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No part of this website may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Iterum, LLC. The sole exception to this restriction is that you may print pages from this website for your personal use.

Backcountry Safety

Venturing into the backcountry in the winter can be dangerous. Really dangerous. That can't be stated any more directly. In fact, I've seen enough trauma in the backcountry, including nine avalanche fatalities, that I wrote an entire book about it.

The dangers range from avalanches and cliffs, to trees and tree wells, to simple falls on gentle terrain. The list goes on and on. You can mitigate the dangers with common sense and a little education, but you can't eliminate them. Never let your guard down.

I have worked hard to make the information on this website as accurate as possible, but there are bound to be inaccuracies. Don't expect this guide to keep you out of dangerous situations. You, and only you, are responsible for your safety in the mountains. If you don't agree, close your browser and find a safer activity.

Disclosure

I earn commissions from qualifying sales when you use advertising links on my websites. The commissions are meager and clearly not my motivation, but they do provide a little justification for the hours I spend in front of my computer rather than skiing.