BCA Adds Probing and Shoveling to Education Program

The Avalanche Review
Vol. 25, No. 1
October 2006

Snow safety equipment manufacturer Backcountry Access (BCA) staff spent an entire week last winter digging holes and researching the best methods for excavating avalanche victims from debris. This research will culminate in a paper at the 2006 International Snow Science Workshop in Telluride and a series of point-of-purchase displays at retail shops worldwide, illustrating proper beacon, shovel and probe technique. In addition, all BCA products in 2006-07 will come with a hangtag containing a tear-out Companion Rescue Guide describing these techniques in English, German and French.

The company's expanded education program will be supported with an expanded line of snow-safety products. This includes an updated Companion shovel redesigned for professionals, a new line of fast-assembling Quickie probes and an affordable snow study kit, field book, and snow saw.

BCA's updated Companion shovel is the best example of the company's focus on education. On the front of the shovel blade, BCA has printed three illustrations from its Companion Rescue Guide. These can be used as an educational tool by professionals teaching on-snow courses and as a field reference for recreationists. The blade itself has been enlarged and now measures 25x30cm. These new dimensions make it ideal for performing shovel shear and compression tests. The back of the blade is completely flat, enabling the professional to produce much cleaner walls and columns when working in snowpits.

BCA designed the Companion shovel blade after copious input from avalanche professionals, most notably, the research team from the University of Calgary's Center for Applied Snow and Avalanche Research (ASARC). The shovel will continue to feature BCA's innovative oval shaft and accomodates the optional Companion probe. BCA's new Quickie line of probes include depth markings and are available in sizes ranging from 203-300cm. BCA's snow study kit was developed with guidance from members the American Avalanche Association (AAA), Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA), ASARC, and AIARE (American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education).

For more information on BCA's education program, see www.bcaccess.com /education.