[ZT] Beyond the Lifts

ALEXYIM

Article extracted from North Shore News; it's quite informative & worthy to read.

Beyond the lifts

Part one of a two part series that explores skiing and riding beyond the lifts and the proper steps to take entering the backcountry.

Jordan Junck
Contributing Writer

THIRTY-plus centimetres of fresh snow equates roughly to 30-minute lift line-ups in Whistler.

There are no friends on powder days as everyone pushes to get back up the lift and search out a few more fresh powder stashes. It's a vicious cycle that is not for the faint of heart - get yours before someone else - and by 10:30 a.m. it's done, everything is skied out. At about 11:30 a.m. I start to think that there has to be a better way to enjoy the mountains and get back to what made skiing great - friends, exercise, fresh air and fresh turns.

The few skiers and snowboarders in the know stay well clear of the crowds and the powder frenzy. These privileged few take a different approach to skiing - quality not quantity. To them "lift" is a four-letter word but they are happy to hear it because it means more for them. Lift-access skiing is a fraction of the skiing that is available and those with the knowledge, training and access take full advantage of the hundreds of thousands of acres that is untouched by other skiers.

Gazing past the "Out of bounds" rope on Whistler is like sitting in a classroom or office and looking out the window on a sunny day. With ideal spring touring conditions it was time to step out into the backcountry and I was determined to do it. Ironically the first step was in the classroom. Safety in the mountains is a priority and if you don't know how to analyze the snow, the conditions, rescue a friend or use the equipment then the consequences may be dire.

My induction into the backcountry began with an Avalanche Skills Training (AST) Level 1 course. The course varies in length and cost depending upon where you take it, but the content and certification are the same. I chose Whistler Alpine Guides Bureau in Whistler for the three-day course.

There are two classroom (theory) sessions and two on-mountain field (practice) sessions spanning three days. For the course you will need to rent, borrow or buy the same basic equipment you need to enter the backcountry - a transceiver (also called peeps or a beacon), a shovel, a probe, skins (base grip for skis) and touring bindings.

The classroom sessions covered the types of avalanches, causes, snow pack, safety and equipment. Class one's multimedia "shock and scare" introduction to the damage and magnitude of avalanche slides, paired with the massive amount of information to digest overnight, left the class awestruck and apprehensively ready for the first field day.

The class, a diverse demographic of age and profession, was split into two groups of eight for the first exercise and our instructors, Jay and Alex, led us over to the Lakeside Bowl/Disease Ridge area of Blackcomb.

The morning was spent becoming familiar with transceivers, the single most important piece of equipment in the backcountry. The transceiver either sends a signal to searchers or receives a signal from buried friends with transceivers depending upon what mode it is in.

The class spent a couple hours recovering single and multiple transceivers in simulated avalanche conditions. With practice everyone in the class was able to properly use their transceivers and we moved on to snow analysis. We skinned partially up (ascending) Disease Ridge and dug snow pits to analyze snow conditions with a number of tests. The layers in the snow reflect the snowfall for the entire season and are critical in establishing stability.

Day two's evening classroom session recapped the field day and furthered key points and information to prepare us for the "travel day."

The second field day was spent on Whistler and was a lot more physically demanding. The groups skinned over to Flute bowl and descended into Oboe. We dug another pit to analyze the snow and expand upon the tests we had learnt the previous day.

The final exercise was a simulated multiple burial where the group had to work together to recover multiple "victims," two with transceivers and two without. The critical survival time in a burial situation is 0-15 minutes, and our group succeeded in recovering all four victims in five minutes; the instructors deserve a pat on the back.

AST level 1 increases confidence but it also highlights the dangers involved in going into the backcountry. The ski/board ability and physical fitness level demanded in the backcountry starts at inter-mediate. There are challenging situations that require stronger skiing or endurance and both factors will ensure an enjoyable experience.

The people, training and equipment that you enter the backcountry with will inevitably save your life, so be confident in all three. Before heading out there are a number of key information sources that you should check to find out weather, snow conditions, avalanche conditions, terrain and locals knowledge (ask those who know). There are also a number of resources (listed below) to find people and groups that tour in the backcountry on day or multi day trips.

Each season has pros and cons for snow pack and conditions. Spring brings variable snow and weather conditions to the backcountry. The melting and freezing of snow changes the composition of the layers and can make it more stable, but also makes features such as cornices more susceptible to sliding. Spring is an ideal time to be in the backcountry, but be sure to take these changing conditions into account when setting out and establishing routes.

B.C. is a ski and snowboard paradise. There is more terrain than can be skied in a lifetime, and with the right approach to the backcountry, that lifetime will be a long and enjoyable one with plenty of fresh turns. Take a course, do your research on the area and conditions, be safe, make sure your gear is working and go with friends who do the same and above all else, enjoy it.

Resources:

AST level 1 courses:

Whistler Guides - www.whistlerguides.com
Canada West Mountain School - www.themountainschool.com

Information:

Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA) - www.avalanche.ca
Mountain Equipment Coop - www.mec.ca
Escape Route - www.escaperoute.ca
Mountain maps - www.bivouac.com

Groups:

Alpine Club of Canada - www.alpineclubofcanada.ca

Snow and weather conditions:

Canadian Avalanche Association - www.'avalanche.ca
Environment Canada - www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca
Whistler Blackcomb - www.whistlerblackcomb.com

Watch for the second article in the Beyond the lifts series next week when we venture out into the backcountry on a couple of cat skiing days and a weekend hut trip.

- Jordan Junck is a local photographer and freelance writer,

www.8ftfaces.com


published on 04/18/2007