Last month, three unlucky skiers were caught in a large avalanche in the Alaskan backcountry. Guide Steve Charest of Petra Cliffs and one of the skiers were taken for a ride and partially buried. The other skier was fully buried and nowhere to be seen. Read More …
Gear Articles tagged ‘avalanche safety’
Buried Alive – Conversation with an Avalanche Burial Survivor
By: Justin Mool | May 18th, 2010A few weeks ago I was on the last leg of a red-eye from Los Angeles to my home in Vermont. I was haggard. As I was zoning out at my window seat, a young woman sat down next to me, looking equally as tired. “Are you as ready as I am to get back to Burlington?” I asked.
“You have no idea.”
With a knowing smirk, I waited patiently for the typical sob story of missed connections, bitchy airline employees, and lost baggage.
“I’m coming back from Alaska … I was caught in an avalanche.” Read More …
Loss of a True Mountainman – Jack Hannan
By: Tanya Christensen | April 7th, 2010


While driving up Little Cottonwood Canyon, I received the news that an extraordinary person and dear friend, Jack Hannan, had passed away. My heart sank deep into my insides. On March 31st, Jack and three others were dropped off by helicopter on Mt. Currie (near Jack’s home in Pemberton, BC) for a fun day of backcountry skiing. The crew had safely skied down their line and had been getting ready to boot-pack up to another area of the peak when the highest member of the group suddenly noticed a slide heading straight towards them. Jack was positioned a bit lower than the rest of the group and was the only one swept away by the avalanche. It’s believed that the Class 3 slide occurred naturally due to a cornice failure. The rest of his party wasn’t harmed by the slide, and they were able to find and uncover him quickly, but unfortunately the trauma was too much for Jack, and it’s believed he was killed instantly. Read More …
RECCO: Reflections on Avalanche Rescue
By: Daniel Boccia | March 10th, 2010
Around noon on Tuesday, December 22, 2009, a pair of skiers triggered an avalanche that ran 20 meters flank-to-flank by 300 meters crown-to-toe on the Col de Mottets at France’s Valmorel ski area. The slide left one skier stuck waist deep in snow and his sister buried under 1.5 meters of hardened avalanche debris. Neither skier carried avalanche gear of any sort. Their father alerted ski patrol with a cell phone.
At first glance this scenario might sound like a recipe for a body recovery and easily could have been. But the incident ended up the first successful RECCO rescue recorded in the 2009-2010 winter season. The lucky victim was dug out within 20-30 minutes of burial and escaped with only a mild case of hypothermia. Read More …
Helpful Avalanche Safety Acronyms: ALP TRUTh and FACETS
By: Justin Mool | February 1st, 2010Whether 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. Read More …
New York Times Splitboarding Article – Missing Something
By: Justin Mool | January 28th, 2010
In December, The New York Times ran a basic article about splitboarding. The author, Jesse Huffman, did a good job of giving a high-level view of what splitboarding’s all about. He missed a few important things, though. Read More …






Plugging into the Backcountry – Dangers of Technology
By: Cole Lehman | March 23rd, 201012 Comments »
The use of electronics in the backcountry offers an enhanced experience for those who use them wisely and a presents a danger to those who choose to use them lightly. In order to stay alive and unharmed, wilderness veterans must remember and rookies must discover that total dependence on technology can be a hazard. Why? Either group is vulnerable to the hubris that these devices can encourage.
Read More …
Tags: avalanche safety, outdoor survival, technology, wilderness survival
Posted in Commentary, Newsletter |