Many skiers and boarders spend their time dreaming of heading off-piste into the backcountry. It’s hard to beat the feeling of swooping down a slope of deep, light powder. It's worth remembering there can be great backcountry conditions, but to keep safety at the forefront.

As fun as it might be, riding away from patrolled and secured areas is not without risk, so here we look at a few things to bear in mind when heading into the backcountry.

Remember that some people spend a lifetime learning how to stay safe in the mountains, and there is no substitute for experience and going with a qualified instructor or mountain guide. But the following information will help you be better prepared for a backcountry adventure.

Why do avalanches happen?

The science behind understanding and predicting avalanches is constantly evolving, but a basic understanding of what leads to avalanches is important if you’re considering heading off-piste.

• As snow falls through the season, it builds up in layers. Avalanches occur when a weak layer in the snow fails. As an extreme and simplified example, imagine two planks of wood with ball bearings between them — the ball bearings are the weak layer and the top layer of wood is the avalanche.
• Wind is very likely to lead to the formation of these weak layers. Unstable wind slabs tend to form on lee slopes (slopes that are sheltered from the wind). If you know the wind has been blowing from the north, then south-facing slopes are likely to be more dangerous.
• High temperatures can also lead to unstable snow through melting, but these wet snow avalanches are generally easier to predict. The hotter it gets the more likely it is to slide. Melted snow that has frozen again is stable.
• Remember, 90 percent of avalanche incidents are caused by the victim, or one of her/his group.

Before you go off-piste:

• Get informed — weather and avalanche bulletins are freely available on the internet and at ski sites. Speak to the ski patrol for useful local knowledge.
• Let someone know where you’re going and when you’re due back.

Safety equipment

Having the correct safety equipment and knowing how to use it is fundamental to enjoying your time off-piste. The following should always be carried and are available in all good ski or snowboard shops:

• Avalanche transceiver, to be worn under your jacket.
• Shovel and probe, to be carried in a backpack.

What to look out for on the mountain:

• How steep is the slope? Bear in mind that avalanches can happen on fairly gentle slopes and there might be a steeper area above you.
• Cornices — unstable wind slabs are often found down slope from cornices.
• What has the weather been doing recently? Has it been windy? Has it snowed heavily? Has there been a sharp rise in temperature? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, take care.
• What is the terrain like? If you were to be caught by an avalanche, where would it take you? Are there cliffs you might fall from, trees you might hit or ravines you might be pushed into?
• Convex slopes (which get steeper on the way down) are more likely to be unstable than concave slopes (which get less steep on the way down).
• Are there signs of previous avalanches? If all the slopes facing one way are covered in slides, this should tell you something.
• Noises — if a slope starts to make "whumphing" noises, clear out as you are receiving a clear warning of an impending slide. The same goes for any visual cracks that start to appear on the snow.

Good practise off-piste:

• Never ride alone.
• When traversing a slope, cross one at a time — if the whole group is caught, who will save you?
• If you are in any doubt, go down a slope one at a time and then shelter behind big rocks before the next person sets off.
• Don't just follow tracks in the snow if you don't know where they lead. What if the person who made them didn't know either and ended down the bottom of a cliff?
• If you are unsure about a slope, just say no. As James Bond might say, better to "die another day"!

After all that doom and gloom, you would be forgiven for never stepping foot off mountain tracks again. But awareness of potential risks involved in off-piste skiing and snowboarding can help you get the most out of the mountains and keep you coming back year after year.