It’s time to start thinking about avalanches again. You can read Bruce Tremper’s book, Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, practice with your beacon wherever you can find snow, and take a level 1 avalanche course. Even if you do all of these things every year, it never hurts to take a refresher course, and Snowbird, alomng with the Utah Avalanche Center, has just the thing: the Freeride Avalanche Summit.
The Freeride Avalanche Summit is a two day event that takes place on December 16th and 17th. The summit features clinics designed to give practical instruction to advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders. Topics include avalanche awareness, making safe terrain choices, and avalanche rescue.
Not only is the instruction practical, it’s also professional as a combination of avalanche experts from various fields will be on hand to lend their expertise to everyone attending. Among the list of pros include the following:
•Members of the UAC
•Snowbird Ski Patrol
•Gordy Peifer, professional skier
•Jenn Berg, professional skier
•Ben Wheeler, professional skier
•Chris Coulter, professional snowboarder
•Wasatch Powderbird Guides
•And more to be announced
According to Utah Avalanche Center forecaster and founder of the Freeride Avalanche Summit, Craig Gordon, last year’s summit was very popular and that, “there’s a tremendous demand for affordable, high-end backcountry training for advanced local skiers and riders.”
The Freeride Avalanche Summit offers more than 20 hours of classroom and on-mountain instruction during the two day session. Topics include snowpack analysis, terrain assessment, first aid techniques, emergency notification procedures and more along with ski patrol briefings and real life line selection sessions with professional athletes.
The Summit costs $150 and is limited to 40 participants (discounted tickets will also be offered to non Snowbird passholders). Advanced and expert skiers and riders can register by visiting the Snowbird Activity Center or calling (801) 933-2147 Thursdays-Sundays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. (interested parties can leave a message with contact information during non-business hours).
For more info, visit www.snowbird.com/freerideavalanchesummit.html.
Here is the full schedule:
SCHEDULE (tentative, agenda and presenters may change)
Wednesday December 15, 2010
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Registration, paperwork and program introduction at Black Diamond, 2084 East 3900 South
Thursday December 16, 2010
7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Early tram and freeride session (meet on Plaza Deck)
8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Morning patrol briefing at Snowbird Center – Alpine B meeting room/2nd Floor
9:00 a.m. – 9:20 a.m. Notification – factors in how and when to notify WBR/Sheriff/SAR- Dean Cardinale
9:20 a.m. – 9:40 a.m. Rescue gear – beacons, shovels, probes, Avalung, airbags, SPOT
9:40 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Avalanche Rescue – Step by Step companion rescue “routine”
10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Strategic Shoveling Explained
10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Safe backcountry travel techniques – one at a time, islands of safety, etc.
11:00 a.m. – 11:10 a.m. First Aid overview for the backcountry – recommended training – Snowbird Patrol
11:10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Lunch provided by General Gritts
12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Till help arrives – Establishing an LZ for rescue, assessing and packaging a patient, heli protocols – Wasatch Powderbird Guide facility- WPG staff
12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Rescue stations- single beacon recovery, multiple beacons, taking charge, strategic shoveling, using Recco- On snow- Staff
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Real Life Line Selection Stories – Gordy Pfeiffer
Friday December 17, 2010
7:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. Early tram and freeride session
8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Morning patrol briefing at Snowbird Center- Alpine B meeting room/2nd Floor
9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Using your local avy advisory – Craig Gordon
9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Snowpack structure, assessment and testing techniques – Bruce Tremper
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Terrain assessment – What terrain increases or decreases risk
11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Lunch provided by General Gritts
12 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Snowpits and stability assessment – On snow – Staff
4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Written Test – time limit on test
4:45 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. Real Life Line Selection Stories – Pro to be announced.
5:20 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Graduation
Those who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate of completion and a high five from their touring partners. Please note that the schedule may change.