Black Diamond has teamed up with Mike Barney, an Avalanche Professional, to create a series of educational videos around the basics of snow safety. Mike’s a Black Diamond athlete, has been ski guiding for the last two decades and spends around nine months per year taking clients skiing in potentially dangerous places. He knows a thing or two about snow safety.
Oh, and if that’s not enough, Mike also works as an avalanche forecaster. He’s one of the people skiers put total faith in, when reviewing whether it’s safe to go out or not.
Backcountry Beta
This avalanche forecast data is one part of backcountry beta. This, typically, is a term used in North America, copied from it’s use in the world of climbing. In climbing, beta is basically information on how to complete a climb. Same thing for skiing really – and this should include all the info you can get your grubby little mitts on concerning snow and weather conditions.
In this series of videos, Mike takes you through the basic beta of avalanche safety. This includes how to read forecast, effect use of essential avalanche safety equipment, as well as how to effectively dig someone out. This last point is pretty key. At SkiKitInfo, we’ve spent a lot of time in wintry places and, having lived out of snowholes more than many, we know how important effective shovelling is.
Attend a course
Of course, attending an avalanche course, in person, is still one of the main things you should do to help ensure you’re time in the mountains is as safe as possible.
Just do a quick search online and you’ll be able to find courses for your location.
No matter how many videos, blogs, articles or books you look at, practice and experience are key. Allow yourselves time to learn the skills and practice them. Steady progression is a good way to look at this adventure your undertaking, to equip yourself with the knowledge and experience required.
BLACK DIAMOND BACKCOUNTRY BETA VIDEOS
Gimme More
Want to see more kit tests and reviews then subscribe to the SkiKitInfo.com YouTube channel for industry leading gear test videos, or check out What’s New for 2021? for more gear reviews from SkiKitInfo.com.
If you’re interested in learning more about the kit needed for ski touring, take a gander at our Touring Skins 101 and How to choose ski touring kit articles
Want to see more of what Black Diamond has to offer, you can visit their site at blackdiamondequipment.com.
Independent, honest, unbiased reviews & tests
All of the info, reviews and testing by SkiKitInfo.com is independent and unbiased, to give you a full and honest appraisal of the products. Brands don’t pay us to review their kit or have any say in how the review turns out. We’re all passionate ski experts and want you to have the best information available.
0 Comments