THE YEAR OF THE DEADLY AVALANCHE YV Introduction When Canadians think about ava- moment with tonnes of snow and ice Focus lanches, generally their first thought pinning their bodies to the ground, Each year new contains a vision of massive tons of crushing the life out of them. reports chronicle the tragedy of an snow thundering down a mountainside. Is there a value, then, to the recre- individual or group In the world as a whole, however, ational sport of backcountry skiing? Of of recreational avalanches can mean a variety of course there is. It provides a significant skiers who find things. Rockslides are avalanches of workout for the cardiovascular system. themselves victims rock, which have detached from a Muscles develop and people feel great of a “freak” ava- mountain or hill. Mudslides usually after extensive and frequent exercise. lanche. The winter of 2002-3 was occur after intense or long-term rainfall. It is, in part, for these reasons that particularly tragic This undermines the base of a hill or people seek to challenge their bodies as two major cliff, and the wet, muddy soil falls and for schools to support the exercise avalanches killed 14 down the slope, sometimes crushing and activity that this sport provides. A people in the Rocky homes and killing people. Sometimes healthy body is one better prepared to Mountains. avalanches are associated with volca- learn. Teenagers thrive on physical noes; other times they occur under activity and it provides for them a well- YV Sections water, causing destructive tsunami waves. balanced approach to life. marked with this The word avalanche can strike fear in At what point, though, does the risk symbol indicate the hearts of many and excitement in outweigh the benefit? Questions like content suitable for the hearts of a few. What makes people these haunt those charged with the younger viewers. choose to ski in dangerous areas? Why responsibility of deciding the level of do they insist on challenging nature and acceptable risk. The principal of a Update placing their lives in danger? For some school knows that whenever any risk is On March 26, as it is the same reason mountain climbers involved, he or she must never make this report was climb and skydivers jump. It is the rush the wrong decision. To be wrong means being prepared, of adrenaline and a living-on-the-edge the potential death of a student. The two new ava- quality of life that spurs them on. For wrong decision may place one in the lanches in the same others it might be a lack of respect for shadow of grieving parents and suffer- general area of B.C. claimed four more nature or even a simple lack of under- ing friends. It is then that the question lives—three standing. of risk has true meaning. Is any level of snowmobilers and Whatever it is that encourages them, risk worth a life? one heli-skier. At each year people die in the flash of a this point a total of 23 people have died in avalanches To Consider in British Columbia. 1. Backcountry skiing can be a hazardous sport, leading to injury or even death. Based on the events of the winter of 2002-3, should this sport be banned to the public in areas of “considerable” avalanche probabil- ity? Why? Why not? 2. Given the opportunity, would you choose to join a field trip where backcountry skiing in the mountains was planned? Explain. CBC News in Review • April 2003 • Page 32 THE YEAR OF THE DEADLY AVALANCHE YV Video Review 1. Deaths from avalanches today are usually associated with what group Answer the ques- tions on these of people? pages while view- ing the video. 2. What is the “backcountry”? 3. The Durand Glacier avalanche had a risk rating of “considerable” on the day seven skiers were killed. What does “considerable” mean? 4. Describe the experience of John Seibert, avalanche survivor, on that fateful day. 5. What was the claim to fame of avalanche victim Craig Kelly? 6. Even after the deaths of four of their friends, how many of the surviv- ing skiers chose to continue their ski adventure the next day? 7. What fortunate coincidence aided in the rescue attempt of the first skier who survived? 8. How much of the Revelstoke economy depends on recreational backcountry skiing? CBC News in Review • April 2003 • Page 33 9. Why is Parks Canada opposed to closing the backcountry whenever Did you know . there is an avalanche risk? Canada’s worst avalanche took place in 1910 near Roger’s Pass, B.C.? In that tragedy 62 workers were killed 10. When do avalanches usually occur? by a snow ava- lanche. Ironically they were in the pass trying to clear the debris from an 11. What human activities could cause an avalanche? earlier avalanche. 