by Tony Daffern on January 26, 2011
Backcountry Avalanche Safety is an up-to-date, tightly written, backcountry-focused book that clearly explains the basics of snow and avalanches using color photos and diagrams. It describes the skills needed to travel through avalanche terrain and provides guidelines for skiing and boarding steep slopes with an emphasis on managing risk.
by Tony Daffern on December 9, 2010
The Canadian Avalanche Centre has produced a new version of the Avaluator! So what’s new? Obvious Clues are gone. There is a new Slope Evaluation card that uses a rules-based approach to travel in avalanche terrain, and the old Trip Planner, used as a basis for the Online Avaluator, is still there. Here are the details.
by Tony Daffern on March 17, 2010
A new Avalanche Danger Scale was announced today by Environment Minister Jim Prentice. Developed under the leadership of Parks Canada’s Grant Statham, and several years in the making, the new scale will be implemented for next winter, though there’s no reason why you can’t refer to it now.
by Tony Daffern on February 25, 2010
The ability to read terrain is the most important skill to develop if you wish to enjoy the winter backcountry safely. Parks Canada has developed a terrain rating system that evaluates the complexity of avalanche terrain and makes recommendations on the suitability of avalanche terrain for various users.
by Tony Daffern on October 30, 2009
Avalanche Forecasts are your primary source of information whether skiing, boarding, snowshoeing, or scrambling and climbing in avalanche terrain.