Pit Test Basics and How to Survive in Avalanche Terrain
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2025
- How do you perform a basic avalanche pit test? How do we survive in some of the most dangerous conditions in the backcountry? Hope this video helps!
If you want to find you local Avalanche forecast check out this site: avalanche.org
This video goes over how to check your local avalanche forecast, the basics for creating and reading a avalanche pit (ECT), and what precausions we can take when skiing to avoid unnecessary risk
And if you plan on heading out into the backcountry for the first time we strongly recommend taking an in person course from someone who knows what they are doing. We are not certified to teach backcountry safety.
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It's nice to see someone actually talk about if they would ski or not. The problem with all the avy videos and writing is they never tell you when you should or shouldn't ski. While I get people don't want to risk saying it's safe or not but most people I see digging pits have no idea when or if they should be going or not.
Totally agree on this!!
True but it's the testing and evaluation that determines weather a person is to go ski or snowboarding and to use common sense.
As a recreational user in the backcountry most of the time it’s not the most practical to dig pit tests. Your avalanche center does this for you. It’s also an exact science that each test has to be executed precisely and results must be determined accurately. When you do get these data points, the aiare field books have an equation in the back pages to input your data and guide you toward a decision. I think when it comes to informational videos on how to dig a pit, its cool to see the skills, but it’s best to take an avalanche course or talk with an avalanche professional about the context of these results. Most of the time I’m just tracking the weather, reading the avalanche report and observations for the area, have a detailed tour plan based off the avalanche forecast, and looking for my own observations throughout my day. I really don’t dig pits that often unless it’s for pure practice or I’m in a place like Alaska and truly have no snowpack information for the area and aspect I’m on.
No such thing as safe when you ski avalanche prone terrain.
Simplest easiest common sense presentation I’ve seen showing how but also the implications. Good scripting and flow 👍
RUclips algorithm should make this video viral. After skiing 7 years in resorts, I am bringing my 10 and 13 year old boys into multi day hut to hut ski touring. This video is as close as you can get to the real course about snow tests and should be watched multiple times prior to taking any courses. Nice trick with the rope, carrying saw and test snow kit is way to much weight and space in the backpack. Only one minor remark about your trick with adding a bit of snow for the shoulder taps: I would personally not do it, because it "takes" away a lot of force from the shoulder tap... thus introducing additional inaccuracy to the test. Great video! Thank you very very much for creating it.
Preach man, we'd definitely appreciate the exposure and we're glad you like the video! Honestly, we're just out there skiing everyday and wanna bring a bit of that experience back to get more people shredding in the outdoors.
Fantastic video man! I'm not a skier, but as a backpacker this content is super helpful too!
Do more videos like this! This is the content what is missing from RUclips. You will go viral.
Hey Nathan! This was a superb breakdown of how to check snow conditions, in a very easy to understand way. I've seen / done / trained on most of this before, but using a piece of string/rope was a good hack. Taking that with me for sure! Thanks a million for sharing!
Great video. Love to see you opt not to ski higher, riskier conditions/terrain in favor of lower/safer terrain. As others have said, it's often skipped.
Fantastic. This was the information I've been looking for. Thanks! Happy slidin'!
Stoked you liked it!
Well done sire - basics clearly demonstrated with the emphasis on required decision making at the moment for the full day!
Good job on the video! Iv been skiing for years and have been caught in an avalanche and triggered avalanches. This is great simple clip to understand the signs.
Thank you!! Just trying to spread the knowledge. Glad you've been able to make it out of all the slides!
This is great!!! Thanks so much, I would love to see more content like this and how to interpret different types of pit test results. E.g. how many taps is okay, what type of slab make it more or less okay, and how that relates to risk tolerance. Maybe just describing your personal rules for yourself as all people will have different rules based on their risk tolerance. Like some ppl may not want to ski a slope at all if they think there’s a 10% chance it would slide, but others are willing to risk it if they think it would be a smaller slide and use tools like the “safe zone” and shoulder look that you described. Thanks again for the video!
Nice tip to cut the snow with a rope, something I always carry for small repairs. Thanks.
Have you ever used a " SNOW SAW "
@@craigbosko2229 yes, something I DON'T carry all the time with me
Great job explaining. I really appreciate your perspective and experience in the mountains.
Well done. Nicely explained. I learned a lot.
Great explanation, man! Thank you 🤘
Great video!!! Super practical. Well done!!
Thank you so much for this video!
Outstanding video!!
awsome vid man. really helpful, keep it up
excellent video
Great knowledge, thanks brother
This was helpful. Thank you.
Thank you very much, excellent video!! Have a great winter season
Stoked to hear it man! Praying for snow!
Really helpful information.
Appreciating this. Thank you.
Excellent content, continue the great work!
Hugely appreciate it man, ngl we kinda stopped working on the channel for a bit but it'd be a dream to make this channel full time. We will be back this season with regular videos hopefully!
