Avalanche Prevention

Its winter in the Wasatch and it’s time to discuss avalanches. This is a three part blog that will discuss the important aspects of safely snowmobiling, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and hiking in avalanche terrain. The first part will be about aspects of decision making when out on the trail. The second part will be about what to do between the time an avalanche happens to the time a victim is rescued. The final part we will discuss important considerations when building a backcountry first aid kit.

You are the Problem

The vast majority (around 90%) of avalanche accidents occur when the victim or someone on the victim’s party triggers the avalanche¹. Naturally occurring avalanches rarely cause accidents and they rarely strike without any warning signs².

Recreational users are the largest group of avalanche victims. Snowmobilers, backcountry skiers, and backcountry snowboarders make up the vast majority of avalanche victims, in that order³. The majority of the recreationalist avalanche victims are very skilled in their sport but may overestimate their avalanche skills².

There is evidence that group size also plays a crucial role in avalanche risk. Singles or groups of two have a lower avalanche risk than groups of 4 people. Groups of 6 or more people are at the greatest risk⁴. There are five risk factors for larger groups: 1) higher load on the snow, 2) increased probability of hitting a weak spot in the snow, 3) slower decision making process for larger groups, 4) decreased or challenging communications, 5) high-risk appetite due to increased (but wrong) sense of security⁵. It is interesting to note that two of the risk factors are related to communication. I might add that additional factors may be at play in groups including alpha type personalities that dominate decision making and the “perceived expert” who may know more than everyone else in the group, but doesn’t know enough to keep people out of danger.

Know Before You Go

There are a lot of avalanche forecast centers whose sole purpose is to analyze snowpack and weather patterns to make a determination of the dangers of a human triggered and naturally occurring avalanches. It is a good habit to sit down and read the available avalanche forecast for the area intended for travel. You should then discuss the forecast amongst your party and change your plans based on new and available information.

The Utah Avalanche Center created an amazing program of avalanche education entitled Know Before You Go (click here). It is a one hour program that explains the destructive power of avalanches, understand when and why they happen, and how you can have fun in the mountains and avoid avalanches.

Get Trained

The American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE, click here) is the gold standard for avalanche education. They recently changed the design of their avalanche education programs to offer two separate paths: one for recreationists and one for professionals. They offer one- and three-day courses on how to read avalanche terrain, how to manage risks, and how to utilize avalanche safety and rescue equipment. These courses are well worth your investment in time and money so that you are educated in the dangers that avalanche terrains can present you with.

Use It or Lose It

Once you have taken a class, it’s a good idea at the beginning of the year to take a half day and refresh yourself on avalanche awareness and avalanche rescue techniques. An avalanche rescue is a low-frequency, high consequence skill. On-going training and practicing is the only way to keep proficiency up to a level during a crisis situation. The goal should be to remind yourself of the warning signs of slopes pregnant with avalanches; and to create and maintain muscle memory for when the worst happens.

Stay Out of Harm’s Way

Avoiding dangerous terrain, snow, and weather conditions is probably the best way to prevent yourself form becoming a victim of an avalanche accident. Education (discussed previously) training, practicing and experience is the cornerstone of managing the risk in avalanche terrain. Some examples of avoiding dangerous terrain include staying off of slopes greater than 30 degrees, traveling on ridges (well away from cornices) and in heavily forested areas, and avoiding avalanche terrain during times of increased danger.

Keep You Head on a Swivel

In my opinion, situational awareness (and communication, discussed below) is the most important risk-management component for traveling in avalanche terrain. Situational awareness begins when you are at home in the morning, drinking your coffee and reading the avalanche advisory and the weather report. Carry (and use) a decision-making log (like this one from Backcountry Access / AIARE ) and write down the advisory and anything that might clue you in to the avalanche hazards.

