When we started Big Mountain Snow Safety (BMSS) 10 years ago, we saw a disconnect between backcountry skiing, and avalanche education. Today’s riders aren’t running from risk: they are seeking it. But traditional avalanche education was running from it; you can’t learn Big Mountain skills in low angle meadows! This left the students to make the jump to big terrain without oversight, mentorship or support.
I remember teaching a level 2 avalanche course when one student was putting skins on for the first time and another was asking me how to ski the Grand Teton. After four days of teaching I had yet to enter any avalanche terrain – and I remember thinking “There has to be a better way to train the next generation of big mountain riders.
A Values-Driven Solution
Big Mountain Snow Safety today is the brain child of some of my favorite and most respected Teton riders: Adam Fabricant, Aaron Diamond and Billy Haas – who combined have logged more time exploring the wildest and most remote mountains in the world, than anyone I know!
BMSS starts with our shared mountain values:
Be Honest with the Risk, Seek Humility, & Shred Curiously.
Be Honest with the Risk
Risk is what has given us the respect for the mountains. As instructors and guides, we have made mistakes – some of them have gotten us avalanched and buried. Risk is heavy, but it’s also what makes the experience so meaningful, and success so memorable. You have to make friends with the risk if you are going to understand it.
Seek Humility
The introspection that comes from getting smacked down is harsh, but it’s rich with learning. We think there is so much to be learned from mistakes. BMSS is about creating space for those experiences to be shared and learned from. We invite your experiences, as well.
Shred Curiously
Curiosity is a mind space that can create enjoyment of the experience, as well as good decision making. Curiosity is a way of entering the mountains that accepts the reality of the risk and encourages us to be as tuned into the environment as possible.
We built the Big Mountain Snow Safety Event as a new format for education. We wanted to take these ideas, and build an educational experience around them. It has taken 10 years to refine the formula that creates the right learning environment! The responses we receive from our students have always reinforced the need for four unique features – which have become the cornerstone of BMSS.
We built the Big Mountain Snow Safety Event as a new format for education. We wanted to take these ideas, and build an educational experience around them. It has taken 10 years to refine the formula that creates the right learning environment! The responses we receive from our students have always reinforced the need for four unique features – which have become the cornerstone of BMSS.
#1: Student-Led
It’s that simple! When we are in the mountains, you are leading the way. Breaking trail, navigating, assessing the snow – that’s where the learning happens. Your instructor is always following behind you – asking questions, encouraging, dissecting, and helping you evolve your Big Mountain game.
#2: Small (4:1) Group Size
When you take the traditional group size for avalanche education and cut it in half – it changes the whole experience. Instead of being a class, it’s you and your crew actually traveling terrain, making decisions and learning from the mountains – with an instructor to make sure you are implementing a process that will serve you for life.
#3: Commiunity & Education Day
Investing in the relationships we share out there has always been a big focus for BMSS. This year’s event will have a full ‘dryland’ day of learning, developing technical skills with ropes, and getting to know the crew through personal reflection and sharing stories.
#4: Upholding a Standard
In order for the magic to happen, we have to create compatible teams in the mountains. Our perquisites ensure that you will be partnered with people at your level, with the fitness to handle big days. This year – with the addition of a parallel Backcountry Snow Safety Course – we can accept a variety of levels, and cater to each student.
Learn more about BMSS here.
