When Checking in With the Group, use the prompts from the RIDE SAFELY Checklist on page 5 of The AIARE Fieldbook. Include everyone and ask: • Who saw what? • What do your observations mean? • Are the conditions what you expected? • Did you see anything unexpected or unusual? Keep in mind fatigued and stressed individuals can have difficulty making decisions, as well as maintaining situational awareness. Environmental conditions can also short circuit a person’s mental faculties or general level of enthusiasm. Keep an eye on your teammates and they’ll do the same for you. Ensure everyone is well fed, warm, and hydrated at each step of the trip. Make sure everyone’s gear is working and recognize when someone isn’t enjoying the experience but doesn’t want to be the first one to complain. Identify anything within the group that impacts its ability to travel and make decisions together. Make sure everyone participates in the day’s decisions. When people have a part in decision making, they’re more invested in the outcome. If someone’s not participating, ask why: • Do they feel heard and respected? • Are they worried? • Or are they simply confident and comfortable with the day and how it’s progressing? To achieve real consensus, you need to ask for everyone’s opinion regardless of the individual’s experience or expertise. Likewise, if you’re out with a team more experienced than you, don’t feel like your observations and concerns are less important than those of other group members. Everyone has a voice and is expected to challenge assumptions. Less experienced group members are often better equipped to notice and question if the group is doing something out of habit or by choice. Engaged members are more likely to express veto. ——— #snowmobile #winter #avalanchesafety #repost #aiare #avalanche #avalancheeducationiscool #avyed #onlinelearning #tylersbackcountry #avalancheeducation #backcountrytravel #backcountryssnowmobiling #backcountry #avcan #adventure #knowbeforeyougo #thelocalexperts #tylersbackcountry #backcountry #outside #fxrracing #mammut #knowyourhoars #powder #tkicnc #getoutside #snowpit #avalancherescue #rescue (fb)

Prior to heading into the backcountry, it is vital to develop a route plan. Your route plan should consider the current avalanche conditions, your riding groups riding ability, and the avalanche terrain your route might expose you to. Part of this route plan development could be taking advantage on those clear sky days to safely traverse to the top of different ridges to get views of terrain riding terrain around you. This can help identify different riding areas as well as different avalanche terrain that might be present in those areas. ——— #snowmobile #winter #avalanchesafety #repost #aiare #avalanche #avalancheeducationiscool #avyed #onlinelearning #tylersbackcountry #avalancheeducation #backcountrytravel #backcountryssnowmobiling #backcountry #avcan #adventure #knowbeforeyougo #thelocalexperts #tylersbackcountry #backcountry #outside #fxrracing #mammut #knowyourhoars #powder #tkicnc #getoutside #snowpit #avalancherescue #rescue (fb)