12. On average, Canada has how many avalanche deaths each year? 13. Canadian officials believe there are two reasons why backcountry skiing is safer now. What are these reasons? i) _________________________________________________________________ ii) ________________________________________________________________ 14. In your opinion can backcountry skiing ever be truly considered safe? Explain. CBC News in Review • April 2003 • Page 34 THE YEAR OF THE DEADLY AVALANCHE YV Backcountry Tragedy On Monday, January 20, 2003, a tragedy The bodies of the seven victims of the Further Research occurred on the Durand Glacier near avalanche were recovered and sent to For more informa- Revelstoke B.C. Seven tourists on a Revelstoke. They included four Canadi- tion about skiing holiday were swept away to their Strathcona- ans—Naomi Heffler, Jean-Luc Tweedsmuir School deaths by an avalanche reaching a level Schwendener, Dave Finnerty, and Craig and its activities, of 3.5 out of 5 on the severity scale. Kelly—and three Americans—Kathleen visit www.sts.ab.ca. Twenty-one seasoned skiers set out Kessler, Dennis Yates, and Ralph To view current that morning from their backcountry Lunsford. avalanche condi- lodge. It was a beautiful day for skiing The skiers had been well prepared. tions across and they were well trained and capable Canada, visit the They had participated in a pre-skiing Canadian Ava- of handling almost any emergency. At weather update and they had the appro- lanche Centre at 11:00 a.m., without warning, a slab of priate survival equipment. “Collec- www.avalanche.ca. ice and snow detached from the slope of tively, I estimate our group had over the glacier with a thunderous clap. 300 person-years of experience in the Suddenly the 30-by-100 metre shelf of backcountry” (Calgary Sun, Pablo snow plunged down on the skiers, Fernandez, 2003). burying 13. This was a tragedy of significant The quick actions of the remaining proportions. It involved experienced eight proved crucial in minimizing the skiers who were aware of the risks, well tragedy. Six were saved, dug out by prepared, and confident. They know- their comrades. Each had been ingly chose to take the risk and were equipped with homing signals and competent to do so. shovels. The remaining seven were too Less than two weeks later, in the deeply buried, as much as five metres same region, a group of 14 Grade 10 beneath the surface. They died quickly, students from Strathcona-Tweedsmuir crushed by the tonnes of snow pinning School, along with three adult leaders, them down and blocking their ability to met the same tragic fate. The school breathe. had a 20-year tradition of taking its What was it like to be swept up in an students to the mountains to develop avalanche? Survivor John Seibert their skiing skills and to build character. explained his experience. “It was like I Despite the tragedy of January 20, the was swimming down the roughest river school decided to continue with its I’ve ever been in, trying to keep my plans. head above the water” (Toronto Star, Parental permission slips had been Daniel Girard, January 22, 2003). signed, providing the approvals neces- “It’s like being in white water, then it sary to carry out a field trip. The teacher stops and then it’s like being in con- guides were experts in backcountry crete.” Seibert, 53, was buried up to his skiing and the students had completed a neck, his left arm sticking out of the safety course designed to make them snow beside him. “The remainder of my competent to participate in this adven- body was locked in concrete-hard ture. snow” (Calgary Sun, Pablo Fernandez, “On Friday, as the group’s vans rode January 22, 2003). the four hours to Rogers Pass, they read CBC News in Review • April 2003 • Page 35 the avalanche warning signs and went eventuality. “They were as prepared as through five long tunnels built because they could have been,” says Ingrid constant slides had buried the highway. Healy, assistant head of school at STS. Once in Rogers Pass, the students skied “As anyone could have been” (Sports for 20 minutes from the highway to the Illustrated, George Dohrmann, Febru- A. O. Wheeler Hut, a three-bedroom ary 17, 2003). log cabin maintained by the Alpine The wind was clocked at about 25 Club of Canada. That afternoon they km/h in the lower levels, but on the skied near the cabin. Supervised by upper slopes it had been pounding the Andrew Nicholson and Dale Roth, snow at over 70 km/h for a week. At avalanche-certified teachers, they dug 11:45 a.m., as the students were passing avalanche pits, did snowpack testing beneath the slopes of Mount Cheops, a and performed compression tests on massive slab of snow, 800 metres wide every slope.