Avalanche Challenge

deschutes · Mar 20, 2010

We are starting a new program (a movement hopefully) called the Avy Challenge. We will be partnering with a variety of organizations to make this a reality. Please communicate it out.

The first part is really simple: Commit to always wearing a beacon and carrying proper gear whenever riding off trail. The second part will take a little more commitment: Commit to never riding with others off trail unless your riding partner(s) are carrying beacons and gear as well.

Along with this there is a commitment to training and education. Proper gear is useless unless you know how to use it.

A simple concept really, but I think very powerful. You are protecting yourself and encouraging others to be safe as well. Will you miss out on a ride or two, maybe. Will you have to tell someone you won't ride with them until the are better prepared, possibly. However, this is a small price to pay for being avy aware and ready.

Let the world know you are committed to avalanche safety and sign your name to the avy challenge at: http://www.avychallenge.com

Oregongirl · Mar 20, 2010

Come on sledders! Join up. :face-icon-small-ton

KSH · Mar 20, 2010

deschutes said:
We are starting a new program (a movement hopefully) called the Avy Challenge. We will be partnering with a variety of organizations to make this a reality. Please communicate it out.

The first part is really simple: Commit to always wearing a beacon and carrying proper gear whenever riding off trail. The second part will take a little more commitment: Commit to never riding with others off trail unless your riding partner(s) are carrying beacons and gear as well.

Along with this there is a commitment to training and education. Proper gear is useless unless you know how to use it.

A simple concept really, but I think very powerful. You are protecting yourself and encouraging others to be safe as well. Will you miss out on a ride or two, maybe. Will you have to tell someone you won't ride with them until the are better prepared, possibly. However, this is a small price to pay for being avy aware and ready.

Let the world know you are committed to avalanche safety and sign your name to the avy challenge at: http://www.avychallenge.com

Just because someone has the right equipment and proper training does not mean they are safe to ride with.

An educated and prepared idiot will get you in as much trouble as an unprepared and uneducated one.

The problem is common sense, it's just not contagious enough for everybody to catch.

deschutes · Mar 20, 2010

KSH said:
Just because someone has the right equipment and proper training does not mean they are safe to ride with.

An educated and prepared idiot will get you in as much trouble as an unprepared and uneducated one.

The problem is common sense, it's just not contagious enough for everybody to catch.

One would assume that you have already done this check. I wouldn't ride with someone who lacked common sense or other standard "prerequisites". What we are talking about here is you and the people you would normally ride with.

akstormin · Mar 21, 2010

I already practice this with the people I ride with, I even bought an extra beacon so I could loan one out if necessary. 2 of my river running buddies who rarely ride the hills, asked why I was spending $250 bucks on a spare beacon. I replied that I was not about to face their wife or family and tell them that their husband was buried under just 2 feet of snow in an avy and I could've easily saved him if he had a beacon, but I didn't have a spare beacon to loan.... and took him riding anyhow. That answer shamed them both into buying avy gear....and to apologize for not doing it sooner. And yes, gear is only part of the battle. Proper training and even more important proper decision making are what round out the package. Backcountry skiers are very good about being properly equipped for avalanche gear, and thankfully I feel like snowmobilers are rapidly catching up in this area. I just wish it would happen without a tragedy to get everyone motivated.

giddyup · Mar 21, 2010

i only get about 15-18 days a year riding the mountians, our group practices a couple times a year min. with beacons, mock slides with multiple burials, we also spend a night every fall going through our packs and sleds, our packs are our life line to survival if we loose our sleds, we are all set up to spend the night if we were to get split from our sled. we also do a beacon check every morning. and i can say i have watched many sleders unload and take off, we do a quick beacon check, you would not belive how many times we have found someone forgot there beacon or probe because they took them out the night before to dry there bag or something and forgot it. I care a spare beacon ,probe in the trailer for some one to use. we ride as a small group, of the same riders and sometimes we have a few new riders join in, all of us in our group will not ride with someone who dosent have the right equipment and KNOW HOW TO USE IT. i will not take a newbee in the backcountry with out some training practice with equipment.
please practice with your equipment and make your buddys do it to
we all have to use our heads in the backcountry

giddyup

backcntryrider2000 · Mar 21, 2010

Everyone should have a beacon!

The biggest reason for my buddies to have a beacon might be selfish, but I want someone to be able to search for me if I do something stupid!

deschutes · Mar 21, 2010

Thanks for the feedback. I updated part of the challenge. It now reads:

"Along with this there is a commitment to training, education and good decision making. Proper gear is useless unless you know how to use it AND use your head."

If you haven't signed up, you should.

hivoltagesledhead · Mar 21, 2010

My buddies and I have been practising this concept for years. No beacon,no gear no go !!! It is that simple. We have all had at least one avy course and I have done 3 now. This is not a new concept. The one thing that our group does do is TALK EACH OTHER OUT OF DOING STUPID THINGS. There is always one of us that wants to climb a chute(usually it is me,as I am the radical one) and it takes someone in our group to lay down the logic and common sense of it all EVEN THOUGH I ALREADY KNOW BETTER!!!!! If you see a hill with no tracks on it...wait for it.....there is damn good reason why it is untracked. I know,I want to climb it too..I stared at 3 beautiful chutes in Clearwater last weekend for half an hour while my buddies ranted in the background and gave me a million reasons not to do it....and I could only think of one thing in the end.....what would my family think! And man, did I ever want to climb that mountain. My point is simple...ride with smarts,common sense and logic...leave the idiots at home! BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING.

CatWoman · Mar 21, 2010

This is exactly how I do it as well. Started this several years back. No gear, no training, no common sense.....sorry, but not riding with us. I also do pack a spare Tracker just in case someone happens to forget theirs for some reason. I hope none of us ever has to use our gear (besides practice), and I do want to live to ride another day, everyone needs to be prepared just in case.

A good example of where many think they are safe, is a groomed trail system. There is one locally, that winds it's way along the mountainside in many areas. Just because it is groomed, doesn't mean it is free from avy's.....and this trail does see some.

I also have a full backpack setup (beacon/shovel/probe/emergency gear) to use if we take someone new. They are given instructions/demonstrations on everything before we head out so they are familiar with things.

Thanks for this thread, and in stepping up to get others more educated.

KSH · Mar 21, 2010

deschutes said:
Thanks for the feedback. I updated part of the challenge. It now reads:

"Along with this there is a commitment to training, education and good decision making. Proper gear is useless unless you know how to use it AND use your head."

If you haven't signed up, you should.

I signed up now, Sometimes you don't know your riding with a idiot until it's late.

C S Fever · Mar 22, 2010

deschutes said:
Thanks for the feedback. I updated part of the challenge. It now reads:

"Along with this there is a commitment to training, education and good decision making. Proper gear is useless unless you know how to use it AND use your head."

If you haven't signed up, you should.

Done

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Avalanche Challenge

deschutes

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Oregongirl

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KSH

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deschutes

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akstormin

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giddyup

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backcntryrider2000

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deschutes

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hivoltagesledhead

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CatWoman

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KSH

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C S Fever

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