YOUR GUIDE TO AIARE AVALANCHE COURSES

Winter, with its pristine snow-covered landscapes, invites adventure enthusiasts to explore the great outdoors. However, the thrill of backcountry touring, skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing comes with its own set of challenges, chief among them being avalanches. Understanding the nuances of avalanches and the skill of navigating snowy landscapes is essential for any winter explorer. 

At Edgeworks, we understand the allure of untouched snow and wanting to recreate responsibly. That’s why we’ve partnered with AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) to provide avalanche education courses. AIARE is the national standard in avalanche education with a mission to “save lives through education” at all experience levels.  Our courses are tailored to empower new and experienced mountain travelers with the knowledge and skills needed to more confidently travel in avalanche-prone areas.

WHY CHOOSE EDGEWORKS AIARE AVALANCHE EDUCATION COURSES?

1. Expert Guidance

Our avalanche education courses are led by AIARE certified instructors and ski guides with experience guiding around the world, from the North Cascades to Norway. Not only do they provide invaluable insights into avalanches and decision-making, they’ll also show you how to find good snow, keep warm in the coldest conditions, and adjust your plan for the day’s conditions,ensuring you are well-equipped for your winter adventures. 

2. Local Knowledge

Edgeworks guides are local to the Pacific Northwest and have been skiing and climbing in the Cascades for over 30 years. We know these mountains deeply and look forward to sharing our understanding of these places with you. 

3. Community Connection

Participating in an Edgeworks AIARE course, you have an instant community of folks who share your passion for winter adventures. By learning together, you also contribute to a larger culture of awareness and preparedness within the outdoor community, enhancing safety for everyone. Students in our courses often continue to go to the mountains together, long after the course has ended.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AIARE AVALANCHE EDUCATION

AIARE courses have been developed through decades of research and professional experience. Since 1998, AIARE has worked with guides, ski patrollers, highway departments, and the public to produce courses that are up-to-date, engaging, and offer practical tools for everyone.

1. Make Better Decisions

Edgeworks’ AIARE courses equip you with tangible tools to thoughtfully prepare for winter trips in the mountains. From assessing avalanche terrain to communicating with your friends, our courses can increase your confidence in yourself, your group and your adventures while managing potential risks.

2. Hands-on Training

We believe in learning through practical experience. All of our courses include field sessions where you apply your knowledge in and around real avalanche terrain. We’ll practice a range of avalanche rescue scenarios for small groups, identify actual avalanche paths, and communicate our assessment of current conditions. These sessions will further your skills and boost your confidence when facing challenging winter conditions. 

3. Comprehensive Learning

Edgeworks’ courses cover a wide range of topics, from trip planning, to route finding, snow layers, and avalanche rescue techniques. Our curriculum is designed to provide a holistic understanding of avalanches, planning and communication tools for your group, helping you to make better decisions before and during your trip. We also assist in developing a plan for continuing your education after the course has ended.

AIARE 1 – The foundation of avalanche education. Learn about avalanche forecasts, terrain, and the basics of rescue. Spend two days in the mountains putting your knowledge to use in real terrain.

AIARE 2 – Take your skills to the next level. Learn more about the snowpack, avalanche forecasting, travel techniques, and get mentored practice while spending three days in the mountains together.

AIARE Rescue – A one day course for practicing the skills needed for an avalanche rescue including using a beacon, effective digging strategies, group management, and what to do after an avalanche. Take it as a stand-alone, refresher, or with your friends to feel more confident with your touring partners.

SIGN UP FOR A COURSE TODAY!

Winter beckons with its endless opportunities for adventure, and Edgeworks AIARE Avalanche Education Courses provide you with the expertise needed to explore with more confidence. Our expert instructors, comprehensive curriculum, hands-on training, and community-oriented approach make our courses the ideal choice for anyone seeking to learn the art of backcountry exploration.

Are you ready to elevate your winter adventures? Enroll in Edgeworks AIARE Avalanche Education Courses today and embark on a journey in the heart of winter’s wonderland. 

 Adventure with confidence! Contact us now to start your journey.

6 WAYS TO FIND A CLIMBING PARTNER AT EDGEWORKS

Our community is full of friendly climbers willing to lend a catch when needed! And while starting from scratch can be a challenging or somewhat awkward endeavor, the rewards for reaching out to others can get you on the ropes with a new friend in no time. 

Here are 6 tried and true ways to find a climbing partner at Edgeworks. 

BRING A FRIEND! 

Members can (and should!) use their FREE guest passes to introduce their friends to climbing at Edgeworks. 

