Whether you’re on a split-snowboard,
touring skis, alpine trekkers, telemark skis, or snowshoes, this
article is going to share some of the rules of backcountry touring. I’m
going to give you some credit, and assume that as a responsible
individual you will choose to educate yourself before venturing out
into avalanche terrain.
PREPARATION
First, you should have taken an avalanche course, or at the very least
studied a copy of Bruce Tremper’s book, Staying Alive in Avalanche
Terrain or Snow Sense by Jill Fredston and Doug Fessler. There is a
certain learning-by-doing element to the backcountry, but at the very
minimum you should have a good understanding of traveling safely in
avalanche terrain and a working knowledge of avalanche beacons,
shovels, and probes. Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask questions. A
good partner is someone who is strong, enthusiastic, willing to learn
and not afraid to turn back.
Secondly,
be in shape. Being tired and reckless in the backcountry is a bigger
liability than at the resort. For starters, try an hour on the
Stairmaster at the gym. A good rule of thumb: if you can hike to the
top of the resort and ski or board back down, you should be ok for a
short tour.
Learn
about where you’re going, and be sure it’s right for you. Be patient
and honest about your abilities. If you don’t feel comfortable skiing
something, then go another day.
GEAR
There are plenty of publications out there to advise you on gear, since
this article is aimed at sharing unwritten rules we’ll keep this short.
Whatever your mode of transportation, there should be heel lifters on
the bindings that act like high heals, shortening your step for
skinning uphill. It’s a good idea to try them out in the living room
before you get out on the snow. If you’ve got brand new climbing
skins—a removable adhesive layer for the bottom of your skis with a
one-way nap that grabs snow one way and glides the other.
Remember
to carry enough fuel, fluids and insulation. If you eat a lot, bring a
lot. Carry extra gloves or mittens and dress in layers. Avoid cotton
unless you like soggy underwear. Pack sunglasses and sunscreen along
with a first aid kit. Some other important items include athletic or
duct tape, a multi-purpose tool, spare wire and extra binding parts,
headlamp, extra batteries, map, and a compass or GPS along with a
beacon, shovel and probe.
HYDRATION
Try
some sort of hydration pouch for easy access to water. This works great
if the temps are above freezing. To prevent the tube from freezing in
colder temps you can either make sure to always blow the liquid back
into the reservoir, or instead, carry an insulated thermos. If the tube
does freeze, curl it up in your pack against your back and your body
heat will thaw it out.
URINATION
Figure out how you’re going to pee out there. For men it’s not too
tough: unzip and let it fly. For women it gets a little more
complicated. Get drop-seat pants and get over your fear of peeing in
front of people. The bibs have a front to back zipper and the
coordinating long underwear is a “split p” design. A couple of other
companies make pants with a butt zipper or a drop seat design that
works well but you’ve still got to squat.
Some women use a fake penis called the Lady J. I’ve never seen one in
action but hear they work well for peeing in a bottle and for writing
your name in the snow. Whatever your strategy, come prepared with all
the tools you’ll need, and the resources to ship out any garbage.
THE DAY
Be on time, with your gear sorted and ready to go. All you should need
to do is put on your boots, affix your skins, click in and start
skinning. But before you run up the hill check that everyone’s beacons
work and make sure the intended route is through safe terrain. Check
www.sais.gov.uk
for
current avalanche forecast and www.mwis.org.uk for current weather
information. Have a plan for how long you’ll be out, and let someone
know when you should be home.
Now
you’re off. For safety reasons, spread out on the trail (commonly
referred to as the skin track). This will also ensure that you stay off
the tails of the person in front of you. If for some reason you’re boot
packing please don’t do it in the skin track.
When
you start hiking, cool off without having to stop: Shove your hat and
gloves in the waist belt of your pack; unzip pant legs and pit zips. Be
terrain aware: because they are avalanche prone, wide-open bowls are
rarely the best place to stop to adjust your skins, get a drink, or
strip off a layer.
At
the top of your hike, it’s time to get sorted for the descent. Ridgetop
winds can chill to the bone quickly. You’ll be really glad that you
packed a puffy coat and lugged along a thermos of hot tea. Put some
snacks (energy bars, gels or homemade cookies) in an inside pocket to
keep them from freezing so you have something to munch on while
enjoying the view.
Take
care of your climbing skins. Do your best to keep them clean; snow or
dirt mired in the sticky severely affects how well they stay on. If
you’re doing laps, wipe the snow crystals off the bottom of your skis
before putting the skins on, and stash them in your coat. So they don't
start freezing.
Now it’s time to do what you came for. Before dropping in, remember a few important rules:
1 Always plan an escape route before you drop in.
2 Go one at a time and only stop in a safe zone.
3 Stop below the group and never ski directly above people. If the slope goes or you yard sale, they’ll get taken out too.
4
Imagine this scenario: Your partner here's you yelping and assume the
snow’s great. Wrong. It’s actually an “oh my gawd, that’s a huge
avalanche” kind of yelp. Yelling is a way of letting everyone know
about danger.
Finally,
a good attitude and a keen awareness go a long way toward making a good
backcountry partner. Yes, dropping the big fresh lines is a rush, but
take time to pay attention to the details. Watch your partner, the
terrain, the weather, the snow. What you learn may not hit you like a
ton of bricks the first time you go out, but over time the experiences
you have in the backcountry combined with your observations will add up
to considerable knowledge.
touring skis, alpine trekkers, telemark skis, or snowshoes, this
article is going to share some of the rules of backcountry touring. I’m
going to give you some credit, and assume that as a responsible
individual you will choose to educate yourself before venturing out
into avalanche terrain.
