Begin Your At-Home
Digital Mapping Education
$25 Annually for Unlimited Access
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As of November 23’, there are nearly 8 hours of video tutorials with more being added monthly. These range from how-to-use the different apps, to in-depth discussions on tactics and methods to physically map precip data or daily avalanche forecasts. Below is the list of current topics with associated apps.
Early Season PWL Scouting - Caltopo
Early Season PWL Scouting - onX Backcountry
Planning a Ski Tour - Caltopo
Planning a Fastpacking Route - Caltopo
Considerations for Mapping an Alpine Climb - Caltopo
Snow, Weather, and Avy Obs - onX Backcountry
Basic Functions - onX Backcountry
Planning a Ski Tour - onX Backcountry
Mapping a PWL - Caltopo
Planning A Ski Tour - Fatmap
Mapping an Avalanche Problem - Fatmap
Mobile App Tutorial - Caltopo
Basic Functions - Fatmap
Planning A Backcountry Skiing Hut Trip - Caltopo
Basic Functions - Google Earth Pro
Weather Forecast & Precip Data - Google Earth Pro
Uploading Custom Maps - Google Earth Pro
Creating A Persoanl Backcountry Skiing Atlas - Caltopo
Mapping an Avalanche Forecast - Caltopo
Utilizing Sun Exsposure - Caltopo
Basic Functions - Caltopo
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Will McKay is an AMGA Certified Ski Guide, avalanche forecaster, and avalanche educator. He’s located in Salt Lake City, Utah and spends his winters ski guiding in the Wasatch Mountains as well as teaching avalanche courses. He has a BA in Environmental Studies with minors in Geography & Journalism.
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That’s the most common question we get. It’s true, you can learn every single thing on this website, on your own. But most lawyers go to law school just as most mountain guides go through guides training. What you’re paying for is a simple and effective way of learning how to utilize these applications to increase success, safety, and efficiency in the mountains. All taught from the perspective of a mountain guide that has a university level background in mapping and outdoor recreation. You’re paying for the systems, flow, and unique ways to utilize these tools for your betterment. If you’re serious about recreating in the backcountry, MTN Mapping EDU is a no-brainer.
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Our students range from first time backcountry skiers to folks that have 2+ decades under their belt. We routinely have students that sign up that work professionally in mapping industries as well as those that work as mountain guides & professional athletes. MTN Mapping EDU was created for anybody to use.
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If you’re interested in incorporating MTN Mapping EDU into your avalanche curriculum, you’re in strong company.
Since it’s inception, MTN Mapping has been brought on by multiple guide services as a product they give to students when they sign up for a REC 1 or 2. It is also frequently utilized as a training tool for pre-season guide trainings. MTN Mapping has also been adopted by collegiate outdoor programs, most notably the University of Utah (one of the largest outdoor recreation programs in the country) as a tool to prescribe assignments and course work for credit-based avalanche classes.
Please email mtnmappingedu@gmail.com for pricing and more information. -
We make a point of staying up-to-date on new feature releases by the mapping applications and creating unique tutorials on how to use them to your advantage. In the coming months, more videos regarding alpine climbing, trail running, and backpacking will begin populating the library.
Taught By Pros
Will McKay is an AMGA Certified Ski Guide, avalanche forecaster and educator who has a passion for mapping.
Covers Multiple Apps & Topics
This video library consists of tutorials that focus on digital mapping applications including Caltopo, Google Earth Pro, OnX Backcountry, and Fatmap. Topics range from mapping avalanche forecasts to creating BC hut trip plans to basic functions of all programs for backcountry recreation.
Backcountry Focused
You can do so much with these applications. It’s overwhelming. For these tutorials we’ll show how to use them for backcountry recreation including ski touring, alpine climbing, ice climbing, and big mountain adventures.
Increase your safety margins
With modern tools, we have the ability to increase our the safety of our lives and our partners. Backcountry recreation is dangerous, particularly backcountry skiing. We all would prefer to live long and continue skiing into our 70’s. Knowing these applications inside and out can help you understand where avalanche problems exist, visually understand the avalanche forecast, as well as create safe tour plans.
Move efficiently in the mountains
We’ve all been there, trudging through the brush because your friend said “you should totally take that skin track up the drainage”. Turns out, they were wrong. In the mountains, efficiency can equal safety. Whether you’re crossing under an imposing north face, picking your way through a heavily crevassed glacier or simply trying to make it home before the storm hits. Having an understanding of where you are and how to select the most efficient & safest route can be the determining factor between having an okay day and a best-of-all-time day.
Whether you're a beginner backcountry skier or a seasoned avalanche professional, this course will add value to your recreation in the backcountry. By enhancing your mapping skills you can increase your safety, efficiency, and enjoyment in the mountains.