Any time you ski out of bounds, sidecountry or back, youre playing a game of Russian roulette.
The question is are you playing with 6 chambers or 6 billion?
Below are five takeaways from the course through the lens of a passionate newcomer to the backcountry.
Rescue equipment requires constant practice
Beacon, shovel, probe.
What if the person buried is your best friend or loved one?
A cubic meter of snow can weigh upwards of 2,000 pounds- that takes a lot of energy to excavate.
The bottom line is that you gotta trust your backcountry companions with your life.
If shit goes sideways do they have the skills to keep your life?
Other important factors to consider are the level of risk youre comfortable taking, fitness, and skier ability.
Having expectations to compare against field observations will develop snowpack understanding over time.
So wake up, put on a pot of coffee, and check in on your avalanche conditions.
Turns out this wasnt a reasonable expectation.
Instead, my instructor’s answer to the majority of my questions was, it depends.
Understanding that there is no such thing as zero risk when traveling in the backcountry is important.
Instead- its about maximizing the number of chambers.
