– The Backcountry Ski Site
  • Avalanches
  • Gear Reviews
    • Ski Reviews
    • Boot Reviews
    • Binding Reviews
    • Snowboard Splitboard
    • Book Reviews
    • Avalanche Beacon Reviews
    • Airbag Backpacks
    • Backcountry Electronics
    • Misc Gear Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Ski Touring Basics
    • Boot Fitting
    • Fitness & Health
    • Gear Mods
  • Trip Reports
    • Fourteeners
    • Huts – Cabins – Lodges
    • Denali McKinley
    • 8,000 Meter Skiing
  • Stories
    • History
    • Humor
    • Land Use Issues
    • Evergreen Ski Touring
    • Poetry
  • Resources
    • All Posts Listed
    • 100 Recent Comments
    • Backcountry Skiing & Ski Touring Webcams
    • Ski Weights Comparison
    • Archives of WildSnow.com
    • Authors Page
    • Ski Touring Bindings
      • Trab TR2 Index and FAQ
      • Salomon Guardian & Tracker
      • Naxo Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Silvretta Pure Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Marker F10-12 Duke Baron
      • G3 Onyx Ski Binding FAQ
      • G3 ION Ski Touring Binding
      • Fritschi Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Fritschi Diamir Frame Bindings Mount DIY
      • Fritschi Diamir Bindings FAQ
      • Fritschi Tecton FAQ
      • Atomic Salomon Backland MTN
      • Dynafit Tri-Step Binding 2001-2003
      • Naxo randonnee alpine touring AT ski binding FAQ
      • Dynafit Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Dynafit Binding Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Review 1
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Page Two
    • History
      • Ski Touring Binding Museum
      • Trooper Traverse Intro & Index
      • Randonnee Ski Touring “AT” ski gear — What is Hip?
      • Chronology
    • Backcountry Skiing Core Glossary
    • Gear Review Policy & Disclosures

– The Backcountry Ski Site

  • Avalanches
  • Gear Reviews
    • Ski Reviews
    • Boot Reviews
    • Binding Reviews
    • Snowboard Splitboard
    • Book Reviews
    • Avalanche Beacon Reviews
    • Airbag Backpacks
    • Backcountry Electronics
    • Misc Gear Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Ski Touring Basics
    • Boot Fitting
    • Fitness & Health
    • Gear Mods
  • Trip Reports
    • Fourteeners
    • Huts – Cabins – Lodges
    • Denali McKinley
    • 8,000 Meter Skiing
  • Stories
    • History
    • Humor
    • Land Use Issues
    • Evergreen Ski Touring
    • Poetry
  • Resources
    • All Posts Listed
    • 100 Recent Comments
    • Backcountry Skiing & Ski Touring Webcams
    • Ski Weights Comparison
    • Archives of WildSnow.com
    • Authors Page
    • Ski Touring Bindings
      • Trab TR2 Index and FAQ
      • Salomon Guardian & Tracker
      • Naxo Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Silvretta Pure Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Marker F10-12 Duke Baron
      • G3 Onyx Ski Binding FAQ
      • G3 ION Ski Touring Binding
      • Fritschi Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Fritschi Diamir Frame Bindings Mount DIY
      • Fritschi Diamir Bindings FAQ
      • Fritschi Tecton FAQ
      • Atomic Salomon Backland MTN
      • Dynafit Tri-Step Binding 2001-2003
      • Naxo randonnee alpine touring AT ski binding FAQ
      • Dynafit Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Dynafit Binding Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Review 1
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Page Two
    • History
      • Ski Touring Binding Museum
      • Trooper Traverse Intro & Index
      • Randonnee Ski Touring “AT” ski gear — What is Hip?
      • Chronology
    • Backcountry Skiing Core Glossary
    • Gear Review Policy & Disclosures
   

Avalanche Safety Quiz

by Lou Dawson August 14, 2014
written by Lou Dawson August 14, 2014
Cleaver avalanche path, extent of 2005 'full path' slide is marked as one would shoot alpha

Cleaver avalanche path, Colorado, extent of 2005 ‘full path’ slide is marked as one would shoot alpha angle if they were standing at the bottom next to the trees that were still standing. This is a quiz hint.

