Education
CSAR’s educational goal is to
eliminate the avoidable and minimize the unavoidable.
CSAR encourages people to get out and enjoy Colorado’s national forests, national parks, state parks and open spaces, trails, streams, and slopes. We also encourage you to build the tools and knowledge to recreate in the backcountry as safely and responsibly as possible. Whatever activity you’re doing, we recommend you follow the three Ts:
Trip planning - Leave a detailed plan with a responsible person back home. Include the trailhead you’ll be parking at, your intended route, your intended destination, who is with you, and what time you expect to be back. If you haven’t returned home within a reasonable time given your plan, the person should call 911 to report you overdue (or if they are in another county/state, they should call the sheriff’s office of the county you are adventuring in).
Training - Make sure you have the skill, ability, experience and physical conditioning for the adventure you’re planning.
Take the essentials - For most backcountry adventures, we recommend carrying the ten essentials plus any sport-specific equipment you may need.
CSAR partners with other outdoor entities to provide backcountry safety education to the general public. Here are some recommended resources for both safety education and outdoor stewardship.
Featured Educational Video
Featured Educational Article
From CSAR's blog:
Know Before you go
CMC
10 Essentials
The Colorado Mountain Club connects thousands of adventure-loving mountaineers and teachers the skills to safely and respectfully maximize living in an outdoor playground. Visit site and learn more.
Colorado Trail Explorer (Cotrex)
The Cotrex mobile app is Colorado's official out door exploration app. View trails by allowed uses on the map, browse featured routes, download offline maps, record trips and notes in the field, complete challenges to earn badges, and share your experiences with the community. Visit site and learn more.
CSAR Blog
CSAR’s blog has many backcountry safety education articles, as well as rescue stories you can learn from.
Colorado Fourteeners Initiative
Colorado Fourteeners Initiative protects and preserves the natural integrity of Colorado's 54 14,000 ft peaks, through active stewardship and public education. Visit site and learn more.
Colorado
Outdoors
Magazine
Colorado Outdoors features a wealth of how-to information to help you plan your next outdoor adventure. Visit site and learn more.
Colorado Avalanche
Information Center
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center provides avalanche information, education and promotes research for the protection of life, property and the enhancement of the state's economy. Visit site and learn more.
Alpine Rescue Team
Safety & Education
Alpine Rescue Team is the Backcountry Search and Rescue team servicing Jefferson County, CO. They also provide public education opportunities. Visit site and learn more.
American Mountaineering Guides
The AMGA is a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit that is dedicated to supporting the American mountain guiding community. Their mission is to inspire and support a culture of American mountain craft. checkout their public tech videos or consider their mountaineering programs and guiding services. Visit Site and learn more.
Mountain Rescue
Aspen
Mountain Rescue Aspen is an all volunteer mountain rescue team serving Pitkin County. They are dedicated to saving lives through backcountry rescue and outdoor safety education. Visit site and learn more.
Mountain Rescue
Association
The MRA is a national organization of teams dedicated to saving lives through rescue and mountain safety education. Visit site and learn more.
Rocky Mountain
Rescue
RMR is Boulder County's all-volunteer backcountry search and rescue team. Visit the site and learn more.
Outdoor Stewardship
NoCo
Recreation
A Colorado partnership focused on people, land, access, conservation, ecosystems and sustainability. Visit site and learn more.
Colorado Parks
and Wildlife
CPW works to perpetuate the wildlife resources of the state, to provide a quality state parks system, and to provide enjoyable and sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities that educate and inspire current and future generations to serve as active stewards of Colorado's natural resources. Visit site and learn more.
National Park Service
Safety Information
The National Park Service Preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of this and future generations. Visit site and learn more.
CARE FOR COLORADO COALITION
Let the Care for Colorado Leave No Trace Principles be your guide. Remember to know before you go, lead with kindness and care, respect the beautiful landscape and leave it as you found it. Visit site and learn more.
US Forest Service
The U.S. Forest Service works to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the Nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Visit site and learn more.
The Colorado Outdoor Partnership
They commit to promoting the importance and stewardship of public and private lands and waters to support sustainable habitat conservation and responsible outdoor recreation. Visit site and learn more.
Leave No Trace
The Seven Principles
The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace provide an easily understood framework of minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors. Visit site and learn more.
If you would like to look into volunteering for a backcountry search and rescue team, find your local team here, do a web search for the contact info of your local team, or call your local sheriff’s non-emergency number.