By Nick Russill in Safety — Feb 23, 2026

Avalanche Safety: The 10-Point Checklist Every Off-Piste Rider Needs

90% of avalanche accidents are triggered by the victims themselves. The vast majority are preventable. Here's what every off-piste skier and snowboarder needs to know — from reading a forecast to surviving a burial.

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Avalanches kill roughly 150 people in the Alps every year. Most are experienced off-piste riders who underestimated the conditions. This guide won't replace a formal avalanche safety course, but it will make you a significantly smarter, more aware rider.

Video courtesy of Altus Mountain Guides

The European Avalanche Danger Scale

Check the local avalanche forecast before any off-piste run. The scale runs from 1 to 5. Most fatal accidents happen at level 3 (Considerable) — not 5 — simply because people underestimate the risk and venture out more freely at "moderate" ratings.

Low

Generally safe. Triggering unlikely except on very steep, isolated terrain. Suitable for all abilities.

Moderate

Human triggering possible on some steep slopes. Experienced riders can proceed with careful route selection.

Considerable

Human triggering likely on many steep slopes. Accounts for the most fatalities. Requires strong terrain avoidance skills.

High

Triggering very likely on most steep slopes. Spontaneous large avalanches possible. Off-piste not recommended.

Very High

Widespread spontaneous activity expected. Stay on-piste. No exceptions.

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Check your resort's local forecast every morning — avalanches.org (Europe) or avalanche.org (North America). A warm night, wind shift, or overnight snowfall can move the rating up a full level by dawn. See the full service directory at the bottom of this article.

The 10-Point Pre-Ride Checklist

Work through these before every off-piste session, in the order listed. Don't skip ahead.

1. Check the avalanche forecast — Get the official regional forecast, not just a weather report. Know the danger level, aspect, and elevation band of concern. A north-facing slope at 2,500m may be rated 4, while the south-facing run below sits at 2.

2. Look for recent avalanche activity — Fresh debris, crown lines on nearby slopes, or hollow "whumpfing" sounds underfoot are red flags. If a slope has already run, it can run again — often larger.

3. Assess recent snowfall — More than 30cm of continuous new snow is considered very hazardous. Heavy loading over 2cm/hour can destabilise the snowpack within hours of the snow stopping. Rain on top of snow is an immediate danger signal.

4. Check for wind slab — Wind builds dense, unstable slabs on leeward (sheltered) aspects. Tap the snow — if it sounds hollow or breaks away in chunks, you're on a slab. The classic trigger zone is just below a ridgeline on the quiet side of the wind.

5. Read the temperature trend — A sudden warming towards 0°C rapidly increases wet avalanche risk, even without a full thaw. Be especially cautious on sunny spring afternoons — conditions safe at 9 am can be lethal by 2 pm.

6. Choose your terrain carefully — Most avalanches release on slopes between 30° and 45°. Below 30° is usually safe; above 50° tends to slough rather than slab. The 35–40° range is the sweet spot for big slab avalanches — and also for great off-piste. Know your slope angles.

7. Identify terrain traps — A terrain trap multiplies the consequences of a burial. Cliffs, gullies, trees, creek beds, and cornice runout zones are all traps. A small slide that would be survivable on an open slope can kill if you're funnelled into a gully.

8. Carry — and know how to use — your safety kit — Transceiver, probe, and shovel are non-negotiable. Switch your transceiver to transmit before leaving the lift — not at the top. An airbag pack improves survival odds but doesn't replace the ABCs.

9. Travel smart on the slope — One person at a time on any suspect slope, while others watch from a safe zone. Descend directly rather than traversing — traversing cuts across the snowpack and is the most common way to trigger a slab.

10. Trust your gut — and your partners — If something feels wrong, it probably is. Group dynamics kill people — summit fever and peer pressure are serious factors. The mountain will still be there tomorrow.

Terrain Trap Guide

Where you get caught matters as much as how big the slide is. Factor these into every route choice.

Terrain Feature	Risk	Notes
Gullies & couloirs	Avoid	Channels snow. Deep burial near-guaranteed even in a small slide.
Cliffs & drop-offs	Avoid	Trauma as well as burial. Even a small drop at speed under snow is dangerous.
Dense tree runs	Caution	Trees anchor snowpack but obstruct rescue and cause trauma during a slide.
Concave run-outs	Caution	Heavy snow deposition here. Can result in deep burial even at the bottom of a slope.
Ridge crests & spines	Caution	Can trigger cornice collapses below. Check both aspects before committing.
Open bowl, flat run-out	Lower risk	Slide spreads and slows. Survival odds significantly better if burial occurs.

