BCA Announces Access for All Campaign to Support Growing, Healthy Backcountry Communities

October 12, 2021

BOULDER, Colo.—Backcountry Access (BCA) is pleased to announce its new Access For All campaign geared toward ensuring that more backcountry users have better access this coming winter and beyond.

The mission of the BCA Access for All campaign is to promote the growth of healthy backcountry communities by supporting several key “access partners” that support youth avalanche education, diversity, and multi-use public lands access. With Access for All, BCA wants to champion diversity by encouraging more people to experience the joys of the backcountry, no matter their background, ability level, or mode of travel.

Backcountry Access has selected Know Before You Go (KBYG), SOS Outreach, and Advocates for Multi-Use Public Lands (AMPL) as our Access for All campaign partners for the ’21- ’22 winter season. BCA will provide a combination of cash funding, in-kind donations, paid internships, and staff volunteer hours to these organizations.

The Access for All initiative is a natural evolution of the ethos of access on which BCA was founded. When co-founders Bruce Edgerly and Bruce McGowan first started the brand in 1994, their goal was to produce reliable, easy-to-use gear to access the winter backcountry. BCA’s Tracker avalanche beacon was the first avalanche transceiver designed for use by the recreational masses. Twelve years later, BCA designed the Float avalanche airbags to be more affordable, lighter, and easier to use than existing systems. Our BC Link two-way radios have made professional-level communications more accessible to the recreational crowd and have become the standard for backcountry group communications.

Join us by supporting these organizations with a donation to KBYG, SOS Outreach, and AMPL, and using the hashtags #backcountryaccess, #avalanchesafety, #kbyg, #sosoutreach, and #teamampl on your social media posts this winter.

About the organizations:

Know Before You Go (KBYG) is an avalanche education curriculum targeted at youth and focusing on the key ingredients to staying safe in the backcountry: Get the Gear, Get the Training, and Get the Forecast. Through these learning points, KBYG offers a free opportunity for people to take the first step toward becoming knowledgeable backcountry travelers. Presented by the Utah Avalanche Center and Colorado Avalanche Information Center, the Know Before You Go program is delivered online and on-location by trained avalanche educators at schools, resorts, and ski and snowmobile clubs in Colorado, Utah, and several other mountain states. Donate to KBYG here.

SOS Outreach uses outdoor experiences to help kids thrive, no matter their social, societal, or economic barriers. Through mentorship, community service, core values, and outdoor activities, SOS Outreach works to change lives through adventure in nine states and over 15 locations throughout the country. Donate to SOS Outreach here.

Advocates for Multi-Use Public Lands (AMPL) is an organization dedicated to preserving access on public lands to a host of multi-use activities. Their goal is to present a unified voice for both motorized and non-motorized recreation in the spirit of co-existence. Donate to AMPL here.

About Backcountry Access

Backcountry Access (BCA) is a leading manufacturer of snow safety equipment, including BCA Tracker^TM avalanche transceivers, Float^TM avalanche airbags, BC Link^TM radios, MtnPro^TM snowmobile gear, avalanche probes, and shovels. BCA’s mission is to save lives, not just sell products. BCA considers avalanche education to be as important as its avalanche safety equipment and delivers all its products with consumer education and knowledgeable customer service.