Resources
Ski & Ride Resources
Beginners Guide to Splitboarding
Splitboarding: The Answer to All of Life’s Problems (Except Avalanches) By Michael Bartley What is splitboarding? As skiing and snowboarding are growing in popularity, ski areas all over North America
Backcountry Ski & Split Training
Backcountry Ski & Split Training By Elijah Christie and Zack McGill The best way to avoid injuries and continue backcountry skiing & riding (even as we age) is to train
Travel Techniques for Backcountry Skiers
Travel Techniques for Backcountry Skiers & Riders By: Phil Straub Backcountry skiing or riding is, in many ways, a team sport. Sure, you can go it alone out there, but
Skinning Techniques for Backcountry Skiing
Backcountry Skiing & Riding Skinning Techniques By: Phil Straub Skinning is the most efficient way to travel across wild snow in the backcountry. People have been putting skins on their
Ski Crampons for Backcountry Skiing
Ski Crampons for Backcountry Skiing and Riding By: Phil Straub Ski crampons for backcountry skiing help backcountry skiers and riders gain purchase on firm snow when skins alone don’t quite
Backcountry Skiing First Aid Kits
First Aid Kits for Backcountry Touring By: Alyssa Young When we step into the backcountry we assume heightened responsibility for taking care of ourselves and our group. When things go
Backcountry Skiing Repair Kits
Backcountry Repair Kits for Skiers and Riders By: Zack McGill and Charlie Lane As a community, backcountry skiers and riders tend to focus on avalanche rescue more than anything else
Whiteout Navigation
WHITEOUT NAVIGATION By: Zack McGill If you’re into mountain sports, learning the basics of whiteout navigation is essential for off-trail travel in the mountains. This is especially true if you
Basic Backcountry Navigation
Basic Backcountry Navigation By: Zack McGill I’m going to sound like an old curmudgeon saying this, but folks these days rely too heavily on technology to navigate in the backcountry.
The Avalanche Educator Resource
RESOURCES for Avalanche Educators By: Zack McGill First off, whether you are a new instructor about to instruct your first avalanche course or a seasoned course leader, thank you for
The Backcountry Skiing Guide
The Backcountry Skiing & Riding Guide By: Zack McGill Welcome to the Backcountry Skiing Guide! This is a living document that consistently updates with the latest and greatest in the
How To Rig Your Rope For Glacier Travel
By: Zack McGill Roped travel on glaciers There are many considerations when determining how to set up your rope team for glacier travel. How big of crevasses are you likely
Crevasse Rescue
How to Perform Crevasse Rescue By: Zack McGill If you’re going to travel in glaciated terrain, you need to have crevasse rescue dialed. This resource is a collection of videos,
Strategic Shoveling for Avalanche Rescue
Strategic Shoveling for Avalanche Rescue By: Zack McGill When most folks think of avalanche rescue, they think of the beacon search. We get it. Beacons are sexy. It’s cool technology
Single Burial Avalanche Rescue
Single Burial Avalanche Rescue By: Zack McGill First off, the best way to avoid a rescue is to avoid the avalanche all together. Take an Avalanche Course to be proactive and avoid
Human Factor in Backcountry Skiing/Riding
Human Factor in Backcountry Skiing and Riding By: Zack McGill The “human factor” is the blanket term used by most avalanche professionals to describe common heuristic traps backcountry travelers fall
Avalanche Problems
The Nine Avalanche Problems Explained By: Zack McGill As you probably know, not all avalanches are the same. They vary in size and destructive potential and even where and how
Avalanche Beacon Function Check
How To Make Sure your Avalanche TRANSCEIVER is working By: Zack McGill Avalanche beacons (transceivers) nowadays are leaps and bounds better than the original analog beacons of old. Modern three
Alpine
Resources
LNT Principles for Alpine Climbing
Leave No Trace in the Alpine By: Zack McGill If you’re reading this, you hopefully already know some basic Leave no Trace (LNT) principles. If not, check out the Leave
How to Pack for Mountaineering
How to Pack a Pack for Multi-Day Mountaineering Objectives By: Zack McGill Learning how to pack for multi-day mountaineering objectives can seem daunting at first, but have no fear! This
Whiteout Navigation
WHITEOUT NAVIGATION By: Zack McGill If you’re into mountain sports, learning the basics of whiteout navigation is essential for off-trail travel in the mountains. This is especially true if you
Basic Backcountry Navigation
Basic Backcountry Navigation By: Zack McGill I’m going to sound like an old curmudgeon saying this, but folks these days rely too heavily on technology to navigate in the backcountry.
How To Rig Your Rope For Glacier Travel
By: Zack McGill Roped travel on glaciers There are many considerations when determining how to set up your rope team for glacier travel. How big of crevasses are you likely
Crevasse Rescue
How to Perform Crevasse Rescue By: Zack McGill If you’re going to travel in glaciated terrain, you need to have crevasse rescue dialed. This resource is a collection of videos,
The Alpine Climbing Guide
The Alpine Climbing Guide By: Zack McGill Alpine climbing, though centuries old, is a sport in constant flux as the tools, ethics, and environment itself change. It’s a tough arena
Avalanche Problems
The Nine Avalanche Problems Explained By: Zack McGill As you probably know, not all avalanches are the same. They vary in size and destructive potential and even where and how
More Miscellaneous Resources
Snow Algae
Snow Algae By Ellie Ryan Pink snow? Watermelon Snow? Snow Algae? Whatever you choose to call this microscopic organism, if you’ve spent time in the PNW alpine, you’ve likely stumbled
Scholarships for Outdoor Courses
Chris Greyell Memorial Scholarship “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments but what is woven into the lives of others.” THUCYDIDES The Chris Greyell Memorial
LNT Principles for Alpine Climbing
Leave No Trace in the Alpine By: Zack McGill If you’re reading this, you hopefully already know some basic Leave no Trace (LNT) principles. If not, check out the Leave
Whiteout Navigation
WHITEOUT NAVIGATION By: Zack McGill If you’re into mountain sports, learning the basics of whiteout navigation is essential for off-trail travel in the mountains. This is especially true if you
Basic Backcountry Navigation
Basic Backcountry Navigation By: Zack McGill I’m going to sound like an old curmudgeon saying this, but folks these days rely too heavily on technology to navigate in the backcountry.
The Avalanche Educator Resource
RESOURCES for Avalanche Educators By: Zack McGill First off, whether you are a new instructor about to instruct your first avalanche course or a seasoned course leader, thank you for