At October’s International Snow Safety Workshop in Banff, Alberta, Ilari Dammert, Mammut’s electronics product manager, and Edwin Meister, a project manager with the Swiss electronics manufacturer CCS Adaxys, presented startling findings on beacon interference. Backcountry users have long known that electronics, particularly cell phones, can interfere with a transceiver’s function, but the level of interference and range of culprit gadgets hasn’t been known until now.
Snow King Moves Up: Inside Jackson, Wyo.’s Uphill Movement
Snow King—known as “the King,” or the town hill—isn’t the reason people move to Jackson, but once they settle in, it often becomes a big part of life. The lift access is important, but where Snow King truly shines is in its extremely lenient uphill policy: three designated uphill routes during operating hours, and dogs allowed whenever the lifts are not spinning. Yet, increasing uphill pressure has put the issue in the hot seat in Jackson this season.
Shifting Ice: A mother-daughter pair explores Greenland in an unconventional way
About a year ago, one not-your-everyday mother-daughter conversation took place when Pip Hunt called up her mother, Martha. Pip, a former freeskiing competitor and ski coach, had something else up her sleeve for the woman who helped shape her athleticism and sense of adventure. According to Pip, the call went something like this: “Hey, Mama! […]
Basecamp: Four Centuries of Safety Gear
Backcountry safety gear has come a long way in the last two decades, never mind since the 1600s. Even so, gear is still no substitute for education, yet it’s always worth looking at how far the sport has come. Here’s a look at some relics that have shaped the last few centuries of backcountry safety.
BC Banter: Winter Wildlands Alliance Conference, “Working for the Weekend,” Vertfest heads to Snow King, Cambridge, Mass. Avalanche
Winter Wildlands Alliance Announces Grassroots Advocacy Conference BOISE, IDAHO As of January 2015, a new federal regulation, the Over-Snow Vehicle Rule, is protecting National Forest powder stashes. Now, National Forest Units that receive regular snowfall are mandated to create winter travel management plans that include specific trails and areas for snowmobile use to conserve areas […]
Mountain Drones: In Vail and Telluride, Avalanches Could Soon be Drone-Controlled
For photographers and production companies, drones have become a standard in the backcountry for capturing aerial angles without the high expenses of helicopters. But now, Mountain Drones, a Vail-based start-up company, is taking drones one step farther. The company, which started with a group of friends concerned about avy safety, is planning to use drones […]
BC Banter: Avalanche Deaths in Europe Top 75, Grand Traverse Launches Instagram Contest, Sherpas Cinema Release JP Auclair Tribute, First Lady Shreds in Aspen
Avalanche Deaths in Europe Top 75 To date this season, avalanches have caused 75 skier deaths throughout Europe—a five-year high. Twenty-four of these occurred in France, 20 in Switzerland, 15 in Italy, 14 in Austria and two in Germany, reports wepowder.com. The latest victim, a British skier—one of three skiers killed over the weekend—died in […]
Mountain Skills: Skiing with Sharp Objects
Ski crampons, boot crampons and a simple ice axe should be a part of every backcountry skier’s kit. You won’t need them everyday, but knowing when and how to use them can greatly improve security and enjoyment. Here’s how.
BC Banter: Avalanche Canada Adds Crowdsourcing Feature to App, SCARPA Issues Voluntary F1 Evo Recall, Eight Die in Swiss Avalanches, Slide Suspends Freeride World Tour in Austria
Avalanche Canada Adds Crowdsourcing Feature to App Revelstoke, B.C. Avalanche Canada—previously known as the Canadian Avalanche Centre—added a significant update to their free avalanche app, available for Android and iPhone. The upgrade allows users to post real-time observations, photos and comments via the crowdsourced Mountain Information Network (MIN). These geo-tagged MIN postings display on both […]
Book Beta: Andy Sovick on his guidebooks, Project Zero and protecting local spots
Andy Sovick, Colorado native and owner of the guidebook company Off-Piste Ski Atlas LLC, has produced two books since 2013, “The Essential Guidebook for Backcountry Skiing: Crested Butte” and the same titled book for Silverton. In his books, he’s careful to strike the balance between helping skiers explore the backcountry and spilling local secrets. “Instead of talking about keeping places a secret, we should be talking about how to keep everyone traveling well, smart and safe,” Sovick says. “It’s only going to get more crowded, whether or not there’s guidebooks.”
