ASC Route Planning & Travel Protocols Flashcards
6 cards from real ASC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 ASC Route Planning & Travel Protocols flashcards as text
When planning a backcountry route under ASC standards, the PRIMARY purpose of identifying terrain traps is to:
Answer: Understand where even a small avalanche could produce disproportionate burial depth or injury
Terrain traps — gullies, cliff bands, trees, creek beds — amplify consequences by increasing burial depth or trauma even from small slides.
Under ASC travel protocols, 'exposure time' in avalanche terrain refers to:
Answer: The cumulative time a person or group spends in a zone where they could be caught by an avalanche
Minimizing exposure time is a core travel protocol strategy — the longer a group is in hazard terrain, the greater the probability of a dangerous encounter.
Which terrain feature is considered a PRIMARY indicator that a slope may be wind-loaded and therefore at elevated slab avalanche risk?
Answer: Pillowed or rounded surface snow shapes on lee aspects
Pillowed, rounded, or scalloped snow on lee aspects indicates wind-deposited slabs that may be poorly bonded to underlying layers.
ASC route planning protocols require that travel routes through avalanche start zones be evaluated for all of the following EXCEPT:
Answer: Trailhead parking capacity
Trailhead parking capacity is a logistical factor irrelevant to avalanche hazard evaluation of start zones.
When selecting a safe travel corridor through avalanche terrain, guides prioritize ridgelines and valley floors primarily because these zones:
Answer: Represent areas below avalanche start zones or above runout paths
Ridgelines sit above most start zones and valley floors below runout zones, placing travelers outside the primary avalanche path.
The ASC standard for group spacing while traversing beneath loaded avalanche slopes recommends that each member maintain separation to:
Answer: Ensure no more than one person is in the hazard zone at a time
Spacing ensures that a single avalanche event can expose only one person at a time, maximizing both survival odds and effective rescue by remaining members.