Avalanche safety instruction is vital when backcountry skiing, and more options for learning pop up every year. Now online gear retailer, backcountry.com, is jumping into the fray by offering more than just gear with their S.A.F.E. A.S. Women’s Intro to Avalanche Safety clinics. Held 4 times in December, these clinics will be led by pro skiers like Jackie Paaso, Elyse Saugstad, Ingrid Backstrom and Michelle Parker. In addition, AIARE instructor Lel Tone will lead the avalanche instruction, and Sherry McConkey will start off the day with a yoga session.
According to backcountry.com, the clinic’s goal is to heighten community, snow safety, and avalanche awareness, where they hope to foster an open, welcoming environment by which to encourage participation and communication. The clinics are also fundraisers for local non-profits. Participants will get classroom and on-snow training, lots of skiing and snowboarding, morning yoga, lunch, and an apres party and raffle. The clinics are for women only, ages 14 and older who are interested in snow and avalanche safety in and out of bounds and who enjoy a good time for a good cause.
The seminars begin December 5th, with the first clinic held at Snowbird. Other clinics will happen at Squaw Valley, California on December 8th and 9th, Crystal Mountain, Washington on December 14th, and Stevens Pass, Washington on December 15th. The Utah clinic will be held at Snowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon at the Clif Lodge in the Maybird Conference room (Level 4 entry).
The clinic’s itinerary is as follows:
- Morning yoga
- Classroom avalanche training
- Healthy Lunch
- On-snow companion rescue training
- Freeskiing
- Apres party and raffle
Participants will need to bring a beacon, shovel, probe, backpack, ski gear, and a yoga mat.
The cost per person is $110 for 10 hours of avalanche and safety training. For more information, or to sign up, visit https://detour.backcountry.com/e/womens-avalanche-safety-workshop-99475