Solo Safety & Trip Planning
The backcountry doesn't care about your experience level. Planning and partners save lives.
Rule #1: Don't Go Alone
This is the single most important rule in backcountry travel. A partner is not just company — they are your rescue team, your second set of eyes on hazards, and the person who calls for help if something goes wrong.
Consider what happens when you're solo and something goes sideways: a twisted knee in a drainage with no cell service, a tree well on a powder day, a vehicle stuck 20 miles from pavement. With a partner, these are problems. Alone, they can become emergencies.
Every year, experienced people die in the backcountry because they were alone when something went wrong that would have been survivable with a partner.
Why Partners Matter
Avalanche Rescue
Companion rescue is the only realistic chance of survival in an avalanche burial. Organized rescue takes too long — survival drops below 50% after 15 minutes. Your partner is your lifeline.
Injury Response
A broken leg, a concussion, a dislocated shoulder — manageable with a partner who can stabilize you and go for help. Alone, you're crawling or waiting and hoping.
Decision Making
Summit fever, fatigue, and target fixation cloud judgment. A partner provides a check on risky decisions. Two heads evaluating avalanche conditions, weather changes, or route choices are better than one.
Vehicle Recovery
Two vehicles on a backcountry road means you always have a tow option. Solo on a muddy pass with no cell service is a long walk or an expensive helicopter.
Trip Planning: Every Time, No Exceptions
Whether you're going with a group or heading out solo, these steps are non-negotiable.
- Where you're going (trailhead, route, zone)
- When you're leaving and when you expect to return
- Who you're going with (or that you're solo)
- What vehicle you're driving and where it will be parked
- When they should worry and who to call
If You Go Solo Anyway
We get it — sometimes schedules don't align and you're going regardless. If you choose to go alone, raise your safety margin significantly.
What Your Emergency Contact Needs to Know
Your emergency contact is your safety net. Give them what they need to help you if something goes wrong. Add your emergency contacts to your profile so your trip partners know who to reach if something happens in the field.
Share before every trip:
- Your planned route and destination
- Trailhead name and parking location
- Vehicle description and license plate
- Expected departure and return times
- Names and contact info for anyone you're going with
- Your satellite device brand and tracking link (if applicable)
Tell them the trigger:
"If you haven't heard from me by [time], call Gunnison County dispatch at 911 and tell them I was heading to [location] and was expected back by [time]."
Be specific. "Sunday night" is too vague. "Sunday by 6 PM, call at 8 PM if no word" is actionable.
Quick Trip Plan
Copy this, fill it in, and text it to your emergency contact before you leave. It takes 2 minutes.
Heading to: _______________
Trailhead: _______________
Route/plan: _______________
Going with: _______________ (or solo)
Leaving at: _______________
Back by: _______________
Vehicle: _______________ (plate: ___)
If no word by: ___ call 911
Sat device: yes / no Tracking link: ___
Better With a Crew
The easiest way to stay safe is to not go alone. Browse upcoming trips or post your own to find partners heading the same direction.