Whether you ski, snowboard, snowmobile, or snowshoe, we cannot stress enough the importance of avalanche awareness and safety when you travel in the backcountry. Knowledge is key; experience is a must. Next time you’re skinning up in avalanche-prone areas, remember avalanche expert Dr. Ian McCammon’s two checklists for avoiding slides: ALP TRUTh and FACETS.
IMPORTANT:
Although these acronyms help you assess conditional and human factors, they are not meant as a substitute for education or experience. These mnemonic devices are meant to complement a deeper understanding of how, when, and why avalanches occur, and how to avoid them. Take an avalanche safety course in your area, practice with your avalanche beacon, and run through rescue scenarios often.
ALP TRUTh
Use this checklist to assess snow conditions. As Bruce Tremper clarifies in his outstanding Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain:
Presence of five or more clues means that you should not continue unless you have expert knowledge to evaluate and manage the avalanche hazard. Even then, your best option may be to choose a safer slope.
Remember: avalanches occur most frequently when the slope angle is between 35- and 45-degrees. Be sure to get a slope meter. Check out Straight Chuter’s review of the Pieps 30-Degrees Plus.
A: Avalanches
- Look for avalanche activity in the last 48 hours. Notice the aspects, elevations, and size. Avoid similar slopes.
L: Loading
- Look for loading of new or wind-blown snow that has occurred over the last 48 hours.
P: Path
- Are you in an obvious avalanche path?
T: Terrain Trap
- Are you in a terrain trap like a gully or underneath a steep slope? If an avalanche were to occur, would you get carried into a gully, into trees, or off a cliff?
R: Rating
- Is the avalanche rating considerable (natural avalanches are possible and human triggered avalanche likely) or higher?
U: Unstable Snow
- Listen for whoomphing sounds and look for cracking, which are tell-tale signs of unstable snow.
Th: Thawing
- Has there been a rapid rise in temperature or a prolonged thaw of the snowpack?
FACETS
FACETS is a bit more abstract than ALP TRUTh, but it is just as important. Be mindful of this acronym to mitigate human risks. FACETS helps you get ego, emotions, and the dreaded group-think in check.
F: Familiar Terrain
- “Don’t worry. I was here yesterday.” People take more risks in terrain they’re familiar with. Don’t let familiarity fool you. Conditions change minute-to-minute, so treat all terrain like it’s the first time you’ve seen it.
A: Acceptance
- Consciously or unconsciously, we try to win over approval from our friends and peers. Pushing on because you don’t want to sound like a worrywart, not speaking up because you don’t want to go against the grain, even though things don’t feel right—these are examples of Acceptance.
C: Commitment
- “I’m gonna ski that line/reach the summit even if it kills me.” It might. When we have an overwhelming commitment to a goal or belief, we tend to block out our better judgment and focus on the things that will help us achieve our goal.
E: Expert halo
- The person who takes the lead might not always know best. “Oh, he’s been here before and has a lot more experience than I do. It’s probably fine.” Be mindful of these thoughts, and speak up if you’re having them. Chances are someone else in the group is having them, too.
T: Tracks
- Everyone loves fresh tracks. When there are multiple parties out to poach a limited number of lines, we tend to take more risks. We want that snow for ourselves. Pay attention to that desire, but don’t give in to it when things are sketchy. Also: existing tracks give a false sense of security. Just because someone skied it doesn’t mean it’s safe.
S: Social Proof
- This is the herding instinct or group-think. We like to go with the flow when we’re with groups. It’s easier to step into a dicey traverse when three others have gone before you. Speaking up is one of the hardest things to do. Remember to always assess the situation as if you were traveling alone—even when you’re in a group of “experts.”
Further Reading/Resources:
Human Factors in Avalanche Incidents – Summit Post
Avalanche Course – Avalanche.org
Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain – Bruce Tremper
Little Water Peak Accident Report provides a great breakdown of what happens when people do not follow these checklists.
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Tags: avalanche beacons, avalanche safety, backcountry skiing, survival
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