montoya 0 Posted February 16, 2004 Share Posted February 16, 2004 Found this recently while researching educational videos for friends here: "Think Like An Avalanche" http://www.telemarktips.com/VidRevThnkAvy.html There's a short video excerpt on the above page also. I think Black Diamond is carrying copies. Would love to see a Japanese-translation someday. Link to post Share on other sites
Siem Reeves 0 Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 Interesting, I'm trying to buy the vid but its not gonna be easy with a credit card with a different billing address to the shipping address and an address form that requires you to enter a US state to proceed. Link to post Share on other sites
montoya 0 Posted February 17, 2004 Author Share Posted February 17, 2004 Shimba, I had the same problem and contacted their customer support. I got my copy about 4 days after ordering. Here is what they told me, hope it helps out: "You can order it online by substituting UT and 84124 for the State and Zip fields. Just make sure you include a physical address for delivery and a daytime phone number. It is probably not a bad idea to re-enter the important info in the "instructions" field so that we can double check everything." If you need more help, try contacting them via their contact page: http://www.bdel.com/custserv/ Link to post Share on other sites
RayInJapan 0 Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 The video looks interesting but I gotta ask: You dig the snow pit for one run down a slope? First you gotta snow shoe up there, then dig a snow pit, then decide if its safe? What if its not? How do you get back down? Either way, sure seems like a lot of work for one run down the mountain... I guess the part that interests me would be a section that tells me what slope angle/terrain is likely to avi, then go somewhere else. How many folks here actually carry shovels, saws etc and then dig snow pits before their runs? Link to post Share on other sites
jared 0 Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 I think that its more likely that one hole gets dug at the start of the day before a full day of skiing. I usually do a rutchblock test in a place where I'm likely to get the worst results (steep convex and leeside). If thats ok then just about anywhere is good to go, if not then have to stick to the flatter stuff or go hit the table. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 When I truly go into the backcounrty I carry everything and usually dig pits for the different aspects I am going to ski. But if it's to dangerous you may just have to retreat down the path you came up. Even if you have to retreat though it certainly beats any day at a resort. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 Is the video in question the one about the Snowboarder, Skiers and Snowmobilers. Pretty good video although quite cheezy. Interesting to see what they do wrong and the consequences. Link to post Share on other sites
montoya 0 Posted February 18, 2004 Author Share Posted February 18, 2004 The video doesn't seem that cheesy; it has people like Bruce Tremper talking about snow pits, etc. Anyway, a good intro for newbies like myself. Speaking of Bruce Tremper, I picked up his book: "Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain" on Amazon.co.jp http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/0898868343/250-2127866-9861858 Good stuff, clear and very detailed.. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 I'm thinking of a different video. probably older. Link to post Share on other sites
enderzero 0 Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by RayInJapan: How many folks here actually carry shovels, saws etc and then dig snow pits before their runs? The ones that are the least likely to be caught in avalanches. You would be surprised by the lengths that educated people go to to ensure their safety. While going to the extent of doing a rutshcblock may seem like overkill for just one run dropping over "the backside" if other signs point to danger or if you are in a particularly susceptible place it is worth it. Link to post Share on other sites
john_g 0 Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 Anything much above 25 degrees will avalanche given the right conditions. Digging a snow pit does't take that much time. Maybe 15-30 minutes for a ruschblock, shovel shear test and a quick poke around for weak layers. Also I sometimes find you can get wildly different results from two ruschblock tests that are only a few metres apart. I think that maybe multiple quickies are the way to go. Link to post Share on other sites
Teledude 0 Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 I usually will check all day if I'm out. Every once and awhile, just stick your pole as deep as you can and feel the layers. It's not hard to feel a crust and it only takes a second. Do this every half hour or so. But everyone should know the area they are going into and what type terrain, general snow conditions etc BEFORE they even leave home. If you don't think you have time to dig a pit for just one run, you shouldn't be there in the first place. Agree with Toque, even a bad day in the backcountry beats an excellent in bounds day. The peace and beauty are worth it alone. Link to post Share on other sites
montoya 0 Posted February 19, 2004 Author Share Posted February 19, 2004 kinda off-tangent, but found this informative write-up of a recent workshop by the Canadian Avalanche Association, including a talk by Werner Munter. Lots of good stuff there: http://www.clubtread.com/articledetail.asp?ID=40 Link to post Share on other sites
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