After six months of no sledding, we’re all eager to hit the hills and smash some powder, but before we go, the people at Avalanche Canada (AC) want us to do four things:
- Get the gear.
- Get the training.
- Get the app.
- Read the forecast.
That was the gist of a free two-hour presentation that took place at College of the Rockies in Cranbrook, B.C., on November 20, 2014. It was designed for any and all backcountry enthusiasts, but with three-quarters of the 69 people in attendance being sledders, Grant Helgeson was able to tailor his talk to us motorheads.
Helgeson, who hails from Revelstoke, is a public avalanche forecaster for AC, not to mention an avid sledder and skier. He spoke passionately about playing in the backcountry and highlighted the importance of being prepared and using the tools that are available to us—many of which are free, thanks to AC.
The non-profit organization that represents avalanche professionals working in Canada just launched a brand new website, complete with an overview map that makes finding the right backcountry avalanche forecast for the area you are heading into much easier.
Helgeson also spoke about AC’s new Mountain Information Network, which will let anyone upload their photos and avalanche observations onto the web map. The goal is to gather more data to make the forecasts as accurate as possible.
On the same day (November 22) that the centre unveiled its new website, AC also released an updated version of its smartphone app, and it too, is more interactive and user-friendly.
Preparedness when heading into the mountains is important, but even the best-laid plans can easily go awry. The other key to avalanche safety is to make sound, educated decisions when we’re out there—which can be tough. Helgeson talked about the human factors, such as familiarity and social facilitation, and how they can affect our decision-making.
It’s really all about knowing what training and tools are out there, and then learning how to take full advantage of them this winter. For myself and my riding partner, the Backcountry Avalanche Workshop (BAW) in Cranbrook was a good pre-season refresher.
Other B.C. stops on AC’s BAW tour in November included Rossland and North Vancouver.
For more information, visit the website. You can also follow AC on Twitter and Facebook for updates.
