Winter 14er Safety with the Alpine Rescue Team
In this 75-minute webinar, Bruce Beckmann from the Alpine Rescue Team shared some critical winter 14er safety advice and tips. He covered everything you need to know, including gear and clothing, emergency preparedness, group dynamics and decision-making, and winter survival tactics. Watch the winter 14er safety webinar below anytime you’d like. Click here to view the slideshow from the webinar.
Meet the Presenter: Bruce Beckmann, Alpine Rescue Team
Bruce Beckmann is the Co-Director of Preventive SAR (PSAR) education with the Alpine Rescue Team. He conducts training for Search and Rescue volunteers from across the state and the general public, with previous sessions focused on lightning risk in the mountains, group decision-making dynamics, and GPS devices for backcountry navigation. In this session, he will share some tried-and-true advice for safely climbing winter 14ers. He’ll also provide common examples of rescues on winter 14ers, the group dynamics involved, and what you can do to be prepared.
What Will You Learn in This Webinar?
In this engaging 60-minute session, you’ll cover all the essential steps for planning and carrying out a winter hike or climb on a class 1 or 2 fourteener. Specifically, we will be discussing the following:
- How to pick a peak and route for a winter ascent
- What to research, with a focus on weather and snow conditions
- Packing for your trip and what you should wear
- Avalanche Awareness and Risk Mitigation
- Emergency Preparedness and Response
- Essential Wilderness Survival and First Aid
Additional Winter 14er Safety Resources
These are some additional articles, infographics, and resources to help you stay safe and prepare for your winter 14er adventures. If you have any suggestions for more winter 14er safety materials we should add, contact us to share them.
Colorado Avalanche Awareness Infographic
Colorado is home to more avalanche injuries and fatalities than any other part of the United States. This is because of the unique weather patterns and snow we receive compared to other mountains along the
Chris Fisher Sets New FKT for Colorado’s 14ers in Single Winter Season
On March 18th, 2023, athlete Chris Fisher achieved a new FKT (fastest known time) by becoming the second person ever to climb all of Colorado’s 14,000ft peaks in a single winter. With an official time
Best Snowshoes for 14ers
Hiking in deep snow is an unpleasant, if not miserable experience. Unless it is hard packed, you constantly punch through the snow crust and plunge several feet down – known as postholing (imagine your leg
Winter Hiking Layers Guide: What to Wear for Winter Fourteeners
The temperature on a fourteener in January can drop to -30 degrees Fahrenheit, and that isn’t even taking wind chill into account. In such a cold environment, dressing warm isn’t just an issue of comfort.
Hiking in the Snow | 11 Essential Tips for Success
Winter is coming! While most people hang up their hiking boots for the season, there’s no reason you need to stop hiking when the snow begins to fall. In fact, most trails and peaks are
Best Gaiters for 14ers | Five Great Recommendations
Deep snow is a hiking nightmare without the right gear. With each step you take, more snow gets in your boots and melts into your socks. It doesn’t take long to end up with cold,