Each member receives: 

• 2 free 1st time guest passes per visit
• 1 free guest pass per month*

*Free guest pass use is limited to 1/every 30 days for guests.

ATTEND A COMMUNITY CLIMB NIGHT.

Pop in for one of our monthly community climb nights designed specifically to help make connecting with people easier. There are several to choose from each month; hit the link to access our events calendar for more details. BELLEVUE | SEATTLE | TACOMA

• Monthly Climber Socials
• Women’s Climb Nights / She Rocks
• Climbers of Color
• Queer Climb Nights
• College Night
• Family Night
• Military Night

ADD YOUR NAME TO THE BELAY FINDER SHEET.

Our belay finder sheet located at the front desk is a great way to share your information with other climbers and let you take control of the connections you make.  

• Add your name and contact information.
• Check the list for other climbers.
• Connect directly or let our staff help.

ASK OUR STAFF TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.

Find yourself at the gym without a partner? Let our staff help! A simple announcement such as this will have you climbing with a new friend in no time: 

“Attention Edgeworks members and guests, if you were hoping to rope climb with someone today, it’s your lucky day! We have someone at the front desk who is looking for a belay partner. Come on up to the front desk for an introduction.”

JOIN AN ONLINE GROUP.

There are several online options available including: 

• Friends of Edgeworks Facebook Page (moderated by members, not staff)
• Edgeworks Bellevue Climbing Partners Facebook Page (moderated by members, not staff)

BE STRATEGIC.

• Be an awesome belayer. Chance opportunities to climb with new partners are more likely to turn into long-term partnerships if you’re a solid belayer and taking our Intro to Climbing course is a great way to meet other new climbers. This course is offered free for members; click the link to sign up online.
• Look for a group of three. Look for groups in the rope areas with an odd number of climbers and ask if they would like another belayer. There is always a chance that the odd person out would be happy to get climbing sooner.
• Warm up on the boulder walls. Bouldering provides an easy way to be on the lookout for other climbers just like you. If you are unsure how to approach a group of boulderers, try getting in line to start working a popular problem near them.  Usually, other climbers are happy to share what they may have figured out about a particular problem and help you solve the puzzle.

Effective March 1, 2023

As climbing evolves, so do the technologies, techniques, and best practices we use to mitigate the risk of our sport. Effective March 1, 2023, all Edgeworks locations will adopt an Assisted-Braking Device (ABD) policy for all top rope and lead belaying in the gym. 

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Beginning March 1, 2023, non-assisted belay devices (ATCs or similar) will no longer be allowed for general use in our facilities. 

TOP 3 “WHY” FACTORS

1. Minimizes risk
2. Adds redundancy
3. Reduces human error

Moving to an ABD-only policy in our facilities will help climbers better mitigate risk in the gym; ABD’s help prevent accidents in a way that older style tube-style/unassisted belay devices cannot do.  Similar to seatbelts, ABDs easily add another level of security. 

FAQ: Click here for answers to the most common questions we’ve received about this change.

RESOURCES DURING TRANSITION

We’re providing several options to assist climbers through the transition, including:

Info Nights with Vendors. We’ve invited the folks from Black Diamond (Ryan Spivey), Petzl (Jay Dufrense), Edelrid (Anna Campbell) and Mammut (Collin Jenkins) to help us showcase available assisted belay devices and provide information to learn and make informed decisions on the products available. 

These events will be held from 6-9pm on the following dates:
• March 7:  Bellevue
• March 8:  Tacoma
• March 9:  Seattle

No registration required! We hope to see you there. 

Tips and demos from our staff. If you’ve never used an ABD before, our staff will happily show you how to use any ABD.  No appointment required, just come see us at the desk!

Free clinics for members. Grigris are not the only ABD only option! Our climbing school instructors are offering free 30 minute clinics designed to teach you how a variety of different active and passive ABDs work, how to use them, and offer recommended belay techniques for various models. Registration is now open, sign up online!

Free rental devices. We will have a selection of Black Diamond Pilots and Mammut Smart 2.0s available for use during the transition.

30% off all ABD devices in our retail shop. Including discounts on Black Diamond Pilots, Edelrid Giga Juls and Jul 2s, Petzl Grigris, and Mammut Smart 2.0s. 

