Pre-Season Tips For Shredding The Backcountry

October 23, 2015

by Chris Dickson
Pre-Season Tips For Shredding The Backcountry

Time to stash the board shorts and Hawaiian shirts and bust out your backcountry gear. Here are four things that you should do ASAP to ensure that you are ready to venture into the backcountry.

1. Get Your Gear Shred-Ready.


Image via Jan Faborsky

In addition to tuning up your skis, coating bases with a fresh wax and making sure that the glue on your skins is still sticky, it’s important to confirm that all of your avalanche rescue gear is working properly. Start every season by putting fresh batteries in your beacon—then test search and transmit modes. Inspect your probe and shovel to make sure that they’re ready for a potential rescue. Put together a small medical kit (ibuprofen, gauze, tape, splinting materials, etc.) and repair kit (multi-tool, spare binding parts, paraffin wax for gloppy skins, a few ski straps, an extra basket for your poles, etc.) and store them in your ski pack so it’s ready to hit the trail.

2. Learn/Review The Avy Basics.

Already taken an Avalanche Course? Great! Review the materials you used in your course and get out and practice mock rescues with your friends. Haven’t taken a course? No worries, there’s no better time than the present and it’s key to learn the basics before venturing out unwittingly into dangerous avalanche conditions. Check out the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) website to find a course near you. Avy 1 courses usually start in early December and cover everything from how to choose the best terrain for safe shredding to how to dig your buddy out if you do accidentally trigger a slide—essentially a crash course in basic decision-making.

3. Practice Your Skills

Travelling safely in the backcountry requires being able to read a topo map, orienting yourself to the terrain, navigating with a compass, understanding weather and avalanche forecasts, digging pits and performing avalanche rescues. While some of these skills require actual snow to practice, most do not. Bury your buddy’s beacon in a big pile of leaves and practice doing a beacon search. Bust out map and compass and navigate through familiar terrain. Practicing these activities is a great way to bolster your skills, prep for the season and solidify group dynamics. Bookmark important weather and avalanche sites and read up on avalanches that happened last season. Cruise around a mapping site and scope out some potential terrain for touring. 

4. Get Training And Get Stoked!

Ultimately, having gear and know-how doesn’t mean a thing if your legs aren’t ready for touring. Put down the cheese doodles and lace-up your trail runners. Backcountry touring requires good cardio, strong legs and balance. Hike hills with a weighted pack, go trail running, do core exercises, slackline—do whatever it takes! Also, don’t forget the mental training. After all, nothing feels better after a training session than popping in a ski movie, crackin’ a cold one and dreaming of the sweet, sweet powder turns to come! 

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