Ski Touring Public Service News Announcement:
Here in Colorado we’ve got the ISSW avalanche conference returning to the town of Breckenridge after 24 years. While the ISSW is oriented to professional avalanche safety workers, industry, and science, nearly anyone in backcountry snow sports can cherry pick the wonderful presentations. I’m going. I’ll focus my coverage on risk management, human factors and education. Should make for some fun blogination. More info here, and here. Also, next year’s conference is in Innsbruck, will WildSnow be there? Could happen.
Condensed PR follows:
BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. (September 14, 2016) – The International Snow Science Workshop (ISSW), the world’s marquee conference for snow and avalanche professionals, returns to Colorado Oct. 3-7, 2016. The five-day event will allow expert researchers and practitioners in the field of avalanche and snow science to merge theory and practice.
The ISSW, which features daily lectures, poster sessions and panel discussions (WildSnow editor: we always like panel discussions) covering a variety of topics in the snow science field, gives attendees the opportunity to learn about the latest research and discuss best practices for avalanche forecasting and mitigation. Nightly social events are scheduled; ranging from a “Taste of Colorado” on Monday, to a banquet with professional skier Chris Davenport as the keynote speaker on Thursday.
The week is shaping up to be both informational and entertaining (WildSnow editor note: Indeed!).
About the ISSW:
The International Snow Science Workshop has its roots in meetings held informally in the 1950s and early 1960s when practitioners realized the importance of interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and experiences. The first meeting that brought together government agencies, industries and users dedicated both to snow and avalanche science was held in April, 1960 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Following the 1960 meeting sporadic and informal meetings on snow science and safety were held until 1982 — that year a group of Montana State University snow researchers established the ISSW as a bi-annual meeting.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