(Limited time offers through March 31, 2023)

MORE INFO:

ABDs provide redundancy.
“In climbing, we use backups all the time.  We use them as an integral part of our systems and we often use words like redundancy and security when we’re talking about backups.  In every case, the basic concept is the same: a climber relies on one system to stay safe, and there is another system that acts as a back-up in case the primary system fails or malfunctions.” – American Alpine Club

Human error reduction.
“Brake assist was basically created to add a “belay backup” in case of emergency or misuse while belaying, with the added bonus of being able to hold the weight of the climber once activated. The basic concept is that in the event the rope moves too quickly through the device, for example if a belayer loses control, the speed and friction on the device cause it to move in a way that stops the rope from feeding.” – Weigh My Rack

Belay Technique
This policy change does not change the way Edgeworks expects people to belay.  As always, all belayers must maintain control of the brake strand at all times and be alert and attentive while belaying.  ABDs are not “auto-locking” or “hands-free” and should not be treated as such.

Am I doing this right?

by: Joe Stangel

It’s a word you will hear all the time when you’re hanging out with climbers – beta.

The word comes from a long time ago; in a galaxy far, far away. It references a time when climbers used to film their climbs on beta max tapes. People would ask each other for the beta tape of certain climbs to figure out how they did the climb. Nowadays, the word is thrown around everyday by climbers big and small. What is beta? What’s the beta? What’s your beta? There is often a big difference between those questions. 

Beta is a shorthand way to reference the sequence of movements that someone used to climb their way through a route or problem. It can apply to an entire climb or even a single, specific move.  As route setters it’s our job to create sequences that appropriately challenge climbers of all skill levels. A 5.12 climber has a different bag of tricks and tools of the trade than the ones a 5.10 climber does. Experienced climbers know how to use body positioning to solve more complex sequences rather than just relying on pure strength. One of our goals as route setters is to teach these more complex sequences to less experienced climbers. By positioning and ordering hand and foot holds just right, it’s possible to lead people into unique and different body positions. This is often what is called the intended beta. Our objective is to make sure that the intended beta is appropriate for the grade and to be the easiest way to complete the climb. But, it may not be the simplest or most obvious way. For newer climbers this is where the beta is often ‘broken’. 

In a climbing gym, route setters have nearly complete control of what hand holds and foot holds a climber can use. Because of this we have more control of the consistency of grades, both in relation to climbs of the same grade and climbs of the grades directly above and below that one. This leads to situations you won’t see outdoors. The most obvious example of this is foot holds on easier climbs (think 5.5 to 5.10-). At Edgeworks, the feet on these climbs are often nearly as big as the hands, only less incut and positive. Often they are sloped or flat. The goal is for them to be not as nice to grab onto than the nice, positive jug right next to it. This is how we ‘force’ sequences on the lower grades. This is often also where people create the habit of grabbing whatever they can and muscling their way to the top. After a few months, hand strength increases and climbers start to feel more comfortable using smaller edges and crimps. Next, those climbs that ask for more technique to get to the top become a little easier to get, think 5.10- to 5.10+.

This is when grabbing and pulling isn’t always the easiest way to do a sequence.  This is where the route setters are trying to teach climbers the different capabilities of their bodies. This is where we are trying to lead you into doing something a little different. It might feel insecure or awkward or require you to do something you haven’t before, but it should feel ‘right’. It should also make you want to naturally move through the sequence. Once you are used to it, it should feel easy. Easier than grabbing on that tiny, sharp foot chip, stepping up and getting fully stretched out to grab then next good hold. Which oftentimes will put your hands out of sequence for the next move. So a clumsy hand match on an obviously single handed hold is required to keep moving. I don’t know about anyone else but that doesn’t sound like a fun climb to me. Just because you can reach something doesn’t mean you should. 

These types of situations are when we see the most complaints about a route or problem being reachy, awkward, hard for the grade or just bad. It’s tough to hear and deal with. Not because it’s a negative review of our work, but because there’s no easy way for us to address it. We can’t offer the beta. We can’t help or talk you through the difficulties. We can’t offer little tips or tricks. We can only set the challenge and then hope climbers will accept it and be open to learning new ways to work through the tough spots. 

Modern climbing isn’t about just getting to the top, it’s about the journey you take to get there. Route setters create a maze, a puzzle for your body and mind, and we are rooting for you to get to the other end.

Metolius Upshot Belay Glasses

by Abbie Madlem

Our newer, taller walls bring better endurance training, new styles of routes, and all new projects! Unfortunately, this can also mean serious neck pain for your belayer.

Feeling the strain of the new wall and looking for a little relief?

Metolius’ Upshot Belay Glasses have got your back! These belay glasses are an updated take on the original, with a field of vision that aims higher on the wall, sports-style temples with low profile nose pads that fit better over glasses/sunglasses, and increased peripheral vision. They also come with a durable case that will protect them when you throw them in your bag for a day of climbing in the gym OR at the crag.

