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When are you ready for backcountry?

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mozzy
Posts: 1034 - Karma: 60
General question- for those of you who do venture out-of-bounds, what's a good foundation to start?

I've done some hikes the foolish way in the past, luckily without any consequences.

I took a basic weekend avalanche course offered at ASI, although it was mostly classroom stuff with just a short practice bit. Also, I've played around with mock searches, but am certainly not proficient by any means.


So where does one begin?


Sep 4 2009 8:09AM
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AA-Shred
Posts: 131 - Karma: -6
find experienced people to take you out.
Sep 4 2009 8:27AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
it depends on who you take with you, even if you have avvy gear, adapt the terrain to the people...
+also think about this: your own equipment and skills wont save you when you're in an avalanche; its the equipment from your friends...
When you're not very experienced,
allways go out from the worst case scenario: if an avalanche happens and it drags you down, what happens?
will you almost certainly die or is there a clear run-out, without trees or rocks into an open field?
if you get buried, do you think your friends will be able to find you on this slope, is it easily accessible in the event of an accident?

thats what you should consider when you don't know much about avalanches; allways expect one to happpen...

and i myself wouldnt go outbounds if avvy level is above 3....
Sep 4 2009 8:46AM
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Get.Kronk
Posts: 2543 - Karma: 226
You shouln't go out without at least a level 1 avy training course, and you WILL NOT go out without a beacon, shovel and probe. EVER
Sep 4 2009 9:00AM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216
Find more experienced people, learn from them. Only way to do it.
Sep 4 2009 9:06AM
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yewwwwwww
Posts: 182 - Karma: 46

definately do your level 1. I did mine last season in whistler and it opened my mind to how foolish i'd been the season before. And it sound like you've done the same stuff as me. I bet the convo went "hey that looks epic lets hike it" to be met with general approval. Once you do your course you'll sit there and wonder how the hell your still alive.

The tricky thing is finding people to go out with. I've been extremely lucky with the friends I made in my first season, a family thats been in whistler for like 30 years. Their unlce is 50, smokes more weed and shreds hard than anyone i've seen. So places like hasumi, corona, doa, dogleg were thier standard lines and they know the place like the back of thier hand. The knowlegde you gain by just listening to the converstion while your struggling to keep up on the skin track is invaluable.

If you don't have people like that to tag along with, don't be detered. You just have to be really aware of your knowledge and experience. And since your starting out the more knowledge you have the better. Its easy to get carried away when your out there, use your avalutor (you'll get it in the course) and ask yourself the questions. If your getting red flags then you'll have to ask yourself if is worth your life.

Sep 4 2009 9:37AM
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-_-Johnny-_-
Posts: 480 - Karma: 39
If you're inexperienced in the backcountry just get out there and try it out. The only way to gain experience. I to, as some people said above me, started out skiing without any avalanche gear at all. from when I was 12 to 15. This was just me and a buddy exploring the mountains by ourself. Stupid ye, but avy gear is fucking expensive. Better to actually be in the backcountry than not. What I've realised is that when you're a total noob in the bc the lines you ski are really short and usually pretty flat compared to what you'll ski in a couple of years.

So If you stick to small stuff, like we did for a couple of years you're not completely safe but it's better to not ski at all.

If you have the money, buy avy gear. It's saved my and plenty of my friends lives a bunch of times.

What I'm saying is that it's better to get out there than not. I mean fuck, chances are you'll die driving to the mountain anyways
Sep 4 2009 10:48AM
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EastCoast315
Posts: 3136 - Karma: 137
wow this shits all really intense
on the east coast, there arent avy's so we just fuckin ride anything
Sep 4 2009 10:54AM
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SteezeBall
Posts: 350 - Karma: 12
word to that. and dont buy a beacon/probe/shovel unless you actually know how to use them. if not, get certified.
Sep 4 2009 11:08AM
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SteezeBall
Posts: 350 - Karma: 12
Take exactly what dude said, and do the opposite... Im surprised darwin hasnt picked this one off yet.
Sep 4 2009 11:10AM
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jriley
Posts: 197 - Karma: 16
I suggest reading "staying alive in avalanche terrain", taking an avy level 1 class w/some friends, buying all the necessary gear (beacon, shovel, probe), and practicing rescue situations.  Learn the terrain you'll be going out into w/tools like topos or google earth works well for me, personally.  If you know someone w/more experience w/the terrain or avy's then pick there brain to learn anything you can.  It's a long learning process, but slowly you can become more and more confident and have more and more fun. 
Sep 4 2009 11:24AM
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jriley
Posts: 197 - Karma: 16
one more thing, make sure you have a good partner, and be a good partner.  that might be the most important thing once you have the basic knowledge
Sep 4 2009 11:25AM
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h_bar
Posts: 1611 - Karma: 506
backflip.
Sep 4 2009 11:30AM
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TGdude
Posts: 290 - Karma: 10
tell me about it... 
Sep 4 2009 11:38AM
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InfernoHits
Posts: 4755 - Karma: 192
most areas that are prone to avalanches have things called 'avalanche park.' Out here in Utah, we have two, I believe one near the canyons and one up in big cottonwood. I forget I havent been since really early last year. But they have multiple beacons buried there and it is an awesome place to learn how to use and to practice with the beacon. They really aren;t as easy to use as they seem. Definitely go to a place like that and practice and time yourself. Remember, 15 minutes is all you have before your friends are dead.
Sep 4 2009 11:40AM
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coolhandluke
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 153
i heard you just read a thread on NS full of random tidbits of info
Sep 4 2009 12:10PM
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cobra_commander
Posts: 16909 - Karma: 4,682
When you will look at the best face you could ever imagine skiing, and be willing to turn around due to a small stability issue.