Thanks for sharing! Hoping for some help: My OKX wallet has some Tether USDT, and I know the seedphrase: -clean- -party- -soccer- -advance- -audit- -clean- -evil- -finish -tonight- -involve- -whip- -action-. Could you suggest how should I proceed with sending them to Kraken?
Great video, thank you :)
great video. do you have any other videos like this?
Heyo, sorry been running all over for winter. We have a full backcountry guide up on the channel that Jordan did and I have a ton of videos in the pipeline. It's really hard to find time for personal videos when client work takes most my time but if you have any specific topics you want covered let me know and I'll make them my next priority.
Do you know the slope angle that slid? Looks about 30-35? Wondering why you close to ski that area with the test results you got. Was it because you were familiar with it and had a plan to mitigate if it did slide? Not judging, just trying to get a better understanding of the thought process. I am relatively new to the backcountry so just trying to get more opinions.
Just guessing but pretty sure the slide video was not shot on the same day as the pit video
This^
Great work!
Appreciate it man! Just here to share the love for what we do! Let us know what you'd be interested in seeing in the future.
Awesome 👌 appreciated 🙏
could you say a little more specifically when a terrain is dangerous/good to ski. say after 15taps 20taps …
One reason we avoid saying something like that is because there is no hard and fast rule. Additionally failures happen in a variety of ways, compression, separation, propagating, nonpropagating. I've skied a slope that failed on 5 with non-propagating collapse of the top layer, and I've refused to ski a slope that broke at 27 with a deep weak layer. I've also been in an avalanche where the test didn't fail. Common sense and caution is the hard and fast rule. Nothing else will keep you alive.
Don’t try to learn this material from a RUclips video. Go take an AIARE course to learn how to manage risk in the backcountry; it is a vast topic and pits are one of the last things you need to learn (if ever). Pits are never a go/no-go decision maker. They are used EXCLUSIVELY to compare to what you are expecting to see from your pre trip planning. Pits can only close terrain, never open it. Again, if you value your safety, don’t try to get your avy training from an uncertified RUclipsr. Take a course.
Carrying a probe is for amateurs, and earbuds are the best way to cut your column
The snowpit/stability test portion of this video is completely inaccurate.
how so?
@@brycetwyning4436 Unfortunately, Nathan doesn’t even know the name or dimensions of the tests he's trying to describe. The first test he did was a shovel shear test - 30 cm by 30 cm isolated on 3 sides. Nathan doesn't have a snow saw which makes this test difficult to conduct accurately. The second test is called the Extended Column Test or ECT. The ECT is 90 cm's long by 30 deep isolated on all sides. Again, Nathan doesn't know the actual dimensions of this test. The ECT is used to assess both initiation and propagation. Initiation is the force it takes to impact a buried weak layer (number of taps). Then, you're trying to determine if the weak layer is capable of collapsing and propagating. If the weak layer collapses and propagates to the end of the column - ECTP #, that is an unstable result. Nathan called it an ECT 14, which is incorrect. If the weak player collapses (Nathan's term is break/settles) and only propagates part way across the column - ECTN #, it's considered a stable result. This is just a simple explanation of a video that is not explained well at all. There is a lot more to it. The bottom line is that snowpits and stability tests are used to turn you around, not to make you more aggressive. If you decide to ski or ride in avalanche terrain, then much more information has already been gathered.
You are absolutely correct.
Not going to disagree with you, Jordan definitely could have gone more in-depth into technical terminologies, test dimensions, variations etc. However, this video isn't meant to be a week long avy 1 course, and it would be irresponsible of us to pretend it is. What this is, is years of practical experience skiing backcountry, and the condensed ECT test our team does to quickly assess snow conditions before proceeding into areas that pose a slide risk. We almost always just measure off of our shovels, and the reason he referred to it as ECT 14, is because that's the necessary information that needs to be transmitted over the radio for the rest of the team to immediately understand the result, obviously he doesn't just say "ECT 14", he would radio in that he had *blank effect on ECT 14. At the end of the day, what terms you use to explain it aren't going to change the outcome, having a personal understanding of your assessment, and performing tests will. If you're curious as to why we've condensed things down to what we have I can tag Jordan in to talk more about his process!
After you make your Snow Pit Wall and your going to use your shovel, after you put your shovel vertically straight down DO NOT BEND YOUR SHOVEL TO AN ANGEL, USE 2 HANDS(one at the very top and top and the other just above the blade)AND KEEPING THE SHOVEL SHAFT TOTALLY VEHICLE AND WITH BOTH HANDS SOMEWHAT PULL AND FORCE THE ENTIRE SHOVEL TOWARDS YOURSELF TILL THE ENTIRE BLOCK OF SNOW COMES COMPLETELY OUT THAT WAY YOU GET A TRUE SQUARE BREAK.
Never trust a skinny chef…