Welcome to Safety Week 2021

Every year here at TGR we are proud to present our annual collection of snow safety resources in the form of Safety Week. This year our focus on safety comes with special importance due to the massive growth of backcountry users and an incredibly unstable snowpack across much of the west. With the challenges we all faced in 2020, we must say it’s pretty amazing to see how many of us have embraced the wonder of the mountains, but that brings a special new set of challenges for everyone, both veteran professionals and first-time recreationalists. With hospitals still overwhelmed by the ongoing pandemic, this is a year where we all need to approach the mountains with an extra bit of safety, be a little more conservative with our decision making, and be respectful of all the new travelers around us. TGR athletes and crew take safety very seriously, convening every December to practice our skills during the International Pro Rider Workshop, a gathering of some of the best minds in the field of mountain safety. This year, despite COVID-19 and other challenges, we were still able to put on clinics for our team thanks to our friends at Mammut and Somewear Labs.

Throughout the next week, you’ll find a library of content on 
tetongravity.com entirely focused on snow and avalanche science, decision making in the mountains, the latest in safety gear, rescue skills, and some incredible stories of accidents and close calls. Our hope is for you, our audience, to learn something from all this, and better your ability to stay safe this winter.

While this content is meant for you to learn from, none of this is a substitute for formal avalanche training, so we urge you to take a course from a mountain guide or a reputable provider like AIARE or the American Avalanche Institute if you aren’t up to date on your skills. Even if you are, there’s always more to learn.