Do Backcountry Skiers Need Avalanche Beacons?

The short answer? Yes. Backcountry skiing is no joke. People who enjoy backcountry skiing tend to be more adventurous types who can handle the idea that their risk puts them in some amount of danger. There’s really no way to erase the daily risks we take in life, so there’s nothing really inherently wrong with seeking a little adventure. It would be silly, however, not to optimize your safety and reduce the dangerous risks as much as possible so that you can enjoy both safety and adventure at the same time.

For that reason, it makes sense to carry an avalanche beacon with you on an excursion to the backcountry for skiing. Not only do you want to carry an avalanche beacon with you every trip, but you’ll want some additional gear as well: an avalanche shovel, a probe, an avalung, and avalanche airbag. (Note: an avalanche airbag is not necessarily required, but it is highly recommended by backcountry skiers. Though expensive, they carry a lot of safety benefits that you’ll want to check out.) It will also help to make sure that you always go backcountry skiing with someone experienced to handle the adverse conditions.

It helps to understand what makes avalanches so dangerous. Similar to the power of the ocean, you don’t realize how powerful snow can be until it has you in its grasp. Snow can trap and suffocate, and that’s definitely not what you want to happen. It’s easy to rationalize that you can always climb out of an avalanche, but you’ll have to ask yourself how other people who died in avalanches failed to do so. That’s why it’s so important to carry an avalanche beacon with you: if worst comes to worst, you can activate it in order to signal for help.

While it’s important to prepare for the worst, it’s also important to remember that prevention will be vital for your safety as well. Staying safe out in the backcountry isn’t only about the equipment you bring, but the attitude and experience you have. You have to be adequately trained to handle the backcountry, and you have to understand the behaviors that put you at certain risks so that you’ll be able to avoid them.

According to the Colorado avalanche Information Center, the 2008-2009 season saw 27 avalanche-related fatalities in the U.S. You can check out a telling graph that displays how these numbers are increasing. Don’t turn into one of those statistics.

Photo Credits: Guttorm Flatabø

Originally posted 2010-01-07 03:32:00.

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adventurous types, avalanche airbag, avalanche beacon, avalanche shovel, backcountry skiers, excursion, prevention, risk, safety benefits, skiing, suffocate

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Posted by Ski Snowboarder on July 11, 2010 in ski basics, ski gear, ski safety. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.