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Feature - Lure of The Backcountry

Out of bounds

The lure and the dangers of the backcountry

So maybe you are from California or Florida, or maybe you have come from the UK, or even all the way from Australia. You might even be up for the weekend from the Lower Mainland. Whatever the case, you might find yourself at the peak on Whistler Mountain on a beautiful sunny day with a glistening fresh layer of untracked powder just beckoning you to take the plunge into the bowl above the Cake Hole.

According to Whistler Search and Rescue, that would be a spectacularly bad idea. Once past the bowl at the top, you could find yourself in a gully and end up perched at the top of a frozen waterfall, where Search and Rescue have plucked many a hapless skier or border after he has spent a chilly night out in the mountains.

What is the allure of the backcountry; of going beyond the ski area boundaries? Despite two backcountry skiing tragedies in Revelstoke this winter, very few expert or even less experienced skiers will be dissuaded from going into the backcountry.

"It’s like a woman, you know; sometimes you just have to go for it," says Eric Pehota, a member of the Whistler Freeride Team.

Pehota was once called the best freeskier in the world by an American magazine. He has years of experience under his belt, and an understanding of the various snow and terrain conditions that comes with skiing mountains around the globe. With that experience came some close calls that occasionally cause him to pause and shake his head. But a pause is all it ever is.

"I remember this one time in Atland, I had scored an extra seat on the helicopter heading out with a Japanese photographer, a tourist and a guide. I was feeling a little laid back, so on this one run when normally I would have just gone for it after the guide and the photographer had skied down, I hung back and let the other guy go. As soon as he pushed off, a class 2 slab broke just below my ski tips. That triggered a class 3 slab. There were two fatalities. What do you call that? Fate I guess."

To the uninitiated hearing those kinds of stories, backcounty skiing seems to involve a fatalistic attitude; a matter of "when" your number is going to come up, rather than "if". Pehota recounted several more stories of close calls that he or his friends have had in the backcountry. Multiply that by several thousand hardcore backcountry skiers and there is potentially a lot of tragedy around something people do for enjoyment.

"I guess I wish I was born a hundred years ago when there was more stuff to explore," Pehota says by way of explanation. "To do something first now you’ve really got to hang it out there."

There have always been adrenaline junkies or people who feel they have to play with death to feel alive. Whistler’s brief history is filled with memorials and tributes to people who skied and rode hard, and died young. The opportunity to play on the edge and hang it out there is one of the things that attracts people to Whistler.

But contrary to the impression left by some media reports, the backcountry isn’t just for thrill seekers. It’s usually crown land or park land, and thus open to everyone. However, the passport to the backcountry is knowledge – of snowpack, weather conditions, mountain geography and how they all interact and can change very quickly.

Gaining this knowledge requires experience, or learning from someone who has experience in the backacountry.

Pehota says his training came mostly from trial and error, and admits there is not a lot of room for error in his particular backcountry interest, big mountain freeskiing.

He also admits that he has been lucky, and that in the "old days" skiers would usually wait 48 hours after a big dump before heading into the backcountry. That doesn’t happen now.

"A lot of times it comes down to making the right decision," he advises.

Rob McCurdy of Whistler Alpine Guides Bureua also understands the lure of the backcountry.

"There is definitely an increase in the amount of people venturing out of the controlled ski area boundary and into uncontrolled backcountry for the coveted fresh tracks," he says. "Especially, this season, with less-than-average snowfall, the ability to find good snow within the ski area boundary is difficult."

But McCurdy says for many people there is more to the lure of the backcountry than fresh tracks.

"It’s also about the exercise, the amazing positions you can find yourself in, and the company you travel with," McCurdy says.

"It is the grassroots of the sport. You have to hike up in order to go down. If you want to ski that line, you have to take yourself there. The backcountry is expansive so there is no need to rush. It is about taking your time, enjoying the views, and listening to the silence. For most, the lure of the backcountry is addictive. Once you've gone once, you'll want to go again."

The backcountry experience and the fresh powder was what drew a group of skiers out from their lodge near Revelstoke for a day of trekking and skiing in January. Skiers who take these sorts of guided trips into the backcountry are not novices; they are expected to be able to ski at least at a strong intermediate level. They have to be in good physical condition since they are climbing up hill before going down it. In short, they are people who have had extensive mountain experience even if they do not necessarily fall into the hardcore group of backcountry extremists.

They were also with guides, who knew the mountains and the winter’s snowpack. But even with this knowledge and experience, there are no guarantees.

