By Sky Schwartz. January 28th 2020. Back country skiing I really enjoy off piste back country skiing and have done it in a number of Alpine ski resorts. In previous years my father has hired a ski guide to take my brothers, my friends and myself on backcountry day trips. Last year we wanted to … Continue reading “I Was Caught In An Avalanche and Survived Thanks To My Avalanche Airbag.”

Saving lives is what BCA do best. Inventing the digital multi-antenna avalanche transceiver, and now making them accessible to everyone. The Tracker avalanche transceivers are the most widely used in North America. BCA holds a reputation worldwide for ease-of-use and simplicity on there transceivers. New to season 20/21 is the Tracker 4 which upholds the … Continue reading “What’s the difference between the Tracker S, 3 & 4”

Fjord’s Mountain Mission’ is a magical account of a real avalanche dog and his mission in the snowy mountains. Through his adventures, your children can learn the essentials before they head to the resorts for their winter holiday, empowering them to enjoy their trip to the full. The book also has lots of helpful tips … Continue reading “Fjord’s Mountain Mission”

A very common question snowsafe gets asked is, “Is the Alpride and Jetforce airbag technology the same?”  In terms of keeping you safe in the mountains, Yes they are excellent Airbag systems, however they are NOT the same when it comes to airbag technology, Snowsafe breakdown the difference between the Alpride Supercapacitor E1 technology vs … Continue reading “Alpride E1 Airbags VS Jetforce Airbag Technology”

As you know, Avalanche Airbags Technology has moved on in the last 5 years and 90% of snowsafe customers now choose the supercapacitor Electonic airbags. Electric and canister-powered avalanche airbags are now available on the market, both to protect you in the event of an avalanche and both working in fundamentally the same way.  Airbags … Continue reading “Electronic vs Canister Powered Airbags – Pros & Cons”

Get your bike prepared, Summer time ends on Sunday 25th October 2020 and clocks go back which means winter is fast approaching and cycling becomes that little bit harder as the nights get longer. Cities  Sundown Oct 25th  Sunrise Oct 26th London 16:45 06:44 Manchester  16:49 06:57 Glasgow 16:51  07:11 8 ways to get your … Continue reading “Get your bike ready for the clocks going back and winter”

The winter season is finally creeping up on us, have you got your winter gear ready for this season? New Alpride Osprey and Mammut RAS airbags, Neck Gaiters, Bike Lights and Recco and Backprotector Backpacks and much much more. Snowsafe breakdown the top 10 products for this winter season: 1. Osprey Soleden Pro 32 E1 … Continue reading “Snowsafe Top 10 Products For Winter Season 20/21”

Are you in the market for face scarfs or Face masks and cant decide what one to go for? Here we compare the two different face coverings for you. Comfort and Breathability:  Comfort and Breathability all depend on the following factors: The material used. Structure of the face covering. Current face masks  Due to COVID-19 … Continue reading “Face Scarfs vs Face Masks”

Spring Ski Season is great for touring, backcountry and off piste skiing and snowboarding  to traverse higher and also deeper into the backcountry. This time of year brings a lot of spring avalanches, Make sure your carrying your Avalanche Safety Kit. 1. Temperature Spring avalanches occur due to both snowpack and ambient air temperatures. When … Continue reading “10 Reasons For Spring Avalanches”

An 11 year old boy who was buried by 5 feet of snow while skiing in France was saved by an Avalanche Transceiver. Fox Campbell was skiing in Le Tour, Chamonix, France, with his father, Gillian Campbell, when the two went off the piste and Fox fell into a hole. Both were experienced skiers and … Continue reading “11 Year-old Boy saved by Avalanche Transceiver in Chamonix, French Alps”

Base Layers are essential for any skier. This is the layer closest to your skin, after all, Merino Wool stands to offer the most heat of all. That’s why Ortovox spends a lot of time  searching for the best base layer materials and Merino wool is the one which pops up time and again as … Continue reading “Why choose Merino Wool Ski Base Layers?”