If You're Caught in an Avalanche

• Ditch poles — try to ditch skis
• Fight to stay on the surface — swim
• Protect your airway — arm across your face
• As snow slows, push upward and create an air pocket
• Spit to determine which way is down
• Activate your airbag early if you have one
• Stay calm — panic depletes your air pocket faster
• Conserve energy — shout only when rescuers are very close

The 15-minute window is real. Survival rate drops steeply after 15 minutes of burial. This is why companion rescue — transceiver search, probe, and fast shovelling by the people you're riding with — saves far more lives than professional rescue services, who will always arrive too late for asphyxiation victims.

Essential Safety Gear

The avalanche ABCs — all three, every time, for every off-piste run.

### Avalanche Transceiver
Switch to transmit before leaving the lift — not at the top. 3-antenna digital units are the standard. Practice your search patterns regularly — speed matters.

### Collapsible Probe
Confirms exact burial depth before you dig. 240–320cm length recommended. Practise assembly until it's automatic.

### Avalanche Shovel
Metal blade, extendable handle. Learn the V-conveyor technique — it's dramatically faster when multiple rescuers are digging together.

### Airbag Pack
Helps keep you on the surface of the flow. Improves survival odds but is not a replacement for the ABCs. Practise deployment before you need it.

The Bottom Line

Off-piste skiing and snowboarding are among the best experiences the mountains have to offer. But the snowpack is dynamic, deceptive, and unforgiving of complacency. The good news: avalanche risk is largely manageable with the right knowledge, gear, and disciplined habits.

Check the forecast. Carry the kit. Go one at a time. Trust your gut.

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This guide is no substitute for hands-on training. An Avalanche Safety 1 (AST1) course — one or two days in the field with a qualified guide — will transform how you read the snowpack. It's the most valuable investment you can make in your riding.

Check the Latest Avalanche Risk — Official Services by Country

Bookmark the service for your riding destination. Check every morning — conditions can change overnight.

North America

Flag	Country	Service	Forecast
🇺🇸	USA	US Forest Service / American Avalanche Association	avalanche.org
🇨🇦	Canada	Avalanche Canada	avalanche.ca

Europe

Flag	Country	Service	Forecast
🇪🇺	All EuropePan-European map	European Avalanche Warning Services (EAWS)	avalanches.org
🇫🇷	FranceAlps & Pyrenees	Météo-France / MétéoMontagne	meteofrance.com
🇨🇭	Switzerland	WSL Institute for Snow & Avalanche Research (SLF)	slf.ch
🇦🇹	Austria	Regional services via avalanche.report	avalanche.report
🇮🇹	Italy	AINEVA — Italian Avalanche Information Service	aineva.it
🇩🇪	GermanyBavarian Alps	LWD Bayern — Bavarian Avalanche Warning Service	lawinenwarndienst-bayern.de
🇪🇸	SpainPyrenees & Sierra Nevada	AEMET — State Meteorological Agency	aemet.es
🇳🇴	Norway	Varsom — NVE	varsom.no
🇸🇪	Sweden	Lavinprognoser — SMHI	lavinprognoser.se
🇬🇧	Scotland	Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS)	sais.gov.uk
🇮🇸	Iceland	Icelandic Meteorological Office	vedur.is
🇸🇮	Slovenia	ARSO — Slovenian Environment Agency	arso.gov.si
🇸🇰	Slovakia	SHMÚ — Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute	shmu.sk
🇦🇩	Andorra	CENMA via EAWS portal	avalanches.org

Asia-Pacific

Flag	Country	Service	Forecast
🇯🇵	Japan	Japan Avalanche Network (JAN)	nadare.jp
🇳🇿	New Zealand	NZ Avalanche Advisory — Mountain Safety Council	avalanche.net.nz
🇦🇺	Australia	Avalanche Australia	avalancheaustralia.com.au

South America

Flag	Country	Service	Forecast
🇦🇷	Argentina	IANIGLA — Instituto Argentino de Nivología	avalanchas.com.ar
🇨🇱	Chile	Dirección Meteorológica de Chile / SENAPRED	meteochile.gob.cl

Travelling across European borders? The EAWS map at avalanches.org aggregates all member-country bulletins in a single view. For North America, avalanche.org covers all US and Canadian regional centres in one place.