Snow Study Tools for Skiers - Brooks-Range Mountaineering Equipment Company

I have often mentioned the availability of avalanche awareness clinics offered by resorts and organizations, both here and abroad, for skiers venturing into the backcountry. Now, the more I look into the necessity of knowing as much as possible about staying safe in avalanche prone off piste areas, the more useful products and materials I am finding.

For instance, I recently had the opportunity to get a hold of a Snow Crystal Card from the Brooks-Range Mountaineering Equipment Company . The Snow Crystal Card is a basic snow safety tool that can help in making an informed decision about the snowpack. The stability of the snowpack is determined by several factors over a period of time, not the least of which is the snow crystals and how they change and interact. I think this can best be illustrated by thinking of the resort snow during a typical spring day - boilerplate in the morning from the cold night, the sun warms it to nice corn snow then keeps warming it to a slush.

The Brooks-Range Mountaineering Equipment Company is a small company of mountaineering experts providing a selection of top-quality backcountry gear to increase efficiency and safety in the backcountry. The company is strictly backcountry safety oriented - Tom Murphy, Executive Director, American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) sits on the Advisory Board.

Read a little more about the Snow Crystal Card and check out the Brooks-Range cataloq - I'm sure you'll find something to help keep your favorite backcountry skier safe - even if it's yourself.

_{Image © Brooks-Range Mountaineering Equipment Company}