Get ready for winter with this FREE series of backcountry education workshops!

Learn the basics for safe backcountry travel by attending one or all of these free avalanche education workshops presented by Tahoe Mountain Sports and Ortovox. The workshops will be held at Alibi Ale Works – Truckee Public House. 

These workshops are for YOU if you like to backcountry ski, splitboard, snowmobile, snowshoe, or just explore snow-covered mountains. There will be 4 workshops held between October and January covering different aspects of avalanche education. Each event is a stand-alone event, meaning you can attend one, or all, but they do not build on each other.

1. The Basics -  Know Before You Go
2. The Beta -  Learn About Where To Go & When To Go There
3. The Rescue - Learn About Tools, Techniques & Deploy Your Airbag!
4. Partner Up- Finding The Right Partners To Safely Enjoy The Backcountry With

Join us to get educated, learn about new gear and technologies, and connect with a community of like-minded backcountry travelers.

The Basics - Know Before You Go

Join us at our first of four events and learn the basics of backcountry traveling.

This is a great intro to the season as we learn how to plan for a successful day in the mountains from our resident experts of Sierra Avalanche Center. You will learn the basics of how to become a backcountry skier/rider, as well as gear basics, education basics, continuing education, and how to be a good partner.

Doors open at 6pm. Give yourself plenty of time to find a parking spot, and to grab beer and snacks before the formal presentation begins at 6:30pm.

Speakers:

• Travis Feist, Sierra Avalanche Center
• Steve Reynaud, Tahoe Mountain School
• Andy Anderson, Sierra Avalanche Center

There will be a HUGE raffle benefitting the Sierra Avalanche Center, Tahoe’s local avalanche forecasting center which provides a wealth of information to backcountry skiers, riders, and sledders. Their mission is to inform and educate the public about backcountry avalanche conditions in the greater Tahoe area. Swag giveaways from our event sponsors: Black Diamond, Flylow Gear, Tahoe Mountain School, Blackbird Mountain Guides, Camp, SlabLab, Pieps, Alpenglow Expeditions, Smartwool, and LMNT.

The Beta -  Where & When To Go

Wednesday, November 13th

Join us for an informative session featuring experts in the Truckee/Tahoe backcountry who will be teaching you about how to read backcountry conditions and decide where and when to go.

Listen to a series of industry-renowned professionals and athletes discuss the beta of the backcountry. You'll learn which zones to adventure into with specific sets of conditions, how to avoid terrain traps, as well as many other preventative and planning techniques so that you can be informed when choosing your pursuit. You'll also learn basic etiquette like where to park, skin track manners, and tips for improving your and your community's overall experience. 

Don’t miss this chance to enhance your backcountry skills!  Doors open at 6pm. Give yourself plenty of time to find a parking spot, and to grab beer and snacks before the formal presentation begins at 6:30pm.

Speakers:

• Richard Bothwell, Author of Light Tours of Tahoe by Beacon Guidebooks
• Alex Mitchko, Guide for Alpenglow Expeditions
• Anthony Cupaiuolo, Tahoe Backcountry Alliance

There will be a HUGE raffle benefiting Tahoe Backcountry Alliance, the voice for the human-powered winter backcountry community in the Lake Tahoe area, advocating for and informing our community about critical issues affecting winter backcountry recreation in Tahoe. Prizes include swag from our event sponsors: Ortovox,Tahoe Mountain School, Karri Traa, Julbo, Flylow, Blizzard, Dynafit, Rab, Beacon Guidebooks, SlabLab, Black Diamond, LMNT, Pieps, Alpenglow Expeditions, and Smartwool.

The Rescue - Learn About Tools, Techniques & Deploy Your Airbag!

Wednesday, December 4th

What do you do when things go wrong?

Join us for our third event in the Avalanche Education Series to learn the ins and outs of avalanche rescue. The night will begin with a discussion on the essential avalanche safety tools – a beacon, shovel, probe, and airbag. We’ll cover how beacons work, best practices when using a shovel and probe, and the role of an airbag in your safety quiver. 

