What is an avalanche beacon? An avalanche beacon is the informal name for an avalanche transceiver, a safety device that transmits a signal that rescuers use to home in on someone buried by an avalanche. Along with an avalanche shovel and avalanche probe, the avalanche beacon is one of the essential pieces of safety gear for [...]
What is sastrugi (aka zastrugi)? It's not easy to ski or snowboard, but sastrugi is a beautiful feature of the winter landscape. Also spelled zastrugi, this type of wind-blasted snow resembles frozen waves. It's often found on ridges and mountaintops. As the wind erodes snow from the windward side of a ridge or other obstacle, [...]
What is an avalanche probe? An avalanche probe is a rod that's used to poke through avalanche debris in order to find a buried victim. Resembling a collapsible pole for erecting a tent, an avalanche probe is what rescuers use to search for someone beneath the snow, hopefully after they've quickly located the person by sight [...]
What is a snow cornice? From the Italian word for "ledge," a cornice is a mass of overhanging ice or snow, typically found on a ridgetop or edge of a cirque. A snow cornice is both a launching pad for hucking jumps and a potentially deadly avalanche risk if the formation collapses underfoot. Cornice etymology If you're [...]
