British Columbia has been hit by a string of serious avalanche incidents this year.  Unfortunately, among these incidents, there have already been four separate fatalities.  The most recent of which happened right here in our backyard.  I can actually look out my window and see the remains of the class 3 avalanche that killed an American tourist this past Friday. 

With La Niña coming back for a second year in a row, B.C. has been receiving an incredible amount of snowfall.  Unfortunately, all this snow is burying several weak layers hidden in the snowpack.  Surface hoar, sun crust, basil weakness, etc... All of these weak layers can be easily identified if you know what you are looking for.

The general consensus from the professional avalanche industry is that the vast majority of incidents could have been avoided.  There are ways that you can ride every single day no matter the conditions without exposing yourself to unnecessarily high risks.  The biggest problem we are seeing this year is bad decisions on top of bad conditions. 

The first step to take in improving your decision making is to get an education!  Knowledge is one of your primary tools in learning to make good decisions.   Anybody who ventures into the backcountry should take a few days out of their schedule and participate in an Avalanche Skills Training course.  A.S.T. courses are designed to teach you the basics about avalanches.  What causes them, where they are most likely to occur, what are the warning signs? 

An A.S.T. course also teaches you how to properly use the Canadian Avalanche Centers public bulletin system.  This leads us to our second step: review the current information!  The C.A.C. has done an excellent job with their public website (www.avalanche.ca).  You can go online and get a detailed synopsis of what’s been happening in your local area.  They offer a ton of information that is updated daily in an easy to understand format.  You can also talk to the locals!  Most backcountry riders are going to have a personal knowledge of what has been going on in their area, talk them up and get their beta.

The third step is one of the most important... choose your terrain wisely!  Learn what avalanche paths look like, and what a starting zone is. If there IS a slide... where would it run?  Where are my safe spots?  Maybe following the ridge line instead of the open bowl is the right choice for that day.  If the ratings are reading considerable (human triggered avalanches likely) than it is probably best to stay away from those areas.  Your safe bet for the day might be to look for low-angled tree runs instead.

Step number four is where we at Avalanche Safety Solutions can definitely help.  Get the Gear!  With the recent advancements in technology, there have been significant improvements in the quality of avalanche safety equipment available on the market.  Today’s beacons are amazing little gadgets; chock full great features such as triple-antennae reception, multiple-burial classification, auto revert to send, etc.  These new beacons make companion rescue much faster and simpler.  The modern avalanche airbag is another amazing new tool to help increase your chance of survival during a slide.  They have been designed to help keep you on the surface of the slide and vastly decrease the amount of time it takes to locate you.  Some of the models even offer additional spinal support and trauma protection (ie: Snowpulse Lifebag) which will help protect your vital areas if you happen to be swept through a tree stand or over rocks.

In the end, we just want you to be safe, and aware of the risks that you are taking before you head out your door in the morning.  Riding pow is incredibly fun...  but not as much fun as growing old with your friends and family!

Einar Hanson

Avalanche Safety Solutions