Are you heading on a Half Term Ski Trip with no safety equipment for yourselves or your family?  “Im skiiing on piste, Why do i need safety equipment like RECCO” is a very common phrase used. Avalanches do happen on piste, marked runs:  December 2019 – Val Senales in Italy, a large avalanche on a … Continue reading “Avalanches Can Happen On Piste, Be Searchable with RECCO”

Where Ski Mckay first started, Aged 18 in 1992 and on the tail end of my childhood ski racing career, my flat mate and I would ski each day in the off piste high above Val dʼIsere in the Majestic French Alps. Back then we made a clear and conscious decision that when we skied we … Continue reading “Ski Mckay, Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail…”

Avalanches happen. If you fall victim to one during your time on the slopes, knowing that you have the best chance of survival is essential. The Recco reflector and SAR Helicopter Detector technology is the answer. What Exactly is Recco and the SAR Helicopter Detector Service? The Recco rescue service is an internationally used avalanche burial … Continue reading “RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector”

The Jetforce airbag technology is a state-of-the-art airbag system, which electronically inflates your Airbag. This means that you are not restricted to  a single-use airbag. Instead, all you need to do is stuff the deflated airbag back into your pieps or black diamond backpack, and your ready to use it again.  We’ve got good news, … Continue reading “New Jetforce Airbag Technology 2.0: What are the main differences?”

A snow-pit is a trench that exposes a vertical section of snow between the carpet of snow and the ground beneath. The purpose of a snow pit is to reveal layers of snow for study.  Why do I need to dig snow-pits?  Snow-pits allow you to study the characteristics of the snow in a particular … Continue reading “How to Dig a Snow-pit”

When winter is over, most of us generally pack away our winter gear and bring out the summer equipment. However, that doesn’t mean that you should neglect your Avalanche transceiver or expect it be suitable when you need it again. Due to how important a transceiver is for ensuring your safety out in the unknown, … Continue reading “Don’t Venture Into the Unknown Without Testing Your Transceiver!”

Those of you wondering who Terrawest are and why their £59.00 Backpacks are so good, Snowsafe breaks the pack down in detail for you. Who are Terrawest and what do they have to offer? Terrawest are a UK based brand that was established in 2013. Focusing on a Recco installed technical ski backpack and avy tools such … Continue reading “Terrawest Recco Backpack, Why are they so good?”

Avalanche transceivers are among the most important safety feature within your fleet of avy gear, regardless of your skiing or boarding ability. Unfortunately, they are unable to save lives when the transmissions are interrupted. Sadly, broken signals are one of the biggest downsides surrounding the increased use of electrical goods. How do smartphones and Go-Pros … Continue reading “Do Smartphones, Watches, Go-Pros interfere with Avalanche Transceivers?”

Whether you’re a skier, snowboarder or summer enthusiasts, the BCA Link Radio 2.0 Two-Way Radio – walkie talkie lives up to its name, it’s your link to your group within the backcountry, maximise your fun and safety.  When you got the BC link you’re never alone out there.  It’s incredibly important to educate yourself and your … Continue reading “Why are the BCA Link 2.0 Radio Key in the Backcountry?”

Ski helmets boasting MIPS brain protection systems are the perfect solution for skiing enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels. What is MIPS Brain Protection for ski helmets?  Multi-directional Impact Protection System (MIPS) is a carefully engineered protective system that is integrated into the internal parts of the ski helmet and serves to protect the brain from … Continue reading “Why choose MIPS Brain Protected Ski Helmets?”

Are you new to airbag technology or have you been sitting on the fence about buying an avalanche airbag for a while, Snowsafe breakdown everything you need to know about the new Alpride E1 Airbag Technology and why it’s a must-have. The brand new Alpride E1 is a fully electronic avalanche airbag, its supercapacitor technology replaces … Continue reading “Everything you need to know about the Alpride E1 Airbag System”

The Recco reflector is a small non-powered device, which is the size of a band-aid. It weighs less than four grams and has been designed for snowboarders and skiers and outdoor enthusiasts.   The two-part system, which features a passive reflector, which is carried by the user, and an active detector, which is carried by … Continue reading “Why add a Recco Reflector to your protective ski helmet?”

Have you ever wondered about Mountain Rescue Services and what is involved? They play an important role in looking after and preserving human life, as well as helping make the mountains of the world safer by setting off controlled avalanches. One of the key parts of this process sees mountain rescue professionals intentionally cause controlled … Continue reading “Why do mountain rescue services set off controlled avalanches and how?”

