Safety Tools You Need For FreeRide: Level 1 – Access

Whether you want to stomp the steeps or experience the mountains away from the crowds, FreeRide is your ticket, but it comes at a price – you need the appropriate equipment. 

In this series, we step through the safety tools you’ll need to take on increasingly consequential FreeRide adventures. We’ve broken these into 4 levels – Access / Explore / Deep / Sensei – each article builds on the knowledge from the previous one.

In this article we focus on FreeRide in patrolled terrain, such as a FreeRide Zone marked on a piste / trail map.

Wherever or whenever you ride, we urge you to invest in the FreeRide Essentials and follow Lore #06: No TSP, No Party.

On Your Body

Piste / Trail Map: It never hurts to be able to double check where you are and find the best way back to base. TIP: Piste maps usually have the local mountain rescue numbers on them, as well as the times lifts are scheduled to close. 

Avalanche Bulletin: Even though Patrolled Terrain is generally assumed to be avalanche safe as it’s under the care of ski patrol, it still makes sense to know the safest slope aspects and how conditions are expected to evolve throughout the day. TIP: Comparing the bulletin to what you’re seeing on the ground is a great way to build your skills. 

Charged Mobile Phone: If you or anyone else gets into trouble, you are likely to want to call for help. Make sure you’re prepared and save time by having the local emergency services and mountain rescue number pre-programmed into your phone. TIP: Phones can interfere with your transceiver signal, so make sure these are separated as much as possible. The simplest solution is to keep your phone in a pocket on the opposite side of your body to your transceiver. 

In Your Pack

Water: Dehydration is a sure way to ruin your day, an integrated bladder pack is great, as is a bottle stowed in your pack. TIP: Spending extra on a thermal tube cover for your integrated bladder pack will pay you back when the mercury really drops.  

Food: Even if it’s just an energy bar or alternative, stuffed into a pocket, can make a world of difference if you feel yourself running low on energy or you’re outside for longer than planned. TIP: If you want to do your bit for the environment, ditch single use plastics – there are loads of alternative options to keep your snacks fresh.

In Your Head

Rescue Skills: Even though you are venturing into Patrolled Terrain we believe it’s still important to know how to perform a companion rescue, afterall when someone is buried time is of the essence. TIP: We all suffer from skills fade. Taking a few hours to practise at the start of the season will certainly pay you back if the time comes when you need to rely on them.

Venturing further afield and wanna know more? Check out the next article in this series. 

You may also wanna checkout our adventure checklists, read them online or print them out and stick them up somewhere. 

What else do you carry and in what scenarios? Wanna add to this topic – let us know in the comments below or get more involved here.