What Avalanche Training Taught Us About Ourselves & Adventure
Earlier this month we traveled north to Vermont to take an avalanche course with the National Ski Patrol. We’ve been meaning to write a recap for weeks now, but it’s been surprisingly difficult to put words to the experience, probably in part because we weren’t sure anyone would be interested in hearing about it. Most of you likely follow us because you love SUP in any form (duh, #dcsupcouple), and our other exploits are something you simply put up with until we’re back on the water in the spring. But even if you’re not a winter sport person, or back country expeditions aren’t in the cards for you, we think there’s still something to learn from this experience. Hear us out:
There’s technically no such thing as being safe in the back county. But, learning the fundamentals will help give you the tools to make better choices for yourself in these situations. In the end, it’s all about taking in the information in front of you and weighing it with your individual risk taking level.
This lesson really resonated with us. You probably wouldn’t go run class III rapids without knowing what type of gear you should have, which lines are best, or taking a whitewater SUP lesson first (or at least we hope you wouldn’t). You can draw this analogy for a lot of different sports and activities - hiking (gotta do a little research on which trail you want to take), rock climbing (um, you better know what the heck you’re doing first), and so on.
We had just assumed that taking this class would make us feel instantly safer in the back country, but we were naive to think it would mitigate risk. There’s always risk in putting yourself out there. And that’s why, as SUP instructors, we talk a lot about measures you should take to know the fundamentals before jumping on a board and why we champion taking an introductory lesson. (If you’re new here, this is a great time for us to plug our “safety first, fun second” mantra + lessons make you way more efficient and proficient!)
For Meredith in particular, who is not a natural risk taker, this experience was also an exercise in stepping out of her comfort zone. Doing something a little beyond the line you draw for yourself in the sand is where a lot of good things live - personal growth, enriching experiences, and typically a whole lot of fun.
Plus, if you’re arming yourself with the knowledge you need to help take risks, you’ll feel way more empowered. The risk will always be there, but you’re more in control. Would you bow to peer pressure or even your own ego to paddle out in overhead surf? Peer pressure and ego are real - we experience them too! Having every tool available in your toolbox to make the best decision for yourself helps combat them!
This experience was equal parts fun and tough. It required weeks of preparation in advance, reading a book, taking a 60-question test, and completing 15 different online modules to help us prepare for the class itself, which was three days long (two of which were spent outside digging pits, analyzing snow pack, and participating in a mock avalanche rescue and recovery). Whew!
But we left Smuggler’s Notch and immediately began building out our tools and resources for the back country. Suffice it to say we had an experience that left us wanting to learn and do more. And it was long overdue. Inbound avalanches are a real thing, so having the skills to analyze avalanche situations and the safety gear (and knowledge of how to use it) and are becoming increasingly more important when skiing or riding anywhere!
To be abundantly clear, we’re still novices when it comes to this subject. We have a lot more learning to do. Don’t we all?
What are the things you’re currently learning that are new or challenging for you? Let us know below! And don’t forget to sign up for our emails so you ‘re the first read new blog posts and get news about events and activities!