When you get to the trail head, look around. What is the wind doing at high elevation? What do the slopes look like where you are going? Assess the integrity of slopes, and look for cornices. As you start up the trail, keep a sharp eye on our your surroundings. Talk about what you see with your group so everyone can make a more informed decision. Keep everything you learned about avalanche warning signs in mind as you travel though the avalanche terrain. Write down any observations in your log book.

Voice Your Concerns

There is a cultural aspect to the fire service that dictates that everyone, from the seasoned chief to the brand-new rookie, can voice their opinion on the risks on a fire scene. The thought is, that a dozen sets of eyes is better than one. Everyone might see something different and, when it comes to safety, every little thing counts. This same attitude should be adopted by you and your group when you travel through avalanche terrain.

One study shows that in groups that had avalanche training, and had been in an avalanche accident, 89% of the groups knew the avalanche danger was high, and, only 46% of these groups took precautions⁶. That same study shows that 73% of the victims killed had some amount of avalanche training. Judgement (as opposed to knowledge) is the number one human factor in avalanche accidents in avalanche-trained victims. Fifty percent of the avalanche-trained groups that were in an accident exhibited poor communication, poor group management, or complacency⁶.

Communication is the common denominator in accidents and can take many forms, including: 1) one or more people failing to speak up due to fear of being an outcast, 2) incomplete communication leading to incorrect assumptions or limited sharing of data, 3) misunderstanding the plan or potential hazard, 4) no communication at all. The weakest (or least knowledgeable person) will often not speak up, or the decision makers will fail to adequately consult the group⁷.

I challenge every single person to have the strength of character to voice any and all concerns, and, be mindful of everyone in their group. If someone seems uncomfortable and is not voicing their concern, a good partner (or group leader) will stop and ask what is causing discomfort. Maybe they saw something you didn’t. Maybe they forgot to check their beacon and they want to stop for a minute. In the end, it doesn’t really matter if you don’t get on a particular slope on a particular day due to perceived avalanche danger. It does matter if you don’t make it out alive.

Conclusion

Looking through the research, it is clear that prevention is the best way to stay safe in an avalanche. This includes:

Read the avalanche forecast before you leave the house
Get trained on how to spot avalanche terrain, how to manage risks, and how to perform a proper rescue
Keep your avalanche skills fresh by practicing avalanche awareness and rescue techniques
Stay sharp and keep situational awarenss high in avalanche terrain
Practice good group dynamics and good group communications

In part II of this three part blog I’ll review equipment and techniques for traveling in avalanche terrain and the critical time for an avalanche victim from the second the avalanche starts to when the victim is dug out. In part III, I’ll discuss a first aid kit and what can be done to a victim that has been buried.

References

Van Tilburg C, Grissom CK, Zafren K, et al. Wilderness Medical Society Practice Guidelines for Prevention and Management of Avalanche and Nonavalanche Snow Burial Accidents. Wilderness Environ Med. 2017;28(1):23-42. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2016.10.004
Tremper B. Statying Alive in Avalanche Terrain. Seattle: The Mountaineers; 2001.
McIntosh SE, Brant-Zawadzki G, Milliner BH, et al. Cause of Death in Utah Avalanche Fatalities, 2006–2007 through 2017–2018 Winter Seasons. Wilderness Environ Med. 2019;30(2):191-194. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2019.02.007
Zweifel B, Procter E, Techel F, Strapazzon G, Boutellier R. Risk of Avalanche Involvement in Winter Backcountry Recreation: The Advantage of Small Groups. Wilderness Environ Med. 2016;27(2):203-210. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2015.12.001
Harvey S, Rhyner H, Schweizer J. Lawinenkunde: Praxiswissen für Einsteiger und Profis zu Gefahren, Risiken und Strategien. 2012:1-14.
Atkins D. Human Factors in Avalanche Accidents. Proc 2000 Int Snow Sci Work. 2000:46-51.
Fredston J, Fesler D, Tremper B. The Human Factor - Lessons For Avalanche Education. Int Snow Sci Work. 1994:45-52.