Avalanche Awareness Beyond the Boundaries

As winter fast approaches with fresh snow on the mountain tops our thoughts rightly start to drift to our winter gear. Is this the new year for skis? Perhaps some new bindings? I am certainly in the market for some new bindings. Maybe some new boot liners. Performance is everything and I'll take any help offered by new technology as my scraggly beard starts to betray my age with specks of grey, while the knees start to creak a little more.

After watching "Into the Mind" the latest Sherpas movie, I was also reminded that we need to keep up our knowledge base when it comes to safety. There is an impressive scene when a skier gets taken for a massive ride in an avalanche after pushing the limits in Bella Coola.

As I plan the winter ahead with a mix of grade 11 and 12s on a new outdoor program in Nelson it's been great to find out more about the FREE avalanche awaerness courses offered to teenagers in the West Kootenays through the Avalanche Awareness Beyond the Boundaries program

Courses are offered at Whitewater Ski Resort near Nelson (as if you needed the directions). You read that right. The courses are FREE, check Whitewater's site to find out more.

"AABBS is a non-profit society founded in the spring of 2009 by a group of Nelson ski industry and business professionals concerned about the increasing numbers of teens venturing out into the back country without any avalanche and/or mountain safety training."