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Disclaimer – This is not meant to be a substitute for education, just some preliminary info for people climbing with AAI. Please take a course and get yourself educated before heading out there on your own. The images in this write up are not meant to be perfectly accurate representations of crevasse rescue, but rather a visual for students to see where carabiners will be implemented. ** The amount of carabiners needed to perform all rescues on beginner to intermediate level courses that teach crevasse rescue is 4 locking carabiners and 5 non-locking wire-gate carabiners.   Locking Carabiners 1. Master Carabiner -...

**Prusiks pertaining to beginner and intermediate level crevasse rescue on AAI courses. Disclaimer – This is not meant to be a substitute for education, just some preliminary info for people climbing with AAI. Please take a course and get yourself educated before heading out there on your own. The images in this write up are not meant to be perfectly accurate representations of crevasse rescue, but rather a visual for students to see where the prusik cords will be implemented. *Prusik cords are attached to the climbing rope in such a manner, that friction allows it to "bite" or grab...

Avalanche probes aren't glamorous. Sure, you have choices between different materials like steel, aluminum, and carbon, but they're basic compared with other avalanche safety gear in your kit. I mean, when is the last time you were hyped on the release of a new probe? For most backcountry users, the probe simply lives in the pack, serving only as an emergency tool for locating a buried victim under the snow. But, aren't you just a little bit curious about what else your probe can do? For instance, why does it have a color coded mark at 30cm or a change in color at...

Dustin Byrne is a silent sender who guides in Washington, Nevada, California, Utah, Colorado, Alaska and Canada. He is a seasoned AIARE instructor, a Leave No Trace Master Educator and an AMGA Certified Alpine Guide. In his off time he enjoys climbing, skiing, and writing. @dustinbyrne This is his typical kit for a day of backcountry skiing in the Cascades: Mammut Alugator Light shovel - I always use a lightweight metal shove for touring. Works for avy rescue and building shelters in a pinch. Sometime if I know I am snow camping I may take a slightly bigger one for moving snow more...