Winter hub
Avalanche Safety
Avalanches are the deadliest thing on a winter mountain — and nearly all victims trigger the slide that kills them. Terrain choices and snowpack reading keep you alive.
Terrain: Where Slides Happen
Most avalanches start on slopes between 30° and 45° — the exact pitch that feels like a fun run.
- Slope angle is the first filter: below ~25° slides rarely release; above 45° snow sluffs constantly. Learn to eyeball 30°.
- Leeward slopes (where wind loads snow) and lee pockets below ridgelines hold the deepest, most dangerous slabs.
- Convex rolls and the top of a slope are common trigger points; stay off them in questionable conditions.
- Runout zones matter too: a small slide from far above can bury the valley floor. Look up, always.
- Travel one at a time across suspect slopes so only one person is exposed.
Do
- Cross suspect terrain one person at a time, with the rest watching from a safe spot.
Don't
- Never cluster the group in a runout or below a loaded slope.
Reading the Snowpack and Forecast
Avalanche danger is forecast daily in most mountain regions — reading that forecast is free insurance.
- Check the regional avalanche forecast every morning before you go; it rates danger and flags specific problems.
- Red flags in the field: recent avalanches, whumpfing sounds, shooting cracks under your feet, heavy loading in the last 24 hours.
- Weak layers form during clear cold spells (surface hoar) and stay hidden for weeks under new snow.
- Rain, rapid warming, and wind loading all spike danger — plan around them rather than through them.
- Punch a quick pit or hand-tilt test on representative slopes if you are trained; if you are not trained, stay on low-angle terrain.
Rescue: The First 15 Minutes
If someone is buried, companions are the only realistic rescue — roughly 90% of survivors are dug out by their own group.
- Carry and train with the trio: transceiver (beacon), probe, and shovel. A beacon in the pack is not a rescue plan.
- Mark the point the person was last seen, then switch your beacon to search and follow the signal toward the strongest reading.
- Probe to pinpoint (strike grid), then dig efficiently from downhill of the burial point.
- Call for rescue early — but start companion rescue immediately. Do not wait for professionals.
- Watch for further slides: the slope that caught one victim can catch the rescuers too.
No training, no steep terrain
If your group has not taken an avalanche course and practiced beacon drills this season, treat every slope steeper than about 25° as off-limits. Gear does not replace judgment — most fatal accidents are triggered by the victim's own party making a terrain error they could see coming.