Req 1 — Hazards & First Aid Topics

Requirements 1a and 1b together build your safety foundation for all snow sports. Before you ever clip into a binding or strap on a snowshoe, you need to know what can go wrong on the mountain and how to handle it. Read through both sections carefully — your counselor will ask you to explain these topics in your own words.

Requirement 1a

Snow sports are exciting, but the mountain environment creates real hazards that can hurt or kill unprepared participants. Being a prepared Scout means thinking through each hazard before you head out.

Common Hazards and How to Handle Them

Collisions with other skiers or objects Collisions are the most common cause of serious injury on ski slopes. Trees, lift towers, rocks, and other skiers can all be in your path.

• Anticipate: Stay alert and look ahead at all times. Know your stopping distance.
• Prevent: Ski at a speed you can control. Follow the Your Responsibility Code (see Req 6a).
• Respond: If a collision happens, stop, check for injuries, and call for ski patrol.

Avalanche Avalanches are sudden slides of snow down a slope. They are most dangerous in the backcountry but can occur anywhere on steep terrain after new snowfall or during warming.

• Anticipate: Check the avalanche forecast before backcountry travel. Learn the warning signs: cracking snow, “whumpfing” sounds, recent avalanche debris.
• Prevent: Avoid steep slopes (40–60 degrees) after heavy snow or during warming. Travel one person at a time in avalanche terrain. Carry beacon, probe, and shovel.
• Respond: If caught, try to swim toward the surface. If buried, create an air pocket before the snow settles. Rescuers should use beacons to locate victims within minutes.

Getting lost or disoriented Poor visibility (whiteout), unfamiliar terrain, or straying off marked runs can leave you lost on the mountain.

• Anticipate: Study the trail map before you ski. Tell someone your plan.
• Prevent: Stay on marked trails. Stop and take a bearing if unsure.
• Respond: Stay put, stay visible, and use your whistle or phone to signal for help.

Weather changes Mountain weather can shift rapidly. Wind, dropping temperatures, and sudden snowstorms are serious threats.

• Anticipate: Check the weather forecast before heading out. Know what changing clouds and wind direction mean.
• Prevent: Dress in layers and bring extra gear. Know where warming huts and lodges are.
• Respond: Head inside at the first sign of severe weather.

Equipment failure Binding malfunctions, broken poles, or improperly fitted boots can cause falls or prevent you from stopping.

• Anticipate: Inspect equipment before every outing.
• Prevent: Have bindings set by a certified technician. Use properly fitting boots.
• Respond: Stop immediately if equipment fails. Do not continue on damaged gear.

Official Resources

Requirement 1b

Cold temperatures, altitude, sun reflection off snow, and high-speed falls create a specific set of medical risks on the mountain. Know these conditions so you can recognize and respond to them.

Cold-Weather Illnesses

Hypothermia — The body’s core temperature drops dangerously low. Signs include uncontrollable shivering, confusion, slurred speech, and stumbling. A person with hypothermia may stop shivering as the condition worsens — this is a dangerous sign, not improvement.

• Prevention: Dress in moisture-wicking base layers, insulating mid-layers, and a waterproof shell. Stay dry and take regular warming breaks.
• First aid: Move the person out of the wind and cold. Remove wet clothing. Warm gradually using blankets and body heat. Do not rub the skin or give alcohol. Call for emergency help for moderate or severe cases.

Frostbite — Skin and underlying tissue freeze, most often on exposed skin: nose, ears, cheeks, fingers, and toes. Superficial frostbite appears red and feels numb and waxy. Deep frostbite turns white or grayish and the tissue feels hard.

• Prevention: Cover all skin in cold or windy conditions. Use moisture-wicking gloves and warm boots. Wiggle your toes and fingers regularly to maintain circulation.
• First aid: Move indoors. Do not rub frostbitten tissue. Rewarm in warm (not hot) water if refreezing is not possible. Seek medical help for deep frostbite.

Trauma and Injury

Shock — A life-threatening state where the body cannot maintain adequate blood flow. Signs include pale/cold/clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, confusion, and nausea. Shock can follow any serious injury.

• First aid: Have the person lie down and elevate their legs (unless a head, neck, or spine injury is suspected). Keep them warm. Call for emergency help immediately.

Concussion — A brain injury caused by a blow to the head, common in falls and collisions. Signs include headache, dizziness, confusion, memory loss, nausea, and sensitivity to light.

• Prevention: Always wear a properly fitting helmet.
• First aid: Stop activity immediately. Do not return to skiing that day. Seek medical evaluation. A person showing concussion symptoms should never be left alone.

Fractures — Broken bones from falls or collisions. Common sites in skiing and snowboarding are the wrist, forearm, leg, and collarbone. Signs: severe pain, swelling, bruising, obvious deformity, inability to bear weight.

• First aid: Stabilize the injury — do not try to straighten a fracture. Apply a splint (see below). Keep the person warm and comfortable. Call ski patrol.

Sprains and Strains — Sprains are stretched or torn ligaments (common at the ankle and knee, especially ACL in skiing). Strains are stretched or torn muscles or tendons.

• Prevention: Stay in good physical condition. Warm up before activity. Do not ski when fatigued.
• First aid: Use RICE — Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Seek medical evaluation if the person cannot bear weight.

Bruises — Soft tissue injuries with bleeding under the skin. Apply ice and monitor for signs of more serious injury.

Dehydration — Cold, dry air and physical exertion cause faster water loss than most people expect. Signs include headache, dark urine, fatigue, and dizziness.

• Prevention: Drink water consistently throughout the day, even if you are not thirsty. Avoid excessive caffeine.
• First aid: Rest and drink water or an electrolyte beverage.

Sunburn — UV radiation is more intense at altitude and reflects off snow, burning exposed skin even on cloudy days.

• Prevention: Apply SPF 30+ sunscreen to all exposed skin, including lips and under the chin where snow reflects. Reapply every two hours and after sweating.

How to Apply a Splint

A splint immobilizes a fracture to prevent further injury during transport.

Principles:

1. Splint the injury in the position you find it — do not try to straighten or realign.
2. The splint must extend beyond the joint above AND below the injury site.
3. Pad the splint so it does not press directly on the injury.
4. Check circulation (pulse), sensation (feeling), and movement in the limb before and after splinting.

Improvised splints can be made from ski poles, tent poles, padded boards, rolled newspapers, or even layers of clothing bound around the limb. Secure with bandanas, ski straps, or triangular bandages — tight enough to hold but not so tight they cut off circulation.

Official Resources

Now that you can explain snow sport hazards and first aid, the next requirement asks you to go one step further — why every participant must be ready to help, and how to call for help when you need it.