One of the survivors of that tragedy, John Seibert of Alaska, who says he has 35 years of backcountry experience, claimed the avalanche that swept part of his party to their deaths was a "freak of nature." Yet less than two weeks later another avalanche in the region took the lives of seven teenagers on an annual guided school trip. Such is the allure of backcountry travel and skiing for winter activity enthusiasts.

Knowing the danger and making a calculated risk – as both groups in the Revelstoke area seem to have done – is one thing; being unaware and just "going for it" is quite another.

"The backcountry is not just about the reward," says McCurdy. "There are risks, and as any skier, snowboarder or snowmobiler avalanche fatality will indicate, serious risks. It is important to get educated or to hire a qualified guide who is educated to take you.

"You must be prepared – travel with a partner; all members in your party must have all the avalanche safety equipment and know how to use it; have a route plan, and if not familiar with the area, a map, compass, or GPS and know how to use them; know about avalanche stability, weather, and first aid in case of an accident."

Enough clothing, food and water to get through a night in the mountains is also recommended. Essential equipment includes a probe, transceiver and a shovel in case the worst should happen and you or a member of your party is caught in an avalanche.

Wayne "Cog" Coughlin of Whistler-Blackcomb says a lot of local residents have educated themselves about the backcountry, but the ski patrol finds more and more novice skiers and boarders of all ages heading out beyond the ski area boundaries.

"We don’t tell anyone they can’t go out of bounds," says Cog, "but if they do, we hope they will check out the backcountry advisories at the tops of both mountains, as well as having the necessary skills to handle that sort of terrain. Also, we do tell people not to go into any of the permanently closed areas (check your trail map, available at the bases of both mountains), which are closed for good reasons; serious safety concerns," he stresses.

Cog also recommends Whistler-Blackcomb’s daily avalanche awareness seminar to any visitor with at least an intermediate skiing level. It is a basic overview of preventative and avalanche survival skills taught on hill by a Canadian Avalanche Association volunteer. In Cog’s experience it is people without proper knowledge who do not respect boundaries, both the geographical ones and the limits of their abilities, who get into trouble.

Asked about the dangers of backcountry skiing Ken Hardy, owner and lead guide of Whistler heli-ski, says the Coast Mountain range does have a much more stable snow pack than the lighter powder of B.C.’s Interior or Banff and Jasper’s Rocky Mountains. Although he does admit that when an avalanche in the Coast Mountains goes, it can be like concrete.

Hardy is a little reluctant to admit that he has had no fatalities in 22 years of operation, perhaps worried that he might be tempting fate.

"We want them to feel like they are pushing the limits without pushing limits," is how he explains the experience he provides for his clients.

"For a lot of (clients) it’s their first time in the backcountry and they are getting a taste of how much terrain is out there."

All of Hardy’s guides have years of experience as well as avalanche certification, and he maintains, "we’re a pretty conservative company."

More than a third of his clients are repeat customers, and part of ensuring repeat clients is making sure they come back alive and uninjured.

SIDEBAR

The Whistler Alpine Guides Bureau has a number of programs to help skiers and boarders reduce the risks, be more prepared and make winter backcountry travel more accessible.

1.Guided Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding — Based out of Whistler, one day and multi-day guided backcountry trips to a variety of locations, with a professionally certified ACMG (Association of Canadian Mountain Guides) ski guide. Our guides are highly trained and experienced in backcountry travel. Whistler Alpine Guides Bureau monitor the snow and avalanche conditions to find the best, yet safest, skiing. They know the area so you will not waste time trying to figure out where you are and where to go to next. They provide the avalanche safety equipment and touring equipment for those that do not have their own, and provide an opportunity to learn from experienced professionals.

2.Beyond the Boundaries Clinic — A two-day clinic for skiers and snowboarders interested in venturing into the backcountry. It is a "how to backcountry ski/snowboard" course, taught be ACMG professional ski guides, covering topics such as trip planning, avalanche awareness, equipment selection and usage, route selection, and techniques necessary for backcountry travel.

3. Recreational Avalanche Course — a 2.5 day course, developed by the Canadian Avalanche Association, blending a mix of theory and practical sessions to help you to understand snow, and how avalanches occur, how to use the avalanche safety equipment, and where to get information and how to interpret the information regarding avalanche conditions.

For more information on any of these programs contact the Whistler Alpine Guides Bureau at: 604-938-3228, info@whistlerguides.com or www.whistlerguides.com



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