Reddit Reddit reviews Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain

We found 21 Reddit comments about Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

Sports & Outdoors
Books
Mountaineering
Mountain Climbing
Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain
Author: Bruce TremperISBN: 9781594850844
Check price on Amazon

21 Reddit comments about Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain:

u/Maladjusted_vagabond · 24 pointsr/skiing

Ok.

Step 1. Buy a copy of Tremper's Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain and read it cover to cover.

Step 2. Buy a beacon (3 antennae), probe (at least 240cm) and shovel (metal blades are not optional), familiarize yourself with them and practice to using them so it is second nature when you really have to.

Step 3. Take a level 1 avalanche course. If it doesn't consist of 1 day in a classroom and 2 days in the field, then it is not a level 1 avy course.


Skis anything will work, find a ski you like and go with it. Versatility is key, you need to be comfortable skiing them in a variety of terrain and variety of conditions. Obviously the lighter the better.

Boots You at least want a good hybrid/crossover AT touring boot, like the Salomon Quest Max or Technica Cochise ranges, then there are the more touring focused hyrbrids like the Scarpa Freedom SL which have interchangable sole blocks so they can work with both DIN(Frame) and Tech bindings. Then you've got the out and out touring boots. Best boot is the one that fits your foot though!

Bindings
There are a few choices when it come to bindings. There are the frame style that have become really popular in the last few years. They're essentially a regular alpine binding mounted on a frame that allows the heel piece to release so you can skin in them. Feels like a normal binding (the height is a little more though), durable and familiar but the heaviest and least natural pivot point for the uphill. Marker Baron/Duke, Salomon/Atomic Guardian/Tracker, Tyrolia AAadrenalin etc.

Then you have tech bindings that use completely different retention and release mechanisms using pin system. Lightweight and natural pivot point so much better for the uphill, and no dramatic sacrifice on the downhill unless you're out hucking huge cliffs etc. Dynafit Radical ST or FT, G3 Ions, Fritschi Vipec etc.

Finally in the last couple of years there have been some attempts to make a burlier binding than a traditional tech binding, but lighter than a frame. They're an attempt to marry the best of both worlds. Dynafit Beast 14/16 or Marker Kingpin.

This table might help wit boots/bindings

Type of Binding | Intended Uses | Compatible boots
---------------|-------------|----------------
Alpine/Downhill (normal) | Skiing at the resort etc. | Alpine/Downhill (Normal), Hybrids and Some Touring (tech) Boots, depending on the model of boot/binding
Touring (frame) | In-bounds & Ski touring | Alpine/Downhill (Normal), Hybrids and Most Touring (tech) Boots, depending on the model of binding.
Touring (Tech) | Ski touring (but can be used in the resort too) | Touring (tech) Boots and Some Hybrids depending on the model of boot
Telemark | All of the above. | Telemark

Once you make those decisions you're also going to need things like skins and ski crampons, potentially ice axes and other mountaineering equipment, but once you get into it you will know what you personally require for the skiing you're doing.

u/paradigm99 · 19 pointsr/skiing

Buy and read this book, http://www.amazon.com/Staying-Alive-Avalanche-Terrain-Tremper/dp/1594850844

Look into taking an avy class too, don't just count on some guy showing you around.

u/Clapbakatyerblakcat · 13 pointsr/skiing

Read Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain

And take an Avalanche 1 (recreational) course next winter.

u/ambivalentacademic · 9 pointsr/skiing

Clarification of terminology: "off piste" means off the groomed run, but it is often used to describe terrain inside resort boundaries. In the US, off piste runs within the resort have been checked and cleared of avalanche danger by ski patrol. "Backcountry" means terrain outside of resort boundaries which has not been cleared by ski patrol. It can slide and you can die.


Assuming that you mean "backcountry" and not simply "off piste," start by buying and reading this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Staying-Alive-Avalanche-Terrain-Tremper/dp/1594850844

u/pipocaQuemada · 6 pointsr/skiing

Learn about avalanches and how to minimize their risk. Read Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain. Buy a beacon and probe. Learn how to use them. Practice. The main slope I go to has a small patch where there's a buried beacon for practice. You could see if yours has one, too.

