GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA, Calif./Nev. – Two Tahoe area locals have curated a website with the goal of taking the difficulty and guesswork out of finding a backcountry partner.

It all started as a conversation Daniel Feldman and Richard Bothwell had several years ago on a backcountry adventure. While laying skin tracks, they discussed the challenges in backcountry sports.

Feldman, with a background in human-centered design with experience at IDEO.org and Apple, and Bothwell, with experience in avalanche education and ski guiding, merged their backgrounds to find solutions.

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The merger resulted in development of their organization called SlabLab, which conducts research and applies human-centered design to solve problems specifically for the backcountry community.

“There’s a lot of gatekeeping, a lot of putting down newbies,” Feldman explained. “So Richard and I are trying very much to create an inclusive culture at SlabLab. Where you don’t get slammed for being a newbie or saying the wrong thing or being honest.”

The heart of their research is conducting qualitative interviews unpacking participants’ motivations, fears and experiences.

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“And one of the things that bubbled up as we synthesized all of the interviews that we did,” Bothwell explained, “is that people have this universal problem of not being able to find partners.”

In their interviews they found two culprits making that difficult.

“One, there’s really no place to do it,” Feldman explained, “And two, you need a lot of things in one person to go take risks with.” Whether it is similar schedules, experience levels, risk tolerance, or downhill ability compatibility, there is a plethora of characteristics to weigh in one person when it comes to a backcountry partner.

In enters, SlabLab’s partner network, which works to address those two difficulties.

It addresses the first by being a platform focused on backcountry partner finding. Secondly, the network website allows individuals to create a profile, providing a plethora of backcountry-specific details. It’s these details that become subject to filters on customizable searches for a potential backcountry partner.

These filters include location, days of the week, experience, avalanche courses, gender, age and risk tolerance, as well as communication style. You can get to know potential partners further by reviewing more information on their profiles or messaging them directly.

Before this partner network, Feldman and Bothwell found that people were often finding partners through social media groups, which comes with its own challenges.

“There’s a lot of gatekeeping, a lot of putting down newbies,” Feldman explained. “So Richard and I are trying very much to create an inclusive culture at SlabLab. Where you don’t get slammed for being a newbie or saying the wrong thing or being honest.”

Another struggle they’ve found with these outlets is that often people find partners that simply fit with their schedule, but the many other factors aren’t considered. SlabLab hopes to provide a fuller scope in this regard. “We’re trying to help people find partners of compatibility,” Feldman said, “rather than convenience.”

In their research, they’ve also learned that backcountry women desire a community space that feels safe for them. To address this, Feldman and Bothwell are incorporating an opt-in space exclusively for women within the network platform.

Although the platform advances far beyond prior methods of finding backcountry partners, Feldman and Bothwell don’t want to stop there. “We’re building out a whole program to help you end the season as a better partner than you came in,” Feldman explained.

The mini-course, along with other resources, is a membership benefit for joining. The resources provide worksheets to jot down goals and periodically reflect over the season. They also provide information on developing better teams, including tips on communicating with partners.

Bothwell and Feldman completed a pilot program last season. It was such a success that this winter, they’re rolling out the website and expanding to Colorado, Utah, and Washington, in addition to California.

This year, they’re offering the service at an introductory rate of $29.99, which will go up to $39.99 in the future.

To join the network or for more information, visit slablab.co/partners.