‘Backcountry’ and ‘off piste’ freeriding are now more popular than ever before. Every year more and more people skiers and snowboarders leave the pistes in search of the greater challenges set by the mountains untamed natural terrain.

Attitudes to ‘Off piste’ and ‘Backcountry’ riding are today very different from what they where only a decade ago when the untamed challenges of the high mountains where seen as the domain only of the most experienced skier or mountaineer.

Back then after a heavy snowfall the moto was, ‘let the mountains have their day’, the snow would be left to settle and nature would find its balance.

Today however things are different, the race is on and extreme fever is upon us. You leave the mountains alone for one day after the storm and you’ll just sit in the valley and watch it get tracked out by everyone else.

Attitudes have definitely changed and as more and more people of all abilities and levels of experience are drawn away from the pistes in search of the excitement of fresh lines and deep powder, the extreme spots of yesterday become the popular venues of today and the push is on to get further and further out there in order to find those last secret spots in the very heart of the high mountains.

As the focus shifts outwards towards these new and more extreme boundaries, the backcountry spots of yesterday slowly become today’s norm and whilst in real terms they are no less extreme than they where before, (some maybe made slightly safer due to how tracked out the Snowpack becomes) now even the most un-experienced snowboarder or skier can all to soon find themselves out there looking to drop in and ride on a snowpack that they know so little about.

I have been freeriding and guiding in the backcountry of the high mountains for over 20 years and during this time I have seen things change both for better and for worse. Firstly, advances in equipment and riding standards have made the backcountry easier to access, more enjoyable to ride and a whole lot safer than it was when I first ventured out under the ropes.

There’s also a lot more general information available for those with the need and in general people are a lot more aware of the dangers today than they have been in the past due to the media, films and books covering the subject.

These changes are great and its great to see so many people out there enjoying themselves surrounded by some of natures finest landscapes.

On the negative side of things, today everyone seems to be in such a rush to get their lines that they almost miss the very essence of what they are out there searching for in the first place.

There’s something almost magical about making turns down vast slopes of untracked perfect powder, riding with the mountains natural terrain, flowing with the mountains natural sculptures, slashing the windlip here, launching the roller there. Riding in a timeless place with all the time in the world.

Riding in the backcountry is about more than just getting from A to B and getting back up there to do it all again as many times as possible.

Backcountry freeriding is about creating amazing experiences, about feeling your riding flow with the mountains terrain and about feeling the balance of the elements surrounding you as you tune in and ride with the mountain and not against it.

Today however whether we like it or not the race is on and both experienced and inexperienced snowboarders and skiers will make or follow the tracks of others and ride beyond the confines of the patrolled mountain. One by one we will seek to venture further out than the last track and race to drop in onto that last perfect looking untracked slope (even if it was originally avoided due to suspect danger).

There are no rules and the mountains are open to everyone, we all share the amazing terrain found in these out of bounds areas, but we also all share the responsibility to be accountable for our own actions.

The Backcountry of the high mountains does pose serious risks and it up to you to educate your self as to what these risks are and how best to avoid them.

In 20 years of riding I have learnt many things but the one thing I have learnt more than anything else is to take my time, learn from and respect the environment in which I ride.

Safety in the Backcountry is all about correct decision making. Once you step away from the patrolled areas of the mountain you are immediately confronted with many important and life defining decisions. Most decisions in the Backcountry are probably based upon 70% common sense and 30% knowledge and experience.

It is important to listen to the mountain, your instincts and heed those warning bells in your head when they begin to ring.

Today I make my decisions based on what the mountains are teaching me, I base my decisions on Feelings, Terrain shape assessments and simple snow pack analysis. The mountain tells me all of these things all the time and by listening and looking at the environment around me I hope that my decisions are balanced and correct.

I know that the same element of risk applies to all mountain users no matter what their experience and I know that the decisions I make might be the only difference between me having the best day of my life or the worst. These are important decisions and must be assessed and re-assessed moment by moment.

