Back Country Snowboarding
Off Piste - Back Country Snowboarding - ABC's of Snowboarding
Rating - ***
Back country snowboarding is much different than that of going to your local ski hill for the day and having a leisurely board down the perfectly groomed runs. The conditions are always changing on mountains and can make for some very dangerous situations so you always have to be prepared.
In this article, they really focus on the fact that you need to be an experienced rider so that if a sticky situation arises, you can get yourself out of there as many people have been injured in the back country although it could have been avoided. When riding off-piste, there are usually many obstacles like trees, rocks or drop-offs that can cause some serious damage if you aren't careful. On top of being aware of your surroundings, you need to have emergency supplies if something were to happen because being stranded with nothing could end up costing you your life. Some things you should bring with you are first aid kits, food & water, your safety equipment (you should always wear these), a GPS and a phone or emergency whistle to get ahold of someone. It is really important to have at least some basic first aid, avalanche awareness and mountaineering training so you will be prepared in case of emergency. Some other item's that are not as nessecary are purchasing a larger snowboard that floats well in powder and has a swallowtail as it will help you move easily through the snow.
This article affected me because I am very into snowboarding along with many of my close friends. Although we do not have any mountains around where we live, we still go to the local hill all the time and make the most of that. Going snowboarding off-piste is something I have always wanted to do and something I definitely plan on doing sometime in the near future. Theres nothing like the rush of flying down a hill at full speed or seamlessly gliding through a bunch of powder because it feels like your riding on a cloud. If I am to go back country riding, I will definitely have to take all of the precautions to make sure I am going to be safe and prepared for the worst.
By: Spencer Wayland
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