Backcountry skiers who use onX are now better equipped to navigate techy terrain all over the U.S. On Nov. 17, onX announced that it had significantly expanded the Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES) mapping layer for its Backcountry app. It also added a new “safe zone” rating.
“As backcountry skiing and snowboarding participation continues to grow, onX is on a mission to equip people with the best possible tools to make smarter decisions,” onX Backcountry Senior Content Manager and Beacon Guidebook Founder, Andy Sovick, said in a press release. “In a sea of ever-changing variables like weather and snowpack, there’s only one variable that remains consistent throughout the season: terrain.”
The expanded ATES mapping layer has effectively been tripled with this expansion. It now covers 23 million total acres of terrain spread across the U.S. Specifically, onX now offers more ATES mapping for zones in California, Colorado, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming. The added safe zone rating draws a line for users, indicating areas where onX claims that skiers and riders will be 100% safe from avalanches.
It is the largest update to the app’s 3D mapping function since the brand debuted it.
Adding to ATES: Level 0
Parks Canada developed the Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale and classifies risk based on “11 different terrain inputs, including slope angle, starting zones, runout zones, forest density, and more,” according to onX.
When you toggle the ATES layer on in onX Backcountry, you’ll see different slopes color-coded to indicate the level of risk that terrain presents. Black is Level 4, indicating “extreme terrain.” Red is Level 3, indicating “complex terrain,” Blue is Level 2, indicating “challenging terrain,” and Green is Level 1, indicating “simple terrain.”
Until now, that’s where the ATES ratings stopped on onX Backcountry maps. But with this latest update, there’s now a Level 0, which shows users “non-avalanche terrain.”
“This is a bold move, because we are now literally drawing a line on the map, saying ‘you won’t get into an avalanche here,’” Sovik said. “This can be extremely helpful for Nordic centers, municipalities, utility companies, and ski areas. And of course it’s reassuring for people who want to get outside in the winter, yet want to avoid avalanche terrain at all costs.”
Expanding the ATES Mapping Layer
Maps are only useful when you’re in the area they portray. The more terrain a backcountry skiing app can cover, the more widespread its use will become, and the more useful it is for skiers. That’s why onX and TGR put in the work to expand the dataset that onX uses and map huge new zones in western states. This expansion added 15 million ATES-mapped acres of terrain to the onX Backcountry dataset.
Now, Colorado skiers can plan routes with onX Backcountry in the Western San Juan Mountains, near Leadville, and Aspen. In California, the onX ATES mapping layer now covers Sonora Pass and the Eastern Sierra. In Wyoming, it covers Togwotee Pass and the Alpine/Afton area, and in Montana, it covers Whitefish, the Bitterroot mountains, and Seeley Lake.
Finally, in Washington, the new ATES layer covers the North Cascades, Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier, and Leavenworth.
“By expanding our ATES coverage to some of the most popular terrain across the country, we’re giving skiers and snowboarders one more tool to make better decisions,” Sovik said.
OnX uses a third-party algorithm called autoATES in addition to on-the-ground input from local avalanche forecasters to inform its ATES data. “We’re regularly reaching out to, and getting feedback from, locals and professionals, tweaking the models accordingly,” Sovik said.
Another Tool, But Not an End-All Solution
With the new ATES risk Level 0, and all of the 15 million additional acres the mapping layer covers, skiers and riders venturing into the backcountry with onX are better prepared than ever. Planning routes safely is getting easier by the year.
But, apps like onX are no replacement for real avalanche training, and ATES is not the same as an avalanche forecast. Backcountry skiers and riders should still get avalanche training and exercise all of the precautions. Check your local avalanche forecast. Check the weather forecasts, too. Don’t send it into questionable terrain just because it’s green or blue on the onX map.
The onX Backcountry app ($30 annually) is a tool in your toolbox. It covers more than 770,000 trails and includes info from over 30,000 guidebook adventures. It should always be consulted in collaboration with other weather and avalanche forecast tools available. But it’s also one of the most useful backcountry navigation systems available to skiers today.
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