Snowmobilers On The Hot Seat (Again)
Karl Woll | March 18, 2010 2:18 pmThe 2008/09 winter season was a horrible one in BC for avalanche fatalities. An unusual snowpack for much of the season partly to blame. But it was only last April that there was controversy surrounding snowmobile access in the backcountry, due to the high rate of death for snowmobilers compared to other backcountry activities:
Nineteen snowmobilers — all but one of them in B.C. — have died in avalanches in Canada this season [2008/ 09], according to statistics provided by the Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC). The number accounts for 75 per cent of all national backcountry fatalities, which also includes a heli-skier, a mountaineer and four out-of-bounds skiers.
(For more on last season’s controversy, you can read my April 2009 post “Disastrous season puts snowmobilers on the hot seat“)
Here we are less than 1 year later, with the headlines in our local papers reading:
- Province considers new rules for snowmobiles
- B.C. looks at way to prevent snowmobile deaths in wake of Revelstoke tragedy
- Charges possible in fatal slide
I try not to judge, because its always ‘a few bad apples’ who can bring things to a negative light. I also don’t snowmobile, so I’m looking at this from an outsiders perspective without first-hand knowledge of the sport.
But, it was in viewing this video last year that you knew something had to be done:
In that case from last year, the person was lucky to escape alive. On that day, there was a clear avalanche risk forecast of considerable moving to high. The case is similar with the recent Revelstoke incident; known and marked high risk.
Yes, everyone has the right to go out and enjoy the backcountry. Its your own life, risk, etc. But its also the lives of others on the mountain, and those who need to respond to search and rescue calls. Maybe most of those guys had taken an Avalanche Safety Training Course. Maybe they all had probes, transceivers and shovels, and knew how to use them. If they did, that’s great, but its not enough. You need to have the courage to cancel an event due an unfavorable avalanche forecast, and you need to learn from the mistakes of the past.
Tags: Avalanche,Revelstoke
Categories: Safety, Snowmobiling
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