Alpine Islands · Preseason Starter Kit

Start The Season Right

Four printable Field Cards and a six-week plan to get your fitness, gear, rescue skills, and crew dialled before the snow flies.

It takes three weeks to build a habit and another three to sustain it. This is your opportunity to set your season up for success.

Get the free kit.

Card 01 lands in your inbox right away. The rest arrive one at a time, right when you need them.

What's in the kit

Four one-page cards. Print them, stick them on the fridge, fill them in with a pen. No app, no login. Only you will see your scores.

Card 01

Touring Readiness Self-Scoring

Score yourself 1 to 5 across six areas: fitness, gear, rescue skills, training, partners, and planning habits. Find your weakest link. Score again after Week 6 and see how far you came.

Card 02

Six-Week Overview

Your preseason plan at a glance. One focus per week, a fitness box to tick, and a spot for the person who's checking on you.

Card 03

Your Gear

A two-sided inspection checklist: OK, FIX, or REPLACE for every piece of kit, plus a repair kit list, packing rules, and a day-of check.

Card 04

On the Same Page with Partners

A partner agreement for your crew: objectives, pace, terrain comfort, a speak-up rule, a bailing policy, and who drives. Have the conversations early.

Six weeks with one focus at a time

Week 1, The weakest link. Start with your lowest score.
Week 2, The Gear Check. Make sure everything works now.
Week 3, Rescue skills. The more you practise, the more it's automatic.

Week 4, Training. Strength, nutrition, breathwork, rest.
Week 5, Your Crew. Get on the same page with the people your life depends on.
Week 6, Planning habits. Systems lead to more flow. Then re-rate yourself.

Built by Steve Andrews

CAA member and Avalanche Educator with 32 years on snow. Alpine Islands is a mountain dojo, built on the idea that safe backcountry travel is a practice, not a certificate. This kit is how we start every season.

This kit is a self-check and planning tool. It's not a substitute for proper avalanche training (AST 1 or equivalent), practice, and good judgement. Use your head.

Start this week.

Card 01 takes five minutes. Be honest. Nobody's watching.

Alpine Islands

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