How to suck less and be more better at…. is a monthly series designed to help facilitate ongoing peer learning. Speakers are volunteers who feel somewhat knowledgeable and are willing to help others achieve basic knowledge in an area- they are by no means experts, and may in fact not be the most knowledgeable person in attendance. The goal is to help improve the knowledge and skill level of all members who participate on mountain trips through regular skill updates. DIscussion and participant input is welcomed during sessions.

Step one, don’t get into an avalanche. Blow step one? You better know how to respond. Phil’s main qualification other than surviving 15 years of skiing in the backcountry, is abject terror at the thought of dying in a slide which he will attempt to impart on everyone.

There will first be a discussion ways to stay safe - fancy gear, terrain management and most importantly, discussing things as a group; then get ready to spend a bunch of time talking about various techniques for shovelling, beacon searches, shovelling, probe lines and finally shovelling (guess which one is really important and often overlooked?). This session is about discussing options and getting people thinking - pros and cons of different gear and ways of doing things.