Next time you’re in the gym, ask about trying them out. Your neck will thank you!

The Petzl Sirocco – Guide Approved!

by Abbie Madlem

If you find yourself in need of a new helmet this season, look no further: the Petzl Sirocco is here!

It’s ultralight design is made to be the perfect combination of protection and comfort. The new design offers increased protection against lateral and rear impacts, and carries Petzl’s top and side protection product labels.

Our most handsome and well read guide, Andrew Powell, has this to say about the Sirocco:
“I use the Petzl Sirroco helmet for my ice, alpine, and rock climbing objectives because of its excellent lightweight durability. The majority foam exterior prevents the cracks, dents, and dings that other helmets acquire, and still provides adequate protection. Its lightweight construction is easy on my neck when looking up, day in and day out on the long climbing pursuits that I love.”

Tech Specs:

– Weighs in at only 170 g!
– Hybrid construction with a shell in EPP (expanded polypropylene) foam and a rigid crown injected with EPS (expanded polystyrene) foam
– Fully adjustable with magnetic buckle closure
– Two hooks and rear elastic for attaching a headlamp

Black Diamond Momentum Climbing Shoes

by Abbie Madlem

Black Diamond’s Momentum climbing shoes have arrived at Edgeworks! This comfortable, entry-level model is perfect for the gym or the crag, finding that sweet spot where all-day comfort meets performance climbing. Don’t let the flat-last fool you! The Momentum won’t slow you down.

Check out some of the tech specs:

Knit Uppers: The knit fabric means that the Momentum requires less break-in time than its counterparts. The fabric is designed to stretch and breath where you most need it, which means less sweaty feet and easy on-off!

Microfiber Liner: The microfiber liner in the front of the shoe minimizes stretch, which means how you buy them is how they should continue to fit.

Neutral, Flat Last: The neutral, flat last of the shoe allows your toes to lie in a neutral position. This is more inviting to newer climbers (your feet won’t be killing you at the end of your session!). They’re also great for more experienced climbers that are looking for a high performance, high comfort shoe (perfect for long days of cragging and long gym sessions)!

Durable Rubber: The rubber on the Momentum is unique in that it’s molded instead of cut from one sheet of rubber. This was inspired by the way that BD forges their carabiners, and is their engineered solution to optimize the shoe’s rubber and rands for weight, consistency, and comfort.

This shoe is unlike any other beginner shoe out there. If you’re curious (we know we were!), don’t take our word for it. Come in and try a pair out!

Scarpa Force V Gear Review

by Abbie Madlem

The Fit: To put it simply, the Force V is designed to be a high performance shoe with an all-day comfort fit (think Helix 2.0 or a performance-oriented Mythos). 

     •  Stiff sole, a snug heel cup, and padding throughout the tongue and upper heel.

     •  Flat lasted with a slight asymmetry, which makes it a more technical shoe than cheaper models. You can think of the Force V between the Inti and the Mythos.

The Technology: The Force V was designed by Heinz Mariacher (who is known most notably for his design of the La Sportiva Mythos). It is constructed of partially-lined leather suede.  From the ball of the foot forward, the shoe is unlined, allowing the leather to conform to the particular bend in a customer’s toes. From the heel to the ball, the shoe has a synthetic liner that ensures a consistent fit throughout the life of the shoe. It also uses 4mm Vibram XS Edge rubber, making it a stiff shoe with optimized traction and lasting durability.

What really makes this shoe stand out is Scarpa’s use of Lightly Charged V-Tension Active Randing. Active Randing as a concept was created by heinz of Mythos fame. At its most basic, Active Randing employs rubber rands that wrap around the shoe in different configurations in a way that is designed to support climber’s feet, and store tension in certain directions to release energy in other directions.  Still confused? That’s okay, Scarpa has an awesome resource to better learn about the Active Randing process here: http://blog.scarpa.com/heinz-mariacher-and-active-randing-in-scarpa-rock-shoes/.

How it Compares: It has a less aggressive heel than the Inti, and is designed more for all day comfort and performance than the Inti, though has a slightly more aggressive toe than the Mythos, not to mention that active randing will allow for more precise foot placements than the Mythos.  It is stiffer and more precise (again due to randing and asymmetry) than the Helix or Origin.

The Cost: At a price point of $130.00, the Force V is cheaper than the Mythos while offering a trade off of comfort for performance. The price is the same as the Tenaya Inti, but will fit a different style of climber… because it’s a different shoe…

Make sure to check the shoe out and, more importantly, try it on! Know how it fits and feels, and who knows, you might just end up falling in love with it!