Avalanche Safety: Understanding, Avoiding, and Surviving Snow Avalanches¶

Avalanches kill more backcountry travelers than any other mountain hazard. This guide covers avalanche types, terrain assessment, snowpack analysis, the avalanche danger scale, rescue equipment (transceiver, probe, shovel), companion rescue, and decision-making frameworks that help you avoid being caught in the first place.

Introduction¶

Avalanche Statistics That Should Concern You¶

Types of Avalanches¶

Slab Avalanches — The Primary Killer¶

Loose Snow Avalanches¶

Wet Avalanches¶

Ice Avalanches¶

Terrain Assessment¶

Slope Angle — The 25-45 Degree Danger Zone¶

Aspect and Sun Exposure¶

Terrain Traps¶

Snowpack Analysis¶

Weak Layers and Slabs¶

Digging Snow Pits¶

Compression Test¶

The Avalanche Danger Scale¶

1 (Low) to 5 (Extreme)¶

Reading Avalanche Bulletins¶

Essential Rescue Equipment¶

Avalanche Transceiver¶

Probe¶

Shovel¶

Airbag Packs¶

Companion Rescue¶

The 15-Minute Window¶

Transceiver Search Pattern¶

Probing and Shoveling¶

Decision-Making Framework¶

The AIARE Framework¶

Group Dynamics and Heuristic Traps¶