When thinking of survival classes to take, usually anything related to snow does not come to mind. Instead, I imagine things like how to build a fire, hunt, or create a shelter. However, survival has to happen no matter the environment. Additionally, you must be prepared for the events that could occur in those different environments — introducing avalanche safety courses. Sounds interesting, right? Let me tell you why you should strongly consider taking an avalanche safety course.
Why Take An Avalanche Survival Course ?
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You may wonder why you would need to take this course if you don't live near snow. If you ever plan on skiing, snowboarding, or visiting any place with avalanches for vacation, this information could save your life. Also, contrary to popular belief, beautiful, small mountain towns are affected by this too. You don't need to be in the far-off wilderness to be affected. Hunters could also benefit from these classes. Bottom line: There is no harm in learning how to survive in all sorts of environments.
Next, it is important to know the basics of avalanche safety. Outdoor Life shared that humans trigger ninety percent of avalanches. Additionally, there are signs that an avalanche is about to occur. They share, "There are signs before an avalanche occurs. The snow under your feet may start to crack, slide, or sluff away. You might hear the snow collapse on deep layers, too weak to support your weight."
What Gets Taught At An Avalanche Safety Course?
A student from one of the courses shared their experience with Outdoor Life. They shared that the class mixes online instruction and field days. Additionally, they shared, "We were taught how to read forecasts, plan our own excursions into avalanche terrain, and practice good decision-making."
Additionally, the class covered avalanche rescue techniques. In that section of the course, they mentioned the three most important pieces of avalanche rescue equipment: "avalanche beacon, probe, and shovel."While it may seem daunting to practice for the worst-case scenario, it is all for a good purpose. While you hope never to have to dig out a loved one, taking an avalanche safety course ensures that you can if you have to.
