London, UK – The Arc’teryx Avalanche Awareness Tour in association with HAT (Henry’s Avalanche Talks), Ellis Brigham and The Ski Club of Great Britain is the essential event for any Briton who wants to have fun and be safe when skiing off-piste this winter.

“Skiing off-piste is fun and more and more people are venturing into the backcountry to enjoy powder snow conditions,” says Henry Schniewind of Henry’s Avalanche Talks. “Riding safe means understanding the conditions and making decisions that can keep you safe, then knowing what to do if the worst does happen.”

Schniewind is an internationally renowned snow and avalanche expert and a fully qualified ski instructor based in Val d’Isère, France. He’s given over 800 talks in the last 20 years on mountain safety and regularly appears in British media to give expert opinion on avalanches and snow conditions.

The hour and a half Ride Hard, Ride Safe! ‘The Essentials’ presentation is full of exciting images, videos and ski stories about how off-piste skiing is packed with fun, but also how close you can come to dangerous situations if you’re not paying attention. Schniewind helps answer the fundamental question, “Is it safe out there?” He delivers a decision-making and risk management formula that will help attendees understand that riding off-piste doesn’t have to be any more dangerous than the activities you engage with in your normal everyday life. After you have attended The Essentials, you can see one of Schniewind’s four In-depth modules which focuses on one of the main themes of The Essentials talk.

“We’re delighted to welcome Henry back again for another series of talks,” says Mark Brigham from outdoor gear retailer Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports. “Staying safe off-piste is an important message to promote and we’d like to ensure skiers and snowboarders have the opportunity to learn about avalanche safety before embarking on their snowsports holiday or season in the mountains.”

There will be seven talks taking place within Ellis Brigham stores based in Manchester, London and Bristol during October and November. Confirmed venues and dates are:

• Manchester – October 23 & 24, 2013 – 7:30 p.m. Ride Hard, Ride Safe! ‘The Essentials’ /Ride Hard, Ride Safe! ‘In-depth module’
• Covent Garden, London – October 30 & 31, 2013 – 8:00 p.m. Ride Hard, Ride Safe! ‘The Essentials’ /Ride Hard, Ride Safe! ‘In-depth module’
• St. Pauls, London – November 6, 2013 – 7:30 p.m. Ride Hard, Ride Safe! ‘The Essentials’
• Westfield Shepherd’s Bush, London –  November 7, 2013 – 7:30 p.m. Ride Hard, Ride Safe! ‘The Essentials’
• Bristol – November 12, 2013 – 7:30 p.m. Ride Hard, Ride Safe! ‘The Essentials’

Tickets are available on the websites for Ellis Brigham, Ski Club of Great Britain and HAT, or directly from Eventbrite. They’re priced at £10.00 when purchased online and £12.00 at the door.