SledZEROS Talk Zone

A group of us headed out to Valemount to do some riding before Christmas. We visited both Allan Creek and Clemina. Although areas were well riden, we managed to find some decent snow to ride. On Monday morning (Dec 18) we were greeted to fresh powder and conditions at Clemina were actually pretty good... The crew up at Allan Creek. Ripping it up in Clemina. Matt showing his stuff in Clemina. Sean on a blue bird day up at Clemina. Aaron in Clemina Parked at the cabin in Allan Creek.

A group of us went up to Valemount and took the AST 1 Avalanche training course. The course compromised of a full classroom day and one full field day at Clemina. A must for backcountry riders. This course teaches you how to choose terrain and weigh the risks of riding in specific areas. They also teach you proper use of your gear should you ever be required to respond to an avalanche scene. You also learn the severity of what could happen if people are caught in an avalanche and how little time you have to rescue people if they become buried. During the field portion, a full avalanche and rescue scenario was set up and played out by course participants. These scenarios are not easy and this is where you learn the most valueable lessons from the course. Running through deep snow and wearing heavy gear really made these rescue scenarios challenging but impactful. Special thanks to Zacs Tracks for a great course and giving us the ability to ride safely in the backcountry as well as teach us effective rescue methods. Using transcievers to locate buried victims (simulated during training). Discussions around how to conduct searches and techniques for rescuing victims. Learning the rationale of digging snow pits and testing snow conditions through column tests of the snow pack.

Monday, November 27, 2017 at 7:00 pm Forest Interpretive Centre 1 km east on Hwy 43, Whitecourt Free Admission!