onX Backcountry, a navigation and discovery app for outdoor enthusiasts, today launched a new mapping tool called the Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES). ATES classifies terrain based on exposure to avalanches, helping snow enthusiasts–primarily backcountry skiers and snowboarders, as well as fat bikers, nordic skiers, and snowshoers–make more informed decisions regarding avalanche safety in the mountains. 

According to Snowsports Industries of America’s 2022-23 participation report, close to 5 million backcountry skiers and boarders are heading into the mountains–a two-fold increase compared to pre-pandemic years. Participation in fat biking, nordic skiing, and snowshoeing have also hit record levels. Access to snow safety information for new entrants and seasoned adventurers is crucial to help keep powder seekers safe. To access this information, they turn to daily avalanche forecasts issued by the professional avalanche community to understand the day’s avalanche hazard and how to minimize their risk. 

“The daily avalanche forecast considers numerous important variables, such as temperature, snowfall, slope aspect, and elevation,” said onX Backcountry Product Manager Charlie Avis. “Some of these variables change daily or even by the hour. But there is one variable that will likely remain the same throughout the season: terrain. That is where ATES comes in–helping a skier or snowboarder understand whether the terrain where they plan to ski or board could expose them to an avalanche, regardless if the daily avalanche forecast is low, moderate, considerable, or even extreme.”

Originally pioneered and developed by Parks Canada in 2003, ATES is a classification that assesses 11 different terrain inputs, including slope angle, starting zones, runout zones, forest density, and more. By working in tandem with Alaska-based researcher John Sykes, onX is bringing ATES in a digital format to the United States for the first time. Sykes’ algorithm (autoATES) analyzes terrain in popular winter regions in onX Backcountry. 

To refine that algorithm, onX works with local avalanche forecasters to localize and verify ATES ratings, leveraging their local knowledge, expertise, and historical avalanche data. This human input is critical to ensure the layer’s accuracy. Furthermore, onX has partnered with American Avalanche Association (A3), American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), and the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) to ensure that ATES is a useful and valuable tool for the backcountry ski and snowboard audience.

“ATES is an important tool for all winter enthusiasts,” said Utah Avalanche Center’s director of forecasting, Mark Staples. “Taken together with the daily avalanche forecast, ATES can help the public–whether they’re a beginner or a professional–better understand how to reduce their overall risk, have an incredible time in the mountains, and get home to their friends and family at the end of the day.” 

“onX Backcountry’s introduction of ATES, and its additional Avalanche Runout and Avalanche Potential Release Area layers, have the potential to greatly improve users’ risk management and backcountry navigation,” said American Avalanche Association executive director, Jayne Nolan. “It’s clear that onX is committed to providing innovation and improvement within the avalanche industry, cementing themselves as a leader within the digital mapping space.”

ATES is a layer in onX Backcountry’s robust Snow Mode that users can toggle on or off. It shows four different colors for four different ratings. Those ratings are: simple (green), challenging (blue), complex (black), and extreme (red). With this tool, users can connect the terrain to the daily avalanche forecast and confidently plan their adventure. 

Because ATES is the result of 11 different inputs, some enthusiasts may enjoy seeing a few of those individually. To aid this understanding, onX has added an Avalanche Run Out layer and Avalanche Potential Release Area layer to Snow Mode for further exploration. App users can also toggle on other layers like the Daily Avalanche Forecast, Slope Aspect, and Slope Angle and access the weather forecast and SNOTEL data to expand their understanding of snow safety. 

Current ATES coverage areas in the onX Backcountry app include zones in Colorado, Montana, and Utah. Coverage in additional regions will be added later this season, including Washington, California, Wyoming, and Alaska, as well as expanded regions in Colorado and Montana. 

“ATES doesn’t tell you where to go,” says Beacon Guidebook founder and onX Backcountry senior content manager, Andy Sovick. “Winter outdoor enthusiasts still need to do the work to connect the forecast with the terrain and take critical avalanche safety education courses. But we are giving users the tools to apply this education right on the map.”