When you can say no you are ready.
Sep 4 2009 12:37PM
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SteezeBall
Posts: 350 - Karma: 12
worrrdd to that.
Sep 4 2009 1:07PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
hahaha thats my favorite stuff to ski
Sep 4 2009 1:11PM
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lainekras
Posts: 140 - Karma: 10
really? if you dont have avy gear DONT GO. this is terrible advice ^
Sep 4 2009 9:02PM
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TheUngroomed
Posts: 1251 - Karma: 335
beasty
Sep 4 2009 9:55PM
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Davy.Crockett
Posts: 5373 - Karma: 323
in terrain like this would you need a probe and classes?
Sep 4 2009 11:21PM
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EastCoast315
Posts: 3136 - Karma: 137
Slow... clap...
Damn brother, youve got the knowledge
Sep 5 2009 10:02AM
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-_-Johnny-_-
Posts: 480 - Karma: 39
not saying don't use avy gear and take courses.He should. But fuck, 30 degrees is pretty steep (how steep it needs to be for avalanches), just stick to chill terrain wich I bet he'll do anyways seeing he's a beginner. Just get out there

Not knowing anything about you I won't make any assumtions about your experience or intelligence level from what you're saying about Darwin and me. However I know I can handle my own in the bc, I've been involved with or in plenty of avalanches and know what to do if one occurs and how to avoid them.
Sep 6 2009 1:12PM
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smuggs
Posts: 6561 - Karma: 1,373
u can be like the jibbers in utah and build a booter right in a massive avalanche gulch in grizz because the terrain is perfect for a jump and just throw caution to the wind.


Sep 6 2009 1:46PM
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djty111
Posts: 1103 - Karma: 94

Get and read "The Avalanche Handbook" at least a few times. I have read it twice and still could not absorb everything.  The book covers just about all topics related to snow saftey and is used to teach patrollers. Great partners are very valuable.

Sep 6 2009 1:54PM
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smuggs
Posts: 6561 - Karma: 1,373
another tip to avoid avalanches is just to ski terrain thats 50 degrees and steeper (ideally over 55), snow has a harder time sticking to this (so will you) and forming layers. unfortuneately though slopes arent usually 50 degrees plus the whole time, and this line is barry steep then a big air to a 35 degree slope.....


Click for larger image

Sep 6 2009 2:01PM
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THUGwife
Posts: 1909 - Karma: 301
haha in new zealand they had ads saying ''ski a blue run...? .....HELISKIING!!11!''
Sep 6 2009 2:04PM
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-_-Johnny-_-
Posts: 480 - Karma: 39
Don't have any certs. This will be my 6th season skiing with fixed bindings in the BC but I've been hiking in the mountains my whole life both in summer and winter with what we call "mountain skis" here in Norway. I've done small scale rescue and once been part of a larger search team (red cross operation). Done a bunch of courses, we have them at school here. Everyone has to do them. I do ski with a probe, beacon and shovel. I do know how to use all the equipment and I know how to check the snows different layers, take wind etc into account. I know how to be safe in the BC. And that that's important.

What I'm saying is, if you do not have all the experience, equipment and courses you can still have fun in the BC. It's not a lava sea where if you venture in without your lava suit on and a bunch of courses on how to use it you'll die. Just get out there, you're ready when you want to ski pow or just enjoy unspoilt nature
Sep 6 2009 3:34PM
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