IDENTIFYING AVALANCHE HAZARD IN THE HILLS AND MOUNTAINS
THROUGHOUT THE WINTER IS A CHALLENGING PROCESS.

Constantly changing weather factors, from temperature and snowfall to wind speed and direction, can affect the strength and stability of the snowpack. So it’s vital to keep a close watch on conditions during the season, especially throughout any mountain excursions.

This guide outlines the decision-making process and the fundamental considerations of assessing avalanche hazards in the winter mountains. With the advice on these pages, together with the corresponding resources overleaf, you should be able to make better judgements on where and when to go.

The BAA eLearning course on teachable is a useful free resource for more detailed information.

When making any decision in the winter mountains always consider these 3 factors:

Avalanche Hazard, weather and mountain conditions.

You and your parties’ personal skills and experience.

The landscape you intend to visit.

Decision

These factors should be considered during each of these 3 important phases:

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