Level 1 avalanche course

K

kingslug

Active member
So..I finaly signed up for one of these...and will be taking it at Alta...Jan 28th -30th. Figured I'd stay until Feb 7th. What am I in for? I know the last day will be a backcountry hike, just wondering how far. Going to be able to test out several makes of beacons to see which one I like, which is great as I know nothing about them. So it looks like I'll be seeing y'all soon.
 
sounds like a good trip. learn a bit about snow and ski some snow. for beacons, i recommend the tracker 2. expectations? go for the overall introduction. don't sweat the little stuff like pit data (hopefully they are getting away from the scientific in level one and focussing more on terrain and angles, safe travel)

could be a good time to be out there. i may be there a week later.

rog
 
Utah Mountain Adventures...formerly Exum. Any advice on a pack. Saw a good deal on a Diamond with avalung, probe, and shovel for 229.00
 
Personally, I have no need for an Avalung. For packs I've recently used and liked the BCA Stash and the Osprey Kode 38, as well as the Lowe Alpine Attack. For shovels, get one with the longest handle you can tolerate and definitely a metal blade -- I'm particularly fond of the Sharktooth Pro from Brooks-Range Mountaineering.
 
I second the BD Covert. The Anarchist is a good pack as well, but too large for most day trips unless you like bringing everything.
 
i vote for the new alias non avalung pack. very light weight, 32L, and simple. i'm ordering one tomorrow. covert is wicked sweet too.

rog
 
why is everyone here so against the avalung? It may look stupid and cost more, but the thing has been proven to actually work. I was looking into getting an avalung pack for next year when I'm in france and skiing on avalanche prone slopes all the time, but maybe not now...
 
Staley":27jomzlk said:
why is everyone here so against the avalung? It may look stupid and cost more, but the thing has been proven to actually work. I was looking into getting an avalung pack for next year when I'm in france and skiing on avalanche prone slopes all the time, but maybe not now...
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It kinda depends on your risk tolerance and how willing you are to intentionally ski terrain that you think will probably slide. Undoubtedly it has saved lives, but I think what we're seeing here is a conservative view that given the expense and weight, most would rather pick less sketchy lines. Logically, the same line of thought can be extended to beacons/probes/shovels, and some do - opting to stay in-bounds on anything other than the most stable of days - but it's one of those personal choice things. Just like helmets.

For me, the marginal risk reduction of an avalung didn't offset the added expense (I found a non-AL Covert on sale for $75), weight and bulk by a great enough margin. YMMV.
 
Yeah, what he (Marc_C) said. I tend to be very conservative when it comes to skiing prone terrain, although even that hasn't completely kept us out of trouble...right, Tony?

As far as I'm concerned, the best avalanche safety practice is avalanche avoidance. Hence the Avalung doesn't make much sense for me given the trade-offs.
 
I just figure that each tour is pack dependent. If you saddle yourself with a pack thats too big, you wont use the avalung for slackcountry. If you buy one too small it wont be big enough for full day (out of resort) tours...

I'd say you'll have specific packs for specific days and you might as well get an avalung sling or vest and you can have it with you whenever.

Dont use it as a lifesaver..i wake up some nights thinking about being buried....no matter if i can breathe or not...i dont wanna be buried, though if i was breathing would be a good thing so...lol...

I have a sling.

YMMV

M
 
Admin":1e0i2f4y said:
As far as I'm concerned, the best avalanche safety practice is avalanche avoidance. Hence the Avalung doesn't make much sense for me given the trade-offs.
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An avalung isn't useless, but my margin of error and tolerance to risk is much greater. I remember this from my avy course, if you are caught in an avalanche, it means that you failed in measuring the risk. Behond that it's all about high risk tolerance and luck.
 
I'm going to feel much better about all this after I take the course as I know very little about avalanches...I've seen them .....very scary...
 
kingslug":3tqlpcqf said:
I'm going to feel much better about all this after I take the course as I know very little about avalanches...I've seen them .....very scary...
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Well it's really great that you're taking one. One of these years I will do that too, but I need more income from my commercial ventures so I won't be so worried about missing lessons in the middle of winter.
 
No good reason to not have an avalung is you can afford it. Just by wearing one doesn't mean you are going to take more risks. I certainly don't. As mentioned above, if you are not using one because you are going to avoid avalanches, then you don't need to carry a beacon, shovel, and probe either. So don't bother with those items either.

The thing is, even the best avalanche guru's in the business get caught with their pants down from time to time. Guys who are conservative. The problem is if "it's steep enough to ride, it's steep enough to slide". You can reduce chances that you'll get caught in an avalanche, but you just can't eliminate it. So if you can afford an avalung, why not have one? It's not a necessary item, but I and several of my partners rock one. Better to have a gun and not need it...
 
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