SlabLab conducts research and creates products for the winter backcountry community

Talk to us about skiing
introducing
The SlabLab Partner Network
A better way to find great partners.
Get early access
SPRING IS SPRUNG
Road status page now live
One place for access updates across CA.

Welcome Friends of CAIC! 

Friends of CAIC email subscribers get special pricing when you sign up for our Backcountry Partner Network
$29.99 $4.99
Learn More

A new way to meet great partners

Research participants of all experience levels consistently tell us how hard it is to meet good partners. So, we built the SlabLab Partner Network to help like-minded backcountry skiers, splitboarders and snowmobilers connect on the important stuff.

Check it out
75% off for black friday!
‍$9.99 for season membership until midnight tonight.

Our Partner Network helps you find and form better teams, the biggest factor in safety and fun.

Find like-minded partners
Have better first conversations
Grow as a partner
latest research

Our latest report, A Culture of Candor in the Backcountry, explores what our sport can learn from sexual consent.

Being candid can feel overly serious and clunky
We underestimate the skill and practice it takes to be candid
Safety concerns don’t always rise to the level of conscious thought
Read the report

The Teamwork Toolkit is a free library of actionable ideas to develop key skills. Your feedback supports our research.

Devil’s advocate
Assigning a Devil's Advocate gives them permission to make the team defend decisions
The "1 to 5 check"
A quick way to check in frequently without breaking the flow.
A debrief for good days
Debriefs are not just for when things go wrong. If you have a good day and want to repeat it, debrief and figure out what made it so awesome.
Observe your partners too
Observing your partner(s) can be more important than looking at the snow
Share it with a story
Tell real stories about times where other parties practiced a new communication tactic and how it paid off for them.
Visit the Teamwork Toolkit

SlabLab uses Human-Centered Design to help the winter backcountry community innovate.

about slablab
2022-2023 RESEARCH
Trip Reports
15 min
An illustration of a survey Report a trip

We need your voice

Share a little bit about your tours this season and contribute your experiences to this effort.
More on how we work
now available

2021-22 Season Research Report

We spoke with backcountry travelers at every skill level to understand the breadth of their experience of the sport, from risk to partners to why they do it in the first place. Lessons and opportunities emerged for both individuals and the industry.
READ THE REPORT

Let's talk about skiing

Currently we are engaging with people through both 5 minute surveys and  hour-long interviews. We’re able to offer a $25 REI or Amazon gift card for your time for interviews. Please fill out this form to get in touch:

Let's talk

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