or approach. This readable, first person… Read More
It’s been a wild February and March for avalanche footage and imagery from around the world. There have been many high profile slides around North America and Europe including slides that have hit homes and ski resort infrastructure. In case you have any question as to the destructive potential of an avalanche, here’s a collection of footage from around the… Read More
It’s not always easy to let a favorite piece of old gear go in favor of a replacement, but strapping on the Black Diamond Alias ski pack has been an easy transition this season. Redesigned for 2014, the Black Diamond Alias Ski Pack offers a clean, simple interface reflective of BD’s alpine climbing packs but with key added ski features…. Read More
Tunnel Creek Avalanche The New York Times just launched a very impressive article covering last year’s tragic avalanche incident in Tunnel Creek near Stevens Pass, Washington. The piece offers incredible depth and detail of the day, plus super impressive interactive graphics, including an incredible real-time reenactment of the slide, complete with skier locations that are best viewed on a full-size… Read More