We are all dealt an even hand as we duck under the ropes and head out into the backcountry and whilst the mountain will always control the deck of cards it is up to us to stack the odds in our favour as much as possible.

The biggest single danger posed by riding Off Piste or in the Backcountry is of course that of Avalanches.

Avalanches are not entirely random events that happen with out reason, they don’t just happen far from the lifts in the middle of nowhere and they don’t just catch the inexperienced or the careless.

Whilst the inexperienced and careless Backcountry rider obviously has the odds stacked highly against them, their inexperience will often keep them to easier angled previously ridden slopes with relatively little risk.

The very experienced Backcountry rider is often obsessed with safety and will be aware of and check everything before venturing into the unknown.

In many instances it is the experienced rider with little Off-piste or Backcountry knowledge that is the most at risk. In this category the rider has the ability and enthusiasm to be the first and to tackle all but does not always have the eye to pick out the safe line, the vital signs and the untold risks.

Avalanches happen for a reason and with a little experience, knowledge and a large dose of common sense we can learn to recognise the symptoms and factors influencing the likelihood of a slope release.

It is all too common today to see attitudes prevailing over common sense. Nobody is immune and the Avalanche search and rescue statistics are frightening.

Think about this, the average call out time for an organized avalanche rescue is around 30 to 40 minutes.

The survival statistics for an alive but buried avalanche victim are at around 90% if found within 10 to 15 minutes after burial. (A survivor buried for this amount of time may be suffering from signs of asphyxiation but should have vital signs).

That survival statistic drops to below 50% by 30 minutes and around 75% of avalanche fatalities are caused by asphyxiation due to them not being uncovered in time.

In other words it is very clear that your best chance of survival if you are unfortunate enough to be caught and buried in an avalanche is going to come from those that you are riding with and the equipment that you and your friends are carrying. You basically have 10 minutes from burial to being dug out!

How well do you know your equipment and just as important how well do your friends know theirs?

Now look at the time stats for being rescued.

The average search and rescue time for a ‘trained searcher’ with a transceiver, shovel and probe (the victim buried under 1 meter of snow) is around 10 minutes giving the victim a 90% chance of survival.

If however, the searcher has only a transceiver (as many riders do), even though the victim’s vicinity may be roughly located within the golden 10 minutes the recovery time statistically has now gone up towards 50 minutes.

With a transceiver and shovel (but no probe) this time is now reduced to around 25 minutes, still too long! But with a probe added to the equation the rescue should be accomplished within the golden 15 minutes.

Note that these statistics are based upon times for a trained searcher! This is someone who has read all the manual, knows their kit and has experience of search and rescue procedures. (Remember, your equipment is only as good as you are at using it and Practise makes perfect).

It is also important to note also that these statistics are based around the times for one burial victim. In the case of multiple burials (which are unfortunately more and more common these days) the Golden 10 minutes applies to all!

With this in mind your time for a single search needs to be around 5 minutes max!

Try to remember these statistics as you duck under the ropes or follow the tracks of others out onto an uncontrolled snowpack of which you know little about and the odds are already starting to stack against you.

Start to even the balance by making the correct judgements and making the right decisions. Take your time and listen and look at the surrounding environment for help, the clues are so often out there!

You can begin to further stack the odds in your favour by carrying the right equipment and by knowing how to use it and obviously riding with others that can do the same.

Through correct and thoughtful actions you can begin to balance the odds in your favour but it is important to never get complacent, never get beyond yourself and never take the mountain for granted.

Assess and re-assess moment by moment and believe in your decisions.

We’ve all read the horror stories and seen the news. We all know that avalanches do happen so what is it going to take to make you take control and be responsible for your actions.

The one week a year snowboarder or skier might think that avalanches only effect those that ride out of bounds day in and day out or ride steep and extreme terrain but they don’t.

The average angle for a slab avalanche is a slope of between 30 and 35 degrees, the most commonly ridden slope angle is also between 30 and 35 degrees.

Get the kit and most importantly learn how to use it! Do your research, get the knowledge, take your time and enjoy the mountains.