Avalanche Awareness

What comes to mind first when you think of ‘avalanche awareness’? Is it taking a training course? Perhaps it’s making sure you have avalanche rescue equipment and know how to use it. Or, is it checking the New Zealand Avalanche Advisory (NZAA) to find your region’s avalanche forecast? They’re all correct answers!

Getting the training, having (and knowing how to use) the gear and checking the forecast are the three essential steps to ensuring you are prepared to head into the backcountry, whether you are ski-touring, mountaineering, ice climbing, or tackling a winter tramping trip.

But is that it, if you tick those