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How an avalanche beacon works and saves lives

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 [...]

By |2018-07-17T12:16:57-06:00August 21st, 2016|Avalanche, Backcountry, Gear|Comments Off on How an avalanche beacon works and saves lives

Avalanche probe: gear you hope to never use for real

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 [...]

By |2016-11-09T19:29:56-07:00May 18th, 2016|Avalanche, Backcountry, Gear|Comments Off on Avalanche probe: gear you hope to never use for real

Snow cornice: beautiful but potentially deadly

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 [...]

By |2016-11-22T19:45:03-07:00May 11th, 2016|Avalanche, Backcountry, Terrain|Comments Off on Snow cornice: beautiful but potentially deadly