We'll also be discussing search and rescue operations. After this event, you'll have a better understanding of how search and rescue works operationally and a list of things that you can do to increase your chances of rescue and survival.

Please Note: There will be a practice group airbag deployment as well as FREE canister refills at this event (Mammut & BCA models ONLY). 

Speakers:

• Don Triplat, Ortovox Specialist
• Sarah Krammen, President of Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue

Doors open at 6 pm. Give yourself plenty of time to find a parking spot and grab beer and snacks before the formal presentation begins at 6:30 pm.

There will be a HUGE raffle benefitting Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue. They do great work in the Truckee/North Lake Tahoe area conducting conduct fast, safe rescues and educating the public on winter safety. Raffle prizes include swag from Tahoe Mountain School, Blackbird Mountain Guides, Black Diamond, LMNT, SlabLab, Alpenglow Expeditions, Blizzard, Flylow, Smartwool, and Ortovox. 

Partner Up - Find The Right Partners To Safely Enjoy The Backcountry With

Wednesday, January 15th

Join us for the final event in our Avalanche Education Series, where we’ll tackle the critical topic of finding the right partners for your backcountry adventures! We've known for decades that human factors are the primary contributors to backcountry incidents, and backcountry success/fun. That’s why we’re teaming up with SlabLab to create an interactive experience designed to help you meet potential partners and teams for the backcountry. 

This isn't just another mixer—it's like speed dating for backcountry enthusiasts! You’ll cycle through rounds of discussion with fellow attendees, focusing on key topics like skill levels, desired adventure spots, and other important variables. Our goal is to equip you with the tools and language needed to find and connect with compatible partners.

The evening will kick off with speakers from SlabLab, who will emphasize the importance of choosing your adventure partners thoughtfully. Plus, everyone who attends will receive a temporary membership to our partner-finding network, allowing you to reconnect with new contacts while maintaining your privacy.

This event is practical. It's not just for "sitting and listening." And, if you attend, you'll get a temporary FREE membership to SlabLab so that you can stay connected to the partner-finding network in order to stay in touch with folks you meet during the event without having to share your personal information. 

Doors open at 6pm. Give yourself plenty of time to find a parking spot and grab beer and snacks before the formal presentation begins at 6:30pm.

There will be a HUGE raffle benefitting the Nickolay Dodov Foundation who aim to provide FREE avalanche safety educational outreach to youth and all age snow sports enthusiasts. Raffle prizes include swag from Tahoe Mountain School, Flylow, LMNT, SlabLab, Smartwool, Black Diamond, and Alpenglow Expeditions. 

Overall Agenda For Individual Events

• 6pm: Doors Open
• 6:30-7:30pm: Presentations 
• 7:30pm: Raffles Begin

Other Information

• Each event is a stand-alone event; meaning you can attend one or all of them. They do not build on each other. 
• Sponsors and brands will be on site to showcase their product and do giveaways. 
• There will be food and beverages available at all events.
• For more information, please contact Tahoe Mountain Sports.

 

Avalanche Series Sponsors

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor ORTOVOX for making this series possible! For over 30 years, ORTOVOX has been the most successful producer of avalanche equipment, backpacks, and merino outerwear for alpine sports throughout the year. Come check out their products at Tahoe Mountain Sports.

Thanks to all of our sponsors:

Major Sponsors:

• Alibi Ale Works
• Flylow
• Tahoe Mountain School
• LMNT
• Smartwool
• Black Diamond
• Alpenglow Expeditions
• SlabLab
• Blackbird Mountain Guides

Event Sponsors:

• Spark R&D
• Stio
• Camp
• Dynafit
• Blizzard
• Rab
• Julbo
• La Sportiva
• Kari Traa
• Beacon Guidebooks

Please support our nonprofit partners: Tahoe Backcountry Alliance, Nickolay Dodov Foundation, Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue, and Sierra Avalanche Center.

Ready to take it to the next level? Read about Why you should take an Avalanche Level One Certification (AAIRE Avy 1 Class).