Inter-Party Avalanche Involvements: There is a generally accepted and often repeated assumption that the backcountry is overrun with humans. To say the backcountry is a swarming hive of reckless and adaptable bipeds, each caught in their cascade of heuristic traps, is overreach. But there are crowds. Inter-Party Avalanche Involvements May Increase Quadratically With Party…
The Chess Match of High Density Skiing
Presidential Conga Line. Photo: Andrew Potyk
Responses
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A really good point to think about Jason!
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This is a major problem in the Central Wasatch. With over two million people living along the Wasatch Front we are likely the most urbanized mountain range in the west. It is absolute chaos on a sunny weekend powder day. Standard (“safe”) ascent routes have become a thing of the past; it is shocking to be skiing deep powder in a tight couloir with low angle access on the backside, only to come around a corner and see a large group clown-shoeing up the avalanche path below you.
Interparty close calls have become commonplace. Four people from two different groups were killed in a tragic accident in 2021. With the poor terrain management/decision making we witness on a daily basis, I think it is only a matter of time before we see another accident of this magnitude, or something worse. Basic, standard (or what used to be standard) practices like not dropping in above another skier, minimizing time exposed to avalanche hazard, and ascending avalanche resistant terrain could help mitigate this risk. Unfortunately nobody seems interested in any of that and you have to assume, where ever you are, that there is a group faffing around below (or above) you. It would be nice to see a culture shift in this regard but it seems unlikely in our community at this point. Style and ethics matter.
The-High-Route is sweet. I wish it was free, but this article and a few others convinced me that it is worth the money.
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