Danny Uhlmann.

You hear a loud CRACK!

That's usually how it starts. Then you see it. A spider-web of fracture lines shoot out around your skis. And before you know it, the cracks intersect one another and everything starts to move, a massive icy checkerboard of sliding blocks and churning snow.

...and if you're not extremely lucky, this very well could be the last thing that you see...

Alasdair Turner.

On average, twenty-five people are killed every winter in avalanches. There have been 890 fatalities and 2700 reported accidents involving avalanches since 1950. And approximately $31,000 worth of property is lost or destroyed by avalanches in the United States every winter.

If you travel in the backcountry in winter conditions, then the statistical probability of encountering an avalanche jumps dramatically. Indeed, every single person who spends time in the mountains in a winter context will encounter avalanche terrain and avalanche conditions.

The only way to stack the odds in your favor is by obtaining avalanche education, learning how to mitigate avalanche dangers, and studying snow burial rescue techniques.

The American Alpine Institute offers FREE Avalanche Awareness seminars throughout the winter season. These short evening programs are designed to introduce winter backcountry enthusiasts to avalanche terrain assessment, winter snowpack analysis and rescue technique.The programs also provide you a venue to talk frankly with our expert guides on how to create a reasonable margin of safety when climbing, skiing, or snowboarding on avalanche prone slopes.

While all of our Avalanche Awareness seminars are free public service events, some of them do raise money for charitable causes. Fundraising efforts are on a donation basis and attendees are not required to give anything in order to participate in the seminars.

Danny Uhlmann.

• December 3, 2011
International Mountain Day
Bellingham, WA
Call our office for more details
• January 3, 2012
REI Avalanche Awareness Course
Bellingham, WA
Call our office for more details
• January 31, 2012
REI Avalanche Awareness Course
Bellingham, WA
Call our office for more details
• More dates and locations to be added soon!

The American Alpine Institute may be able to set-up private avalanche awareness seminars for your university, club, Boy Scout Troop, etc. Please contact our office for details.

Danny Uhlmann.