Learn to recognize dangerous terrain and signs of instability. Take an avalanche course. Make friends with experienced back-country skiers in your area. See if you can get a few buddies to take you on a mellow single day tour.

u/gnarjunkie · 6 pointsr/Spliddit

If you haven't completed your Avy 1 course, that's your number one priority right now. Get the safety gear and learn how to use all the pieces before you attempt to venture out in the backcountry. Make friends, never go out alone.




Wasatch Backcountry Map <-- Buy the paper version and keep it in your pack.

Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain <-- This is your bible. Read it often. The man who wrote it is our state avalanche forecaster.

Utah Avalanche Center <-- Read every single page on this site.

Daily Advisory <-- Read the local advisory every. single. day.

Weather Forecast <-- Check the weather forecast every day, or very often. Watch what the winds are doing.

Snotel Stations <-- Check the Snotel stations during and after storms.


And please don't bootpack in the skin track. Nobody likes that guy.

Just be safe, use common sense, and take it slow at first. Don't jump in and try to bag Superior's south face until you're ready. Lastly, praise Ullr and do your snow dances.

u/doebedoe · 5 pointsr/skiing

If you're going on a week long vacation with family, unless you're hiring a guide or have a friend/family member who really wants to get into backcountry -- you'd be better off finding a mountain with tons of great terrain and snow. Snowbird, Alta, Telluride, Jackson (if you're flying from TX), or Taos would top the list.

If you have a partner or are willing to hire a guide ($$$) then the first step should be buying this book, reading it cover to cover, and deciding if backcountry skiing is right for you.

u/disch0rd666 · 3 pointsr/COsnow

Get a 6 cylinder. If you really wanted to drive a four banger and save gas, get a civic.

I definitely plan to get into the back country sometime in the future, but I have a lot of learning to do before I'm willing to venture out to do anything serious. Colorado Snowpack is infamous for being some of the most deadly avalanche terrain on the planet. Adding a snow mobile into the equation increases avalanche risk exponentially. My best advice to you is to first invest in Avalanche Recovery gear (Beacon, Shovel, Probe). Familiarize yourself with your equipment, and practice with it regularly. Secondly, I'd advise you take at least a level 1 Avalanche Awareness Class. It can seriously be the difference between life and death. I'd really recommend giving Staying Alive In Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper a read. It's incredibly informative and will be a great tool to begin familiarizing yourself with avalanche awareness and recovery before even setting foot a mountain.

Taking all of these steps to educate yourself may seem like a little bit much, but I'm not exaggerating when I say that Colorado Snow would love to kill you. Here is a story about a guy who died on New Years Day snowshoeing in the backcountry. He and his group did everything possible to avoid being caught, but despite taking steps to avoid the avalanche, and triggering his beacon, he was still killed after being buried in the slide. I can't say it enough, my man. Take the class. Read the books. You literally cannot learn enough when it comes to Avalanches and how to avoid them.

u/jgross1 · 3 pointsr/tahoe

Yes absolutely DO NOT go into the back country without some snow safety awareness.

I would start out reading this:

https://www.amazon.com/Staying-Alive-Avalanche-Terrain-Tremper/dp/1594850844

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Then take an avy course. And then buy the appropriate gear.

And as you are doing all of this, bookmark the Sierra Avalanche Center website, and read the avy bulletin EVERYDAY. Whether you are going out or not, so you are aware of past, present and future snowpack issues.

​

u/r_syzygy · 3 pointsr/Backcountry

Make an effort to get to know the people in your class, find people that have the same interests as you in the backcountry. Get their emails or whatever before the class is over so you can ski with them!

Do the reading and the homework they want you to, participate when they ask questions - normal classroom stuff. Make sure you're wearing warm and comfortable clothes when you're outdoors so you can focus on what they're teaching rather than staying warm.

Then, just supplement the material they provide. Get some books like Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain and Snow Sense, go through some youtube channels [1] [2], there's even an avalanche podcast (Slide) now.

u/preserved_killick · 2 pointsr/Backcountry

One thing that's worth mentioning is that aspect does not effect risk. Aspect has the potential to effect hazard as illustrated by all the other answers here. Hazard in terms of avalanche terrain is the probability of an avalanche release and expected avalanche size. Risk, is up to you - and how much exposure you have to that hazard depends on your travel plans. If a huge avalanche is very likely to happen, and you are no where near then there's no risk.