The winter season is upon us, have you got your winter gear ready? New Recco Reflector backpacks, Lightweight Shovel, Alrpide E1 Airbags, Winter Gadgets, MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection ) Ski Helmets and much much more. You must include some of these into your fleet of equipment.  Snowsafe breakdown the top 10 products for this winter … Continue reading “Snowsafe Top 10 Products For Winter Season 19/20”

Search and rescue dogs have been used for decades to help search for lost skiers or boarders in avalanches.  They are a vital component in wilderness tracking, during natural disasters and other  events where people have been declared missing. Rescue dogs detect human scents which makes them particularly good at locating humans that have been … Continue reading “Mountain Rescue Dogs in Avalanche Situations”

Fortunately, being buried alive in the snow is something that the majority of us only experience in our worst nightmares. But for people who love to ski or snowboard off-piste, it’s an ever-present danger. Data suggest that more than 150 people every year get buried in the snow – mostly snowboarders and skiers who venture … Continue reading “Mountain Rescue Drones saving skiers lives from Avalanches”

Essentials for the kids for half term skiing for safety Recco Reflectors Ski Insurance Taking the kids skiing for half term? Or are they going with a school group?  Make sure they have Recco Reflectors in case the worst happens and they are involved in an Avalanche Recco Reflectors are attached to your boots and/or … Continue reading “Get Reccos for the kids for half term skiing”

What is a Recco Reflector? The Recco Reflector is a small band-aid size battery-free transponder which makes you searchable to professional mountain rescue teams in the event of an avalanche. If you are caught in an avalanche situation the mountain rescue team will search the avalanche area with a Recco Detector, this detector responds to frequency signals of the … Continue reading “What is a Recco Reflector and why you should aways wear one?”

Heavy snow storm hits parts of Germany & Austria offering High Avalanche Risks At least seven people dead after a heavy snowfall hits parts of the German and Austrian Alps, leaving High avalanche alerts.  Reporter confirms that a 28-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman who went missing whilst snowshoeing were found dead near Salzburg in central … Continue reading “Atleast 7 dead, High avalanche risks in Germany & Austria”

Miracle Rescue of a boy aged 12 years old, found by a mountain rescue sniffer dog On Wednesday 26th of December 2018 in La Plagne ski resort, a young boy survives an avalanche after being buried under the snow for 40 minutes, rescuers say this is a miracle.  French Reporters say the young boy was … Continue reading “Boy,12, Buried in La Plange Avalanche for 40 Minutes”

Have you ever wondered which countries have the most Avalanches In Europe? Avalanches are a threat to many countries in the world Including America, Asia, Australia but avalanches in Europe are the most common, the top 4 countries receive the most avalanches: 1. Switzerland The most well-known country to receive avalanches is probably Switzerland, not only … Continue reading “Which countries in Europe receive the most avalanches ?”

Where do we start with the Ortovox Zoom+ & Ortovox 3+ Transceiver? The range of Ortovox Transceivers have evolved since the first release of the F1 transceiver in the late 80’s. From the late 80’s Ortovox have developed 3 of the best and intuitive transceivers on the market to date. We as avalanche experts do not … Continue reading “Difference Between the Ortovox Zoom+ and 3+ Transceiver”

 Should you use an Avalanche Transceiver App? Over the years smartphones have advanced massively, you can buy apps for pretty much anything these days, from using your phone as a TomTom to controlling your lighting or central heating ! would you use your smartphone as an Avalanche Transceiver app? Similar to Avalanche Transceivers, everyone will … Continue reading “Could there be an app on your phone that is an Avalanche Transceiver?”

Snowsafe break down how avalanche transceivers work? Avalanche Transceivers are handheld devices that emit signals. If one of your skiing companions are buried in an avalanche, other transceivers carried by the party pick up the signal being emitted from under the snow. If you have not been buried then you must force your avalanche beacon into … Continue reading “Transceivers – How do they Work ?”

