An avalanche awareness clinic might seem like a bizarre event to have at a college in Georgia, or any place in the South for that matter. Avalanches have never been at the top of the list of threats to campus safety.

However, the University is hosting an Avalanche Awareness Clinic this Wednesday at the Ramsey Center.

The clinic is sponsored by the Georgia Outdoor Recreation Program with the main objective of raising awareness about avalanches. Jason Whiting, a graduate assistant for GORP and an avid skier, will be teaching the clinic.

Whiting is from Utah, went to school in Colorado, and is now working on his PhD in Natural Resources Recreation and Tourism in the University’s School of Forestry.

In the past, Whiting has taught avalanche awareness clinics at other schools, and now he wants to offer his expertise here in Athens.

“I thought it would be kind of funny to offer a clinic like this, but we do get a lot of people who go skiing over breaks,” Whiting explained.

A group of about 35 members of the University community are going to Steamboat Springs during winter break.

Although Whiting has never been in an avalanche himself, he has witnessed several. At the clinic, he plans to discuss safe backcountry traveling techniques, terrain, weather conditions, the influence of humans and understanding the effect of those factors. Whiting also plans to especially reinforce following the rules within ski areas.

Last year 38 people died in Avalanche fatalities in the US.

“25 percent of people caught in an avalanche die from trauma, and the other 75 percent suffocate under the snow,” White said.

He explained just how important it is for people to understand the factors that can cause these fatal disasters.

“Out of all the avalanches that happen in the United States, 90 percent of them are triggered by human impact,” Whiting said.

Whiting explained that this clinic will be particularly beneficial to individuals who plan to go into the backcountry, which is pretty much anywhere outside the boundaries of a ski resort. However, knowledge of this kind will be helpful to any winter enthusiast.

“Even if you don’t plan to do any backcountry,” Whiting said.