Arc’Teryx Academy is launching its first ever winter edition with a weekend of workshops and clinics focused entirely on backcountry skills and safety.
Arc’Teryx Academy Freeride takes place in St Anton am Arlberg in the Austrian Alps February 18-20 and features 23 courses led by professional mountain guides and world-class athletes, aimed at helping you to stay safe and have fun in the backcountry, whether you’re on skis, a splitboard or crampons.
More people than ever before are venturing out into the backcountry these days, seeking an escape from the crowds at ski resorts and the chance to explore untouched powder. However, with the increased access to adventure comes greater risk of hazards such as dangerous storms and avalanches. The 2020/21 ski season brought almost three times as many fatal accidents and deaths in ski touring compared to the average over the last twenty years according to a report from the National Association for the Study of Snow and Avalanches.
If you’re thinking of taking your winter sports off piste, you should know that exploring in the backcountry requires an entirely different skillset to resort skiing, from owning and knowing how to use backcountry gear like AT skis and beacons to important survival skills such as avalanche safety. Arc’Teryx Academy’s courses are aimed at making sure you get the most out of your time in the snow as well as helping you to stay safe in adverse conditions.
Described by Arc’Teryx Sports Marketing Manager Max Müller as “a weekend with kindred spirits brimming with tips, tricks and inspiration," safety courses include avalanche safety, first aid and bivy and survival training, while skills clinics range from ski and splitboard mountaineering, beginner and expert ski touring, snow sport photography and women’s only workshops.
Prices for the courses range from €80-€140. For more information about the Arc'teryx Academy Freeride in St Anton am Arlberg, Austria, visit: https://freeride-stanton.arcteryxacademy.com