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For example, let's say we are at the tail end of a storm cycle with winds out of the south for the whole storm in your terrain. We may assume that the north slopes will be more heavily loaded with the new snow. In the morning, the avalanche advisory states that north facing slopes have high avalanche danger for the day, south facing slopes have moderate avalanche danger. You can mitigate your risk by choosing your travel plans wisely. If you choose to ski north slopes you'll be increasing your risk to the hazard, if you choose to ski south facing slopes you'll reduce your risk. You reduce your risk by limiting, controlling your exposure to the hazard.

​

Hazard + exposure = risk.

​

If you are taking courses, you should consider getting a jump on the subject with this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Staying-Alive-Avalanche-Terrain-Tremper/dp/1594850844

​

I'll second someone's recommendation for this resource:

https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encylopedia/#aspect

u/adonutforeveryone · 2 pointsr/snowboarding

Roughly 25% of skier deaths are in tree wells.
Great book on avalanche terrain and safety.


Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain Brand: Mountaineers Books
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594850844/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdo_t1_JJaBCbG4EKVXR

u/HUPMbVpVLtpe8O8c · 2 pointsr/Backcountry

Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain is considered a go-to print resource for avy education. http://www.amazon.com/Staying-Alive-Avalanche-Terrain-Tremper/dp/1594850844

You can read as much as you'd like, but nothing replaces field experience. Get out with some guides, dig some pits, and ask questions. If you plan on spending a good amount of time in the backcountry, look into getting avy certified.

u/Babahloo · 2 pointsr/skiing

He is also the author of one of the best books on avalanche safety skills. A definite read for any backcountry enthusiast/snow science geek.

u/powfun · 2 pointsr/skiing

I know this isn't online, but Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain is regarded as one of the best books that really gets into the nitty gritty of avalanches, but remains understandable.

u/arroz_con_yolo · 1 pointr/skiing

Much (belated) thanks for this informative response. It sounds like my best bet is to go with a whole new setup for touring, with lighter skis, touring bindings and new boots. I'm only dimly aware of the specialized Dynafit/tech setups... is this something I should be looking into now, since I'm getting a dedicated setup for touring anyway (and keeping my existing ones for resort skiing)? Or is there a good reason to stay away from these until I'm more experienced out back?

Is there any particular model or type of ski you would recommend, or even just a suggested waist width? Do I want a really wide powder ski, something more rounded in the 98mm area, or something else entirely? (Unrelated to touring per se, I had been considering getting something like a Katana or even Shiro for a while. Should I consider something like that for touring specifically?)

If you know any shops in the US you'd particularly recommend for touring skis and boots, please let me know! I'm keenly aware of the importance of a bootfitter in general, but not so sure where to find one that specializes in touring.

Also appreciate the safety tip. While I have yet to take even the basic avalanche course (looking to take the level 1 first thing next season and go from there), I've been reading enough to get some idea of just how much I have to learn about this (e.g., this). Given that, I intend to go out only with pro guides for the time being.

u/[deleted] · 1 pointr/WildernessBackpacking

Pick up a copy of Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills. Some of the chapters you can skip, but if you want to go into the mountains in the winter, this book is indispensable. It will answer every question you have in addition to the ones you don't even know to ask, but really should be asking (I can think of several already). It really is a phenomenal resource, and in winter conditions in the mountains, you should not be relying on what people online are telling you to bring. That's how people die out there.

Also, you should take an avalanche safety course if you plan on going anywhere that has a snow pack, or at least read Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain. It doesn't need to be deep snow to be dangerous--a thin snow pack is actually the most dangerous and most likely to avalanche, and crazy steep slopes are NOT the most dangerous. It's the mild 30-40 degree slopes that are most likely to kill you, even if you are 100 yards away from them on flat ground. One thing you start noticing when you go out in the winter in the same places you went in the summer is that the winter routes are NOT in the same place as the summer trails, mostly because summer trails are in avalanche danger zones. You NEED to know how to read the terrain in a very different way than you would in the summer.

u/samcbar · 1 pointr/snowboarding
u/bluntzfang · 1 pointr/skiing

Please don't get so defensive. I'm trying to help you be safer. If this is how you accept advice related to your safety, I honestly hope you don't do much more backcountry riding.

I also suggest you read this book, it's a great reference: http://www.amazon.com/Staying-Alive-Avalanche-Terrain-Tremper/dp/1594850844