From Chamonix’s Language Barrier to a Global Safety Tool – An Interview with AVY Base Founder Ville Strandman
When you head into the backcountry in the winter, one thing takes priority over everything else: the avalanche forecast. But what do you do when the world’s best powder is right in front of you, but the local forecast is written in a language you don’t fully understand?
This exact problem gave birth to avybase.com – a new global hub for avalanche forecasts. We asked the site’s founder, Ville Strandman, to tell us what the project is all about and why every freerider and outdoor brand should keep an eye on it this coming winter.
Where did that first spark or frustration come from that made you build your own tool? After all, there seem to be plenty of avalanche apps and websites out there these days.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in France, and I personally faced major challenges with the local, French-only avalanche forecasts. The mountains in the Chamonix area are incredible, but if the subtle nuances and hazard areas of the forecast get lost behind a language barrier, it’s a direct safety risk.
At first, I built a page purely for my own use, where I translated the Chamonix area forecasts into English. That’s how the idea took off – I realized that other enthusiasts traveling in the Alps would definitely benefit from this same information as well.”
When you decided to expand this from your own project into a public website for everyone, how did it start to grow? What does AVY Base do that no one else is doing?
“At first, I thought that surely there is already a website out there that gathers forecasts from multiple different countries and destinations in one place. But after some furious googling, I had to conclude that such a thing simply didn’t exist. Information was out there, but it was scattered across different continents and the local authorities’ own, often confusing websites.
I decided to gather the data into one place. Initially, avybase.com only operated in English, but as popularity and demand grew, I quickly added support for French and German as well. Now, data is coming in from multiple continents, straight to the skier in their own language.”
You are currently working hard behind the scenes and have contacted some of the biggest brands in the industry (like Mammut, Ortovox, and Black Diamond) for the upcoming winter season. Why should brands and, on the other hand, everyday skiers be interested in AVY Base?
“For the everyday skier, the biggest benefit is clarity and speed. You get vital data reliably in one place without the language barrier.
For outdoor brands, I see the website as a fantastic opportunity to produce interesting and meaningful content easily. Alongside the forecasts, it is possible to bring avalanche safety and mountain travel educational materials or other informational content to AVY Base.
The absolute advantage of the site is that its content updates daily throughout the entire winter season. Because the snow situation changes constantly, people return to the site repeatedly to check the day’s conditions. For brands, this offers a continuous, active, and high-quality audience that is already on their way to the mountains.”
What does the future look like for AVY Base, and what is the best way to support the project if someone wants to help make the backcountry safer?
“The easiest way to support the project is simply to use its data to your advantage in your own adventures and make the site a part of your trip planning. The more active visitors we have, the more interesting the site becomes among other enthusiasts and partners.
The goal is to build this into the number one winter tool for everyone who enjoys the backcountry. And of course, if there are brands or other industry players out there who want to get involved in a bigger way, I am very open to discussing all forms of collaboration!”
Go check out the forecast tool for the upcoming winter at avybase.com and follow along on Instagram at @avybase.app.