originally published in December 09 edition of Off Piste
We know the enemy and it is us. Given that ninety percent of all avalanches are triggered by the victim or a member of their party, one thing is clear; Avalanches are not a matter of chance, they are a matter of choice. Since the best skiing often coincides with the periods of elevated hazard it begs one simple question: Can we manage our risk appropriately when skiing during periods of high hazard?
In order to answer this question, we must back up and do a little homework.
1. First, where is the hazard rated high? Is the hazard primarily in the alpine from new snow and wind, or is it a buried surface hoar more likely to be found near treeline, or in depth hoar from a shallow, low elevation snowpack?
2. Next, what is the hazard trend? Is the hazard remaining the same, stabilizing, or increasing over the course of the day?
3. Finally, what options are available to us?
The answers to the first two questions are usually available from our local avalanche center and are helpful in planning where to go (or where to avoid). It’s the third question that places the responsibility squarely on our shoulders.
The bottom of every NWAC avalanche forecast reminds us that there are avalanche safe areas in the mountains during all levels of avalanche danger. The trick is knowing how to find these areas. As with travelling in the backcountry during any level of avalanche hazard, the key is choosing the right terrain. Before we go into the nuts and bolts of what makes for good terrain choices in these conditions, let’s spend a little more time on the third question, our options.
Whenever planning a day out, it’s ideal to have several options in mind so that if conditions are not what we were expecting (or hoping for), we are not pressured into pursuing an inappropriate plan. High hazard storm cycles are often the best days to go and ride the lifts at your local hill. After being cleared by the control work of pro-patrollers, resorts offer a good place get after bigger, sicker lines and make it home safely. If the solitude and magical beauty of the backcountry beckons, then its time to create some options; the ideal plan, a safer option, and finally, the safest option. These options will come into play as more information becomes available.
Once the decision to ski the backcountry has been made, it’s time to have a closer look at the terrain. One of the easiest ways to minimize exposure is to avoid slopes steeper than 25 degrees. With skis getting fatter and fatter, it has gotten much easier to ski deep, low angle pow and turn an otherwise dangerous day into a fun, backcountry shredfest. Keep in mind that this means avoiding skiing or travelling under bigger, steeper slopes above. Trees can offer a measure of safety on higher hazard days, but the trees are often overused as a justification for going out when conditions are less than ideal. Skiing a 40-degree slope of open trees will not keep you safe during periods of high danger. Instead, even a small slide can be much more dangerous as you get hurled down through this lethal terrain trap. For trees to really offer safety, they should be clear of big open slopes above, and the trees need to be dense enough to make skiing difficult. Once again, lower angle trees can offer a great place to get out on these high hazard days.
While terrain is the trump card when travelling on these days, it’s important to remember travel techniques as well. Being extra vigilant with our travel becomes paramount; spreading out on or below steeper slopes, having only one skier on a slope at a time, as well as watching and regrouping from safe areas are all protocols that become critical while out in high hazard. Although often overlooked as a travel technique, avoiding certain terrain features is equally as important. Trigger points on the slope such as convex rolls, shallow buried objects, the toe of rocky cliffs and wind loaded pillows should be given as wide a berth as possible. Likewise, serious attention needs to be paid to terrain traps. Staying out of gully features or creeks, steering clear of cliff bands and crevasses, and bypassing slopes that could slam you into trees at the bottom given a slope release, are all techniques to employ.
Finally, beware of falling into heuristic traps. Many, many avalanche victims have later reported that “this slope had never slid before” or “we saw tracks on the slope already”. Be honest with your motivations and justification for skiing a slope, and pay extra attention to your inner voice, especially if it’s telling you to turn around. The simplest way to deal with the human factors is by working as a team. Giving everyone a voice and a veto will keep any one person from driving the bus straight off a cliff. Having a strong person in the back of the group will help in not only keeping your group together, but can help deal with any issues that might come up with the stragglers on your team.
While I am not trying to advocate skiing during periods of high avalanche hazard, there are ways to manage the risk. Ultimately, it all comes down to terrain choices. Begin by doing your homework to narrow down your terrain options. Keep slope angle low and realize that trees are not a guarantee of safety. Extra vigilance in the use of safe travel techniques minimizes the consequences of a mistake in judgment. And remember that there is no getting around that we are all human factors. Keeping your options open provides backup plans and helps to mitigate risk. So, if avalanches really are a matter of choice, making the right choice is the only thing that can keep us coming back for more. Stack the odds in your favor, and remember that no matter how good the skiing may be, no turns are worth dying for.
High hazard skiing on a low angle slope (24 degrees) during a level 2 avalanche course.
