Back Country Snowboarding. Are You Ready For some Thrills? Get Ready For an Unmatched Experience



Posted: Wednesday, September 15, 2010

by Joe Mac Millan

There is more to back country snowboarding than meets the eye.

For instance. You must get to the backcountry. That means either a very expensive sno-cat ride or lift ticket or perhaps a snowmobile. Either way it might be costly.

If you are in good condition you may want to walk and that means at least a few miles if you are going by way of the ski slopes at a resort. This is why it is so important to carry out a work out routine and during the summer and fall. Remember the more you train the easier it is to get to the top.

There are a few advantages to this form of skiing:

However with this freedom comes responsibilities.

One of the most important is that snowboarding out of bounds may relate to grave consequences. If you do decide to go outside the ropes you may find yourself in trouble. Many ski resorts now have the right to charge you for the search involved in finding you if you get lost. In a major resort in the USA recently an out of bounds snowboarder went off trail and out of bounds. His family was charged $44,000. For an air and ground search.

One of the greatest dangers of snowboarding out of bounds is the avalanche. The resort probably has an avalanche control system in place. They either use a cannon or dynamite charges dropped from above dangerous cornices by helicopter to start the snow tumbling down. If you are in the path you are in deep trouble.

You also may be skiing in an area with deep snow wells surrounding trees. These holes have caused a large number of deaths from suffocation over the years and must be avoided. Do a header into one and it may be impossible to get out.

So these are the dangers. But what of the advantages?

Participating in any outdoor sport away from the maddening crowds is terrific fun. Apart from the fact you have the entire mountain as your playpen you can get to hone your snowboarding skills. You may want to try your skills in mountain rescue with your friends. You may never need them but there is no harm in trying them out.

The whole idea of practicing your back country snowboarding skills are for you to enjoy a great day out in the snow. Some boarders really get into it. A friend even has snowboarding wallpapers covering the walls of his room, snowboarding bags for his board as well as the history of snowboarding.

Joe and Irma MacMillan have spent many years backpacking, skiing, and simply enjoying life in the mountains of British Columbia. Their website http://whistler-outdoors.com is full of tips on snowboarding, camping, kayaking, rafting, camp cooking and fishing. They met on a blind date in 1957 and are still married. Take a look at their story here http://www.whistler-outdoors.com/about-us.html
Joe and Irma MacMillan have spent many years backpacking, skiing, and simply enjoying life in the mountains of British Columbia. Their website Whistler Outdoors is full of tips on snowboarding, camping, kayaking, rafting, camp cooking and fishing. They met on a blind date in 1957 and are still married. Take a look at their story here About us

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