Where are you skiing or snowboarding off-piste this season? 1 – Chamonix, France Home to the most famous off-piste run in the world, The Vallée Blanche,  every expert skier or snowboarder has to ski it  Ride the Aiguille du Midi up to a tremendous 3842m and follow the unforgettable 24km trail weaving across the Colle del … Continue reading “Top 10 places to Ski & Snowboard off-piste in Europe”

Have you ever wondered what the differences are between the BCA tracker beacons? Snowsafe have broken this down for you BCA DTS Tracker 2  The BCA DTS Tracker 2 displays signals from any distance and will only ever guide you to the strongest signal The tracker 2 uses its 3rd antenna during the last stage … Continue reading “What are the differences between the Tracker 2 and Tracker 3?”

Fast and Efficient Delivery with DPD Local  Snowsafe have recently moved courier to DPD Local, a revolution in home delivery, you should never miss a delivery again with DPD, ensure you have downloaded the DPD app in order to track your delivery, we have broken down the app’s features below in order to make sure … Continue reading “Snowsafe Change to DPD Local For Fast and Efficient Delivery”

From analogue to digital, wow they have evolved over the years! 1968 – Avalanche Transceiver development Dr. John Lawton invented the first effective avalanche transceiver at Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory in Buffalo, New York, This was the first pocket sized transceiver to use high frequency to pick up a signal from a radio receiver. The beacon was … Continue reading “History of Avalanche Transceivers and how they have Evolved”

Don’t get hit with Ski and Snowboard luggage fees at the airport!  Flying to your favourite resorts this winter season and thinking of taking your own Ski and Snowboard Luggage,  Ensure you check your airline’s sports luggage fees beforehand, some airlines cost an arm and a leg. Thanks to BA and Swiss airlines they offer free … Continue reading “Ski and Snowboard Airline Luggage Allowance & Fees 2019”

Introduction: Thereʼs nothing like leaving the best off-piste powder tracks in virgin snow. Skierʼs dream of it. Itʼs truly life changing! Youʼre feeling pumped up, striking each turn with punch and finesse and grinning from ear to ear. Unfortunately, most skiers struggle off-piste. As humans, we think weʼre rational but we arenʼt. Ski Mckay: My … Continue reading “Be Brave – Adventure Beyond The Pistes”

Whos Venturing into the unknown this winter season? Make sure you’re aware of what to expect from Avalanche Safety Courses There are not many things in the world that will give you the same satisfaction as riding through deep powder in the backcountry, however, this comes at a greater risk. Without taking any avalanche safety … Continue reading “Avalanche Safety Courses”

Snowsafe.co.uk Partner with National Schools Snowsports Association The National Schools Snowsports Association is a not for profit, membership organisation for schools with a committee from differing backgrounds including, alpine coaching, UK winter tourism and teaching. NSSA has been set up to run as a hub for schools snowsports information,  building schools ski programmes, teams and … Continue reading “National Schools Snowsports Association”

Your First Reactions In An Avalanche 1. Move Sideways The most dangerous spot to be in an avalanche is the centre of it. When there are signs of an avalanche, it is important that you move sideways to give yourself the best of chances of avoiding being caught in the middle of one.  Whether the … Continue reading “Top Tips for Surviving an Avalanche”

Complete Off-Piste Checklist To Get You Ready For Long  Days In Deep Powder It’s important to get yourself together an Off-Piste Checklist before heading off to the mountains. Traditionally known equipment such as an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe are the essentials when heading off-piste, However, over recent years a growing number of skiers and … Continue reading “Off-Piste Checklist – Equipment and Awareness Safety”

Recco for Kids A Recco reflector is a small, band-aid sized, electronic transponder for skiers and snowboarders that weighs less than four grams. We highly recommend that kids should always wear Recco Reflectors on their winter sports holidays. The recco reflectors mount to clothing or gear that is unlikely to be torn off. This technology … Continue reading “Recco For Kids”

href=”http://www.snowsafe.co.uk” target=”_blank”>Snowsafe.co.uk will be exhibiting at the London Ski Show at Battersea from Thursday the 26th October 2017 until Sunday the 29th October 2017. All our products will be for sale and on display from Shovels and Probes to ABS, Ortovox and Jetforce Airbags. Demonstrations of the Jet force airbags will happen 3 to 4 … Continue reading “Snowsafe.co.uk at the London Ski Show”