>>15822Not really, but it's not a poor-man's sport.
Well, it depends on how much you want to get into it.
One one hand, you could pick up an older sled for $2000, helmet, carhartt coveralls, work gloves, snowboarding boots and a jacket and be off and riding. The sled's going to limit you, and to a certain extent your gear's going to weigh you down.
So you want to push yourself a little harder.
Go get some avalanche training/gear, goretex jacket/pants, and maybe upgrade to a newer chassis sled...
Ride another year or two... maybe touch off an avalanche, or know someone who gets caught/killed in one. Now you're sinking money into a $1000 avalanche airbag pack, better shovel/probe, body armor, new jacket, new sled...
I've built my gear collection up over the past few years. Figured out what i do and don't like, and made changes to my kit from there. I've got the $1000 avalanche airbag pack, good probe/shovel, beacon, gear, survival equipment, GPS, radio. And I've been to funerals for friends who have been killed in avalanches in the backcountry.
Don't forget about maintenance on the sled, vehicle to get it to the mountain with (pickup and/or trailer), fuel for the sled/truck...
