Avalanche Canada Launches New Online Tutorial for Backcountry Beginners

Avalanche Canada has launched Avy Savvy, a new online tutorial for backcountry beginners that introduces avalanche safety basics.

Avalanche Canada is proud to introduce a new addition to its online education roster. Avy Savvy is aimed at new users of the winter backcountry and provides a solid introduction to avalanche safety.

“It’s vital for anyone venturing into the winter backcountry to have a full appreciation of the challenges involved,” explains Gilles Valade, Avalanche Canada’s Executive Director. “Travelling in avalanche terrain demands awareness and preparation. Avy Savvy provides a great first step in avalanche safety education.”

Along with avalanche safety fundamentals, Avy Savvy explains the many tools available to backcountry users on the Avalanche Canada website, such as the daily forecast and the online trip planner. Videos, images, animations, and interactive quizzes all help the learning process.

“We have had on online tutorial for many years but with the pandemic increasing backcountry use, we recognized an opportunity to improve this program,” adds Valade. “We used a new platform and emphasized user engagement and interactivity. Our team has been working hard on this all summer and I’m very proud that we are able to provide yet another significant and science-based tool for winter backcountry users.”

Avy Savvy is currently available in English and is being translated into French.

Avalanche Canada is Canada’s national public avalanche safety organization. They are a non-profit, non-government organization with a vision to inspire, engage, and empower recreationists to enjoy Canada’s winter backcountry and be safe from avalanches.