Mountain Culture at the Banff Centre, the Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC), Parks Canada and Canadian Pacific Railway present this community event aimed at helping make skiers and boarders aware of the avalanche risks associated with backcountry and out-of-bounds travel. The evening includes presentations by snow safety experts, films from the Banff Mountain Film Festival, door prizes, and a trade show highlighting the latest tools and techniques for avalanche safety. If you plan to venture onto the slopes this winter, this evening is for you.
This event is just one of many organized as part of the CAA’s national Avalanche Awareness Days which will be held at over 30 communities across Canada, from Crowsnest Pass, Alberta to Whitehorse, Yukon to Pond Inlet, Nunavut. Banff’s own Sunshine Village is the site of this year’s national event where a full weekend of events is planned for January 11 to 13. This year's activities will focus on understanding terrain — “when the snowpack is the problem, terrain is the solution.”
More than ever young people are attracted by the lure of the backcountry just beyond the boundary of the resort, or the bowls that beckon above the well travelled trail. These “out-of-bounders” are the fastest growing users of avalanche terrain in Canada. They are also the group that is most in need of the knowledge and skills that will allow them to use the backcountry safely, and in winter that means keeping safe from avalanches!
This tenth annual Avalanche Awareness Night takes place Sunday, January 13, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Max Bell Auditorium. Last year’s show was packed – so get there early.
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