If you try the quiz, please fill out all answers thoughtfully as we do have an anonymous database of the answers and would like to keep it real. If you don’t know an answer, do your best guess. Do not leave answers blank.

As for your score, bear in mind that lower numbers are better.

Basically, the numerical scoring works like this, though it could be changed:


– 0 – 1000 “Very little risk of dying in an avalanche.” Somewhat difficult to achieve this score if you’re honest about your answers. About 3,000 quiz results in this range. Due to flaw in quiz software I might have included some incomplete quizzes in these results.

– 1001-2700 “Moderate risk level, keep working on safety.” About 6,000 results in this range, we feel most backcountry skiers are in this category.

– 2701-4399 “Red zone, take note and modify agenda.” About 300 results in this range (3%).


– 4400-5000 “Extreme risk level, complete stop of backcountry skiing recommended until changes are made.” We only have about 20 results in this range, some could have been software tests.

To keep the library of associated blog comments intact, I re-dated this blog entry as today (original publication of quiz and this post was September 20, 2006).

Without more blabber from me, check it out and let us know what you think — and if you’re safe enough to ski with (grin). (Please complete all questions.)


Please leave feedback here and we’ll continue to change and improve the quiz.

If you link to the backcountry skiing avalanche risk quiz directly, please use the following URL:
https://wildsnow.com/avalanche-safety-information/avalanche-safety-quiz/

Original 2006 blog post below
***************************************
We’ve been wanting to create an avalanche risk self evaluation quiz for quite a while, more as a learning tool than anything else, but also for fun. The idea is to stimulate thought and improvements in how we go about staying alive in avalanche country. We decided to go public but it’s still a work in progress, so your comments are highly appreciated. The thrust of the project is to get away from gear issues as a measurement of personal safety. Ditto for book learning. Instead, the quiz weighs your answers in a variety of ways and tries to come up with an evaluation of your personal safety style. We use gear and knowledge questions, but mix those up with “human factor” questions and some goofy stuff just for fun.

Lou Dawson

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.

www.loudawson.com
0
Email
previous post
Endless Winter — South America 2014
next post
Backcountry.com Headquarters: Brick and Mortar’s Big Brother

Trip Reports

  • A Small Hut for Big Skiing in the San Juans: Aladdin’s Lamp

    April 23, 2024
  • Revisiting a 2011 Trip Report: Adventure in the Pickets — Thread of Ice Ski Descent

    December 9, 2022

Avalanche Department

  • Ask a Forecaster: Q&A with CAIC’s Andrew McWilliams

    March 10, 2024

Tips & Tricks

  • Transition Efficiencies 101 with Tech Binding Heel Units

    January 6, 2023
  • Visualizing the Backcountry as a Splitboarder: Minimizing the Challenges of Movement by Anticipating Terrain

    December 5, 2022
  • TURBOCHARGE YOUR TRAILHEAD BEACON CHECK

    November 15, 2022

Recent Comments

  • Daniel on Backcountry Ski Boots Buyer’s Guide: The Touring Boots Worth the Money
  • Jim Milstein on Best Touring Packs for Guides and Daytrippers
  • Bergen Tjossem on Much more than a steep ski: Fischer Transalp 92 CTI Long-Term Review
  • Maciej on Much more than a steep ski: Fischer Transalp 92 CTI Long-Term Review


  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • About Lou Dawson
  • Terms of Service
  • Authors Page
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Copyright & Legal
  • Website Security

@2025 - All Rights Reserved. Designed and Developed by WildSnow


Back To Top

Read alsox

Ask a Forecaster: Q&A with CAIC’s...

March 10, 2024

Ask a Forecaster: CAIC’s Dylan Craaybeek

February 13, 2024

AspectAvy Aims to Simplify Backcountry Terrain...

December 4, 2023