Backcountry Group Etiquette

RULES & REGS GROUP ETIQUETTE AVALANCHE SAFETY BUYING A BEACON BEAR CREEK

Backcountry Group Etiquette

If you backcountry ski long enough, you are sure to run into this problem. One or more of your group differs in ascending pace, dedication, acceptable risk, skill level, and/or motivation. Disappointment from the stronger partner can result from not reaching a summit, destination, or desired number of laps. Frustration from the weaker partner can initiate from being too exhausted, their partner not waiting up, or just not having fun.

We have all been on at least one side of the story if not both. Here are some ways to help everyone have a great time backcountry skiing:

Stronger skiers should carry more of the weight. Offer your pack for extra layers, water, food and anything else to help lighten the load (except their avalanche gear!). When I first met my wife she was an experienced backcountry skier but she never really cared about fast ascents. She enjoyed just being out in the backcountry no matter what we did. This definitely caused conflict as I really enjoyed skinning or hiking as fast as possible. But it was also hard and unnatural for me to move slower than my natural pace.

The solution? I had a five gallon water bladder that I would fill up and store in my pack. This extra weight slowed me down and was also good training! It caused me to work just as hard as I would with a faster partner, but I moved at the same pace as my wife. Once we were at our destination, I would just empty the water and the weight would be gone for the ski descent.

Agree on realistic goals before you begin your tour. It can be a big let down when ski partners have different assumptions of how much skiing will be done on their trip. If the more fit skier wants to get in four laps and the other partner only wants to do one, both will probably be disappointed. To avoid this disappointment I think it is a huge help to set the agenda to what the weaker skier wants to do- before you begin the day. The weaker skier can always choose to extend the day once they are out there, but the stronger skier won’t be disappointed when his/her expectations aren’t met.

Make sure the skiing is within the ability of all party members. In general, the weaker partner will be much more exhausted when it comes time to ski. This exhaustion can be very dangerous if the descent has any aspects that might be out of the weaker skier’s ability range. It is very important for the safety of the weaker skier to be able to confidently ski whatever descent the group chooses to do.

Define what acceptable risk the group as a whole is willing to take that day. This is a really important one that is often overlooked. The inexperienced skiers tend to just go with the flow and often find themselves in terrain they are not comfortable with. It is up to the experienced members to make sure they know exactly what the weaker skiers are willing to risk.

A ski group is only as strong as its weakest member so by default, everything should be geared towards them. If stronger skiers have a problem with this, they can split up the group and go on their own. Remember- backcountry skiing is all about enjoying the mountains and powder. The main goal of every group should be safety and fun for everyone involved!

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Backcountry Group Etiquette