The B.A.S.I.C.S. 2 – Avalanche Awareness video emphasizes five key things to recognize when enjoying the backcountry in order to come home safe: (1) Get Educated. Learn about avalanche safety by taking a class. (2) Know your skills, know your surroundings. Check out forecasts for weather and conditions before you go. (3) Have the proper equipment and know how to use it (avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel and airbag). (4) Never travel alone. Always ride with partners in a group and have a plan. (5) If you don’t feel comfortable, don’t go. There is always tomorrow when using good judgment.
Watch the B.A.S.I.C.S. 2 – Avalanche Awareness video by visiting www.basics.highfivesfoundation.org.
“In 2012, North America saw 34 deaths due to avalanches,” Roy Tuscany, High Fives Foundation co-founder, said. “This video is designed to act as a catalyst to get youth and winter sports enthusiasts motivated to become educated in backcountry safety, prevention, and awareness.”
Additionally, the following websites are great resources to be better prepared when in the backcountry: American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (http://avtraining.org); Avalanche.Org (http://avalanche.org); Forest Service National Avalanche Center (fsavalanche.org); National Snow and Ice Data Center (http://nsidc.org); and Back Country Access (BCA) Float Airbags and Safety Equipment (backcountryaccess.com).
“The creation of B.A.S.I.C.S. has been essential in the growth of the High Fives Foundation,” JT Holmes, B.A.S.I.C.S. Program Director, said. “We are working hard to educate winter sports enthusiasts by encouraging them to use good judgment in order to catch them before they crash or have an accident. I also feel it is important to give back to your sport. Knowing that we could potentially prevent an avoidable accident through this education series of videos is very rewarding.”