Watch the ubiquitous pro get granular as he researches, plans, and sends a famous backcountry skiing line in Idaho.
In the latest “The FIFTY” video, Cody Townsend not only rips the big line but also relates his entire risk assessment process involved in ripping it. Watch and learn how to apply avalanche safety skills to real scenarios, and stop tiptoeing around the backcountry in irrational fear. (Inevitable disclaimer: Do not go backcountry skiing without taking at least one avy safety course first.)
Spoiler alert: It’s all about being prepared. Or, in dadspeak: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Before the fun of “How to Ski Big Lines” starts, Townsend talks his way step by step through his logical, layered backcountry ski prep approach.
Then, the fun does start. Cue outlaw country guitars, high winds, and toilsome upward progress. (Also, of course, ongoing safety assessments.) The video is essentially one long, picturesque risk assessment exercise — with a 2,500-foot ride as the centerpiece.
