Avalanche Safety Guide

Backcountry safety starts before the ride.

SnowBigDeal’s Avalanche Safety Guide is built for winter riders who want to enjoy the backcountry with more confidence and better preparation. Exploring snowy terrain is exciting, but avalanche risk is real, conditions can change quickly, and the right decisions happen before the sleds leave the trailer.

Use this guide as a practical starting point: learn the basics, carry the right gear, practice with your group, and check current conditions before every ride.

Avalanche beacon for backcountry safety
Find Your Center Check regional avalanche centers and advisories. Get Training Review safety courses and education resources. Shop Safety Gear Browse beacons, airbags, shovels, probes, and kits. Avalanche.org National avalanche center resources.

Educate Yourself

If you’re new to backcountry travel or need a refresher, take an avalanche safety course before riding avalanche terrain. Education helps riders understand how avalanches form, how to read terrain, how to travel with a group, and what to do in an emergency.

  • Check your regional avalanche center for training and resources. (Find Your Center)
  • The National Avalanche Center hosts a variety of training resources and course links. (Avalanche.org)
  • Check with your local snowmobile or ski shop for local avalanche safety courses and resources.
  • Follow avalanche centers and forecasters on social media. We recommend Mike Duffy (@avalanche1.colorado on Instagram).
  • Watch avalanche safety course material on YouTube, then reinforce it with hands-on training.
  • The American Red Cross offers many first-aid-related courses. (redcross.org)
  • Review SnowBigDeal’s training resources and safety courses.

Pack the Right Gear

Your avalanche education and experience will prove largely ineffective without the right tools in your gear set. All backcountry enthusiasts should carry the following gear essentials.

Avalanche beacon

Avalanche Beacon

A transceiver is the most critical tool for locating a buried rider quickly.

Find a Beacon
Avalanche airbag pack

Airbag Pack

An airbag pack can help a rider stay nearer the surface during a slide.

Find an Airbag
Avalanche shovel and probe gear

Shovel & Probe

A sturdy shovel and probe reduce search and excavation time.

Find Tools
Backcountry radio

Backcountry Radio

Clear group communication matters before, during, and after a ride.

Find a Radio
First-aid kit

First-Aid Kit

Useful for trauma, injuries, and other backcountry emergencies.

Find First-Aid

Practice

Practice and repetition help solidify important information in our minds, especially information that is easy to forget when we panic. The same goes for avalanche safety training.

Backcountry riders should frequently practice beacon searches, probing, shoveling, first-aid basics, and airbag deployment/repacking. Learn more about performing a rescue and preseason gear maintenance.

Gauge Your Risk

Before every ride, check whether your training, gear, group, and local conditions line up. If you have not completed the essentials in this checklist, your risk is higher and you should not ride avalanche terrain.

  • Weather & Forecast: Watch for recent snow, wind, warming, and precipitation.
  • Local Advisories: Review current avalanche danger and forecast discussion. (Learn more)
  • Rider Communication: Talk with local riders and forecasters before committing to terrain.
  • Field Evaluation: Learn to spot signs of instability. (Spot avalanche danger)

Keep These Resources Handy

Use these quick references before a ride or when planning a backcountry trip.

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