SheJumps Colorado Chapter, led by Chapter Director and board member, Ashley Magnuson, teamed up with Gretchen Schramm of non-profit, Alpine Intiatives, for a Womens Backcountry Clinic on April9-10. Two highly trained professional female guides Kelli Rohrig and Maeve Nevins, along with three Vail Ski Patrol women, taught the pack of nearly twenty women proper backcountry essentials and safety. —Leah Fielding, Associate Editor

We are women; analytical, thoughtful, concerned, commonsensical, perceptive, sensible, judicious...I could go on. These words are what make us women, caring of others, and aware of our decisions, others decisions, and how these decisions will correlate. Heavy stuff.

We all have difficulty shutting our minds down, and I know I’ve admitted to my boyfriend, “I wish I could just turn my brain off, like you.” I think it’d make me more gutsy, a better athlete, more confident. But, nature has endowed us with these traits for good purpose. It’s time we take advantage of our “female” intuition or gut, when and if we venture into the backcountry, not only to keep ourselves out of harms way, but for the safety of the group. 



Considering Colorado’s high avalanche danger, it seemed fitting that SheJumps Colorado Chapter partner up with Alpine Initiatives to host a Womens Backcountry Clinic. The event was a success, with nearly 20 women showing up at Vail Mountain April 9-10, to take advantage of pro-guides, Maeve Nevins’ and Kelli Rohrig’s, owner and operator of White Room Adventures guiding, infinite knowledge of safe backcountry practice. 

Essential to venturing out-of-bounds is having the proper equipment, which means a thoroughly assembled pack—beacon, (metal, large) shovel, a sturdy probe (I learned my two-in-one shovel and probe is not the best option), a first aid kit, space blanket, sunscreen, and of course, plenty of food and water.

Next, is how to use that gear. Kelli and Maeve instructed the group how to operate their beacons, everything from turning them on, checking the batteries, switching from transceive to search, and so on. They also taught the group how to lock-out their probes quickly, and the correct method of digging a burial out. 

Maeve and Kelli, shared the realities of the backcountry, the inherent risk that exists everytime you venture out-of-bounds, but they also empowered us not only through education of operating backcountry gear, evaluating snowpack, weather, aspect and terrain, but also as a voice of concern and reason in “sketchy” situations.

 Maeve and Kelli assert that a group in the backcountry with a woman on-board are less likely to be caught in avalanche because we tend to make safer decisions.



When the group introduced themselves early morning April 9, most of the women stated their reasons for signing up for the clinic, “My boyfriend/husband goes in the backcountry, I want to go too, but I want to feel educated first” or “I have been the backcountry and I want to “feel comfortable speaking up” or to “be prepared if something happens.”

 Thanks to several hours with an educational slide show, provided by Backcountry Access, and nearly a day and a half of buried beacon searching, everyone walked away from the weekend much more confident in their own decision making and capabilities in the backcountry.

Three Vail Ski Patrol women also volunteered their time, explaining how they control potentially dangerous in-bounds and sidecountry zones, and educated the group about specific areas in Vail to be aware of when before entering.

 Much thanks to Maeve Nevins, Kelli Rohrig, Vail Ski Patrol (especially Lindsey, Caroline & Jen for sacrificing one of the last powder days of the season, thank you!), Alpine Intiatives, and SJ Colorado Chapter Director, Ashley Magnuson, for making this important event happen. 

For more information about gender in the backcountry, please check out pro-guide Margaret Wheeler’s article The Avalanche Review. 

What is Alpine Initiatives? AI is a catalyst for the mountain community to collaborate, contribute and initiate change in communities and environments worldwide. 
Mission: Through social, ecological and agricultural interactions, AI works to create and nurture sustainable environments and communities.