New Backcountry users need education

[Hacksaw]

https://www.vaildaily.com/opinion/mo...eed-education/

[SkiBall]

But I just want to ski like those guys in the movies.

[2_1_3]

Nice letter! Thanks for writing this and getting it out there in print.

Question that probably will be raised by some, which I imagine is also a hot topic within AAA and other education circles right now: "How will avy education be administered during the pandemic this season, especially across varying jurisdictions with differing guidance/rules for gatherings?" I can't imagine virtual seminars/courses would have even close to the same value/knowledge transfer as in-person courses for myriad reasons...


Couple typo notes (in case the paper will let you fix them): start of the fourth paragraph: 201-20 season missing the "9". "Safer" should be "safe" in final sentence?

[fuac]

Some avalanche educators are setting up to teach classes this fall using interactive, self-directed online courses to present material usually presented indoors (here is a free one), and then holding field sessions with open air and the ability to distance appropriately. A big concern is that we expect a lot of new backcountry users that are not used to getting an avalanche education or forecast and don't typically follow backcountry news via blogs, social media, forums, etc. In other words, they don't know what they don't know. Maybe we can all pitch in to spread the word among those we see at trailheads and friends that want to try this backcountry thing?
Utah Avalanche Center

[SKIP IN7RO]

[Lone Star]

^^^^ nah we can always just go to log scale.

[anotherVTskibum]

That's an important point, particularly as bad choices by one party that trigger something could adversely affect any other people in the area, but avalanche education is only one part of risk mitigation in backcountry travel. I think we (as experienced backcountry travelers) should be doing our best to remind people that it ain't a mall, and there are a lot of skills that come into play in identifying and mitigating (and/or making an educated choice to accept) risk.

Avalanche risk—while significant in some regions—is only one of many types of risk exposure, and being able to mitigate that risk requires more-basic skill sets (backcountry route-finding to avoid incidents, first aid to deal with trauma if an incident occurs) that, while often acquired organically by people who play in the backcountry, may not be present in people who just bought a touring setup and are out to skin because they got shut out of their favorite ski area's daily lottery. It's also relatively easy to avoid avalanche risk via terrain choice, while certain other risks (particularly exposure/hypothermia in the event of injury, gear failure, or getting lost) are ever-present.

[new yabyum]

Some avalanche educators are setting up to teach classes this fall using interactive, self-directed online courses to present material usually presented indoors (here is a free one), and then holding field sessions with open open air and the ability to distance appropriately. A big concern is that we expect a lot of new backcountry users that are not used to getting an avalanche education or forecast and don't typically follow backcountry news via blogs, social media, forums, etc. In other words, they don't know what they don't know. Maybe we can all pitch in to spread the word among those we see at trailheads and friends that want to try this backcountry thing?
Utah Avalanche Center

The know before you go class is very well put together and free and can be done on your own time. Super resource.

[BaileyStrahan]

Very cool, thanks for the offer, Hacksaw! I like that kind of stuff, I read about it a lot, I even regularly re-listen or watch it. I know how difficult it is to create, write quality materials, but https://edusson.com/write-my-argumentative-essay often helps me, because there are informative and very useful reviews on quality services for writing such argumentative works, for a university, work, own blog or forum, try it.

[myles long]

Here is one version of the virtual and field courses. Looks like they are going to release virtual content a month ahead of time, do a few zoom sessions and 2 days in the field. I kinda Iike the idea b/c its a little more time in the field and fits my schedule pretty well: https://alpenglowexpeditions.com/blo...es-go-digital/

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[whyturn]

Know before you go


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