PREPARATION
First, you should have taken an avalanche course, or at the very least
studied a copy of Bruce Tremper’s book, Staying Alive in Avalanche
Terrain or Snow Sense by Jill Fredston and Doug Fessler. There is a
certain learning-by-doing element to the backcountry, but at the very
minimum you should have a good understanding of traveling safely in
avalanche terrain and a working knowledge of avalanche beacons,
shovels, and probes. Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask questions. A
good partner is someone who is strong, enthusiastic, willing to learn
and not afraid to turn back.
Secondly,
be in shape. Being tired and reckless in the backcountry is a bigger
liability than at the resort. For starters, try an hour on the
Stairmaster at the gym. A good rule of thumb: if you can hike to the
top of the resort and ski or board back down, you should be ok for a
short tour.
Learn
about where you’re going, and be sure it’s right for you. Be patient
and honest about your abilities. If you don’t feel comfortable skiing
something, then go another day.
GEAR
There are plenty of publications out there to advise you on gear, since
this article is aimed at sharing unwritten rules we’ll keep this short.
Whatever your mode of transportation, there should be heel lifters on
the bindings that act like high heals, shortening your step for
skinning uphill. It’s a good idea to try them out in the living room
before you get out on the snow. If you’ve got brand new climbing
skins—a removable adhesive layer for the bottom of your skis with a
one-way nap that grabs snow one way and glides the other.
Remember
to carry enough fuel, fluids and insulation. If you eat a lot, bring a
lot. Carry extra gloves or mittens and dress in layers. Avoid cotton
unless you like soggy underwear. Pack sunglasses and sunscreen along
with a first aid kit. Some other important items include athletic or
duct tape, a multi-purpose tool, spare wire and extra binding parts,
headlamp, extra batteries, map, and a compass or GPS along with a
beacon, shovel and probe.
HYDRATION
Try
some sort of hydration pouch for easy access to water. This works great
if the temps are above freezing. To prevent the tube from freezing in
colder temps you can either make sure to always blow the liquid back
into the reservoir, or instead, carry an insulated thermos. If the tube
does freeze, curl it up in your pack against your back and your body
heat will thaw it out.
URINATION
Figure out how you’re going to pee out there. For men it’s not too
tough: unzip and let it fly. For women it gets a little more
complicated. Get drop-seat pants and get over your fear of peeing in
front of people. The bibs have a front to back zipper and the
coordinating long underwear is a “split p” design. A couple of other
companies make pants with a butt zipper or a drop seat design that
works well but you’ve still got to squat.
Some women use a fake penis called the Lady J. I’ve never seen one in
action but hear they work well for peeing in a bottle and for writing
your name in the snow. Whatever your strategy, come prepared with all
the tools you’ll need, and the resources to ship out any garbage.
THE DAY
Be on time, with your gear sorted and ready to go. All you should need
to do is put on your boots, affix your skins, click in and start
skinning. But before you run up the hill check that everyone’s beacons
work and make sure the intended route is through safe terrain. Check
www.sais.gov.uk
for
current avalanche forecast and www.mwis.org.uk for current weather
information. Have a plan for how long you’ll be out, and let someone
know when you should be home.
Now
you’re off. For safety reasons, spread out on the trail (commonly
referred to as the skin track). This will also ensure that you stay off
the tails of the person in front of you. If for some reason you’re boot
packing please don’t do it in the skin track.
When
you start hiking, cool off without having to stop: Shove your hat and
gloves in the waist belt of your pack; unzip pant legs and pit zips. Be
terrain aware: because they are avalanche prone, wide-open bowls are
rarely the best place to stop to adjust your skins, get a drink, or
strip off a layer.
At
the top of your hike, it’s time to get sorted for the descent. Ridgetop
winds can chill to the bone quickly. You’ll be really glad that you
packed a puffy coat and lugged along a thermos of hot tea. Put some
snacks (energy bars, gels or homemade cookies) in an inside pocket to
keep them from freezing so you have something to munch on while
enjoying the view.
Take
care of your climbing skins. Do your best to keep them clean; snow or
dirt mired in the sticky severely affects how well they stay on. If
you’re doing laps, wipe the snow crystals off the bottom of your skis
before putting the skins on, and stash them in your coat. So they don't
start freezing.
Now it’s time to do what you came for. Before dropping in, remember a few important rules:
1 Always plan an escape route before you drop in.
2 Go one at a time and only stop in a safe zone.
3 Stop below the group and never ski directly above people. If the slope goes or you yard sale, they’ll get taken out too.
4
Imagine this scenario: Your partner here's you yelping and assume the
snow’s great. Wrong. It’s actually an “oh my gawd, that’s a huge
avalanche” kind of yelp. Yelling is a way of letting everyone know
about danger.
Finally,
a good attitude and a keen awareness go a long way toward making a good
backcountry partner. Yes, dropping the big fresh lines is a rush, but
take time to pay attention to the details. Watch your partner, the
terrain, the weather, the snow. What you learn may not hit you like a
ton of bricks the first time you go out, but over time the experiences
you have in the backcountry combined with your observations will add up
to considerable knowledge.
