The Experts' Corner: Take a tip from the Tahoe pros

By Wendy Lautner, tahoe.com , wlautner@TahoeRenoOnline.com
February 6, 2008

Avalanches, naturally occurring and human-triggered, can turn a beautiful day into a nightmare. In the United States, avalanches kill approximately 25 people annually. Often, those buried are winter recreationalists traveling in the backcountry.

This week we went to Geoff Clarke, a South Lake Tahoe native and avid backcountry skier and instructor, for tips on avalanche safety. Geoff’s been teaching avalanche courses for seven years for ASI (Alpine Skills International), Lake Tahoe Community College and Kirkwood Mountain Resort. He’s a certified AMGA ski guide with 25 years of experience in backcountry skiing, including three years spent in the Alps as a guide and teacher. Here’s what he had to say:

1. Before you begin, assess the danger. The weather is constantly changing and prior conditions in the backcountry will likely have a substantial impact on the amount of inherent danger at any given time. To accurately assess the danger, Geoff recommends checking local avalanche reports before you travel in the backcountry. Locally, check www.sierraavalanchecenter.org. This website features detailed, daily reports. And on the road, Geoff recommends www.avalanche.org which provides links to avalanche reports wherever you might be traveling.

2. Spot the slippery slopes. After assessing the current danger and conditions, watch out for suspect slopes. “Avalanche terrain is any slope with an angle between 30 and 45 degrees,” Geoff says. “The sweet spot for an avalanche is any slope that’s 38 degrees – that’s a prime spot – like the West Face of Squaw of the Face at Heavenly.” Knowing and actively assessing the pitch of a slope makes a big difference. Geoff’s advice on high danger days: “Ski in an area that is lower angle and doesn’t have steeper slopes above it.”

3. Know safe travel techniques. “In the backcountry, you want to travel in areas where avalanches are less likely to occur – lower angle, on the ridelines and generally on the windward side is safer than the leeward side,” Geoff says. “Always avoid terrain traps – gullies or areas where snow would build up quickly in the event of an avalanche.”

4. Carry appropriate gear. The must-haves are transceiver, shovel and a probe. But the catch is that in addition to having the gear, you have to know how to use it! “One of the most common mistakes when someone gets buried is that the folks who are with the victim don’t know how to use the transceiver to find the buried victim.” How do you? Take a class. Geoff recommends taking a modern Level 1 Avalanche Course that is AIARE approved. Visit www.alpineskills.com, www.kirkwood.com/winter/expeditionoverview.php, or www.ltcc.edu, for more information.

5. Minimize the danger in the field. A person completely buried in an avalanche will likely have less than 30 minutes to live before they run out of air. So, it’s important backcountry companions prepare themselves to act quickly in case of an accident. Geoff advises practice safe backcountry skiing techniques in the field to maximize responsiveness. “Always move from one safe spot to another safe spot, like one ridgeline to another ridgeline, one at a time,” he says. “Everyone watches the first person go and then when they reach the safe zone, the next person goes. That way, if someone goes down you’ll have a last seen position.” But, before rushing in to rescue, Geoff warns companions make sure the scene is safe.

Nothing beats a lesson, before traveling in the backcountry on skis, snowmobiles or snowshoes please be familiar with the appropriate gear, indicators and rescue techniques. Visit www.alpineskills.com, www.kirkwood.com/winter/expeditionoverview.php, or www.ltcc.edu, for more information.