To learn more about ATES, and to purchase an onX Backcountry subscription, visit https://www.onxmaps.com/backcountry/app/features/avalanche-terrain-exposure-scale 

About onX Backcountry

onX Backcountry empowers trailblazers and powder seekers of all levels to find new outdoor experiences and relive old favorites. Unlike other apps on the market, onX Backcountry combines industry-leading GPS tools with expert-curated adventure content. Members can enjoy access to 770K+ trails and 30,000+ guide-book adventures. Because off-the-beaten-path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land and promote stewardship opportunities. Learn more at https://www.onxmaps.com/onx-access-initiatives 

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onX, a pioneer in outdoor digital navigation, is collaborating with Planet Labs PBC, a leading provider of global satellite imagery and geospatial solutions, to launch an all-new feature: Recent Imagery. Recent Imagery provides onX users across its suite of apps-onX Hunt, onX Offroad and onX Backcountry-with satellite imagery map views, updated every two weeks. This capture frequency provided by Planet’s fleet of imaging satellites puts critical information about current recreation conditions at outdoor enthusiasts’ fingertips, helping them stay safe, achieve their goals, and exercise good stewardship while recreating outside. 

“Whether someone is looking to see if a high mountain pass is dry for an upcoming hiking or overlanding trip, exploring the availability of water sources or ice cover, checking to see if an area is muddy and thus more susceptible to erosion, looking into impacts from recent wildfires, or seeking out the last remaining strip of snow to ski, Recent Imagery helps “fill in the blanks” for folks as they’re planning their adventures,” said onX Senior Director of Geospatial, Brian Riordan. “Planet’s imagery is twice as detailed as other imaging sources-we’re talking five meters per pixel compared to 10. That level of detail means onX users have exceptionally reliable data to make well-informed choices about when, where, and how they recreate. As a result, we can better steward our outdoor places and public lands, avoid putting pressure on critical areas or habitats, and reduce the burden on land management or emergency response teams.”

Planet operates hundreds of satellites that together provide an unprecedented dataset of Earth observation imagery. With a unique combination of coverage, frequency, and resolution, Planet delivers geospatial insights “at the speed of change,” helping users get the most nuanced understanding of changing ground conditions and validate on-the-ground information. Its constellation of satellites orbit the poles every 90 minutes, capturing the entire Earth’s landmass every day. 

“Planet’s combination of high-frequency and high-resolution imagery provides a unique experience for outdoor enthusiasts to better understand current conditions, landscape changes, and historical trends in their area of interest,” said Planet Account Executive Zach Precious. “We’re thrilled to be providing data for onX’s Recent Imagery feature, allowing their users to gain confidence in planning their next adventure and maximizing the best possible outcomes. On top of the natural fit between two geospatial industry leaders working together, our collaboration will work to promote and enable better stewardship of the land and our planet!”

Recent Imagery is a high-frequency complement to onX’s existing, high-resolution satellite basemap, updated every few years. While the high-resolution satellite basemap is available to all levels of subscribers, Recent Imagery is an Elite member feature, accessible on both mobile and desktop App versions. Because Recent Imagery is taken every 14 days, users also have the ability to explore and compare what the landscape looks like now and what it looked like “then” by scrolling through onX’s archive of historical images.

onX aims to provide its app users with continuous innovation, and Recent Imagery is one of the company’s latest updates. Other key features launched in 2023 include Route Builder, Terrain X, in-dash integrations with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an industry-leading, immersive 3D experience.

For more information about onX’s Recent Imagery, visit onxmaps.com.

To learn more about Planet, visit planet.com.

About onX 

Founded in 2009, onX is a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, developing software that helps inform, inspire, and empower outdoor recreationists. onX Hunt, onX Offroad, and onX Backcountry make up the company’s suite of apps which are built by explorers for explorers. Because off-the-beaten path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land and promote stewardship opportunities. Learn more at www.onxmaps.com/about

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