Backcountry skiing Instagram is the pits, literally.
There are so many stories of skiers digging pits and slapping snow posted every day all winter.
But Im not convinced.
Realistic companion rescue practice sucks.
Its hard, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
I know a lot of people who brag about how many pits they dig each time they go out.
Companion rescue is not.
Thats how teaching introductory classes works.
So theyre not trying to create a stressful and realistic training situation.
In real life, being part of an avalanche rescue really sucks.
And they rarely happen when were at our best mental and physically.
They happen when were already stressed, cold and tired.
Equipment management becomes a very big deal, as does efficient backcountry travel.
So get good at using your touring gear.
Know exactly where your shovel and probe are in your pack.
Practice with your beacon, a lot.
Chill backyard searches are fine, but focus on the entire process.
Many of us come out of our Avy 1 classes enraptured with our instructors, enamored with their knowledge.
And undoubtedly its part of being one.
But theres a lot more happening behind the scenes.
I know because Ive done it.
And thats a technical skill that takes a long time to acquire.
Many, many times.
Digging pits can easily help us create a false expert halo around ourselves or our parties.
In contrast, doing realistic companion rescue training does the opposite.
It makes us feel small and stressed and shitty.
It brings the potential consequences of poor decisions into high definition, and highlights our weaknesses.
Digging a pit in the backcountry makes me feel more confident in skiing in avalanche terrain.
Spending an hour practicing strategic shoveling in a plow pile does the opposite.
It doesnt matter if you dont remember which symbol stands for facets in your diagram.
The stakes just dont feel that high when youre in a pit.
In contrast, realistic companion rescue sucks because its emotionally intense.
Standing in a pit makes me feel wise and strong.
Digging pits makes me want to get rowdy.
Doing companion rescue makes me want to move somewhere with palm trees.
Instead, I can only use that data to rule out an aspect or elevation.
For me, at my current level of knowledge, a pit can only say no, never yes.
And for many skiers, its easy to soothe any worries we might have by diving into snowpack analysis.
Thats great, learn more about snow and what makes it move.
If the worst does happen, nobody will care what your ECT was.
