A special bulliten has been issued by the Canadian Avalanche assoiciation concerning the fragility of this seasons snowpack after two seperate fatal accidents in out of bounds area's beyond the ski area boundry sign.
The current snowpack is unstable and unusual for the South Coast. Due to the presence of persistent weak layers, the conditions will not improve as quickly as we are used to on the coast. Don't let the fresh snow and brief periods of sunshine lure you into typical big slopes and steep chutes.
It's important to be patient and make conservative terrain choices for the time being.
Most avalanche professionals are "tiptoeing around", and many long time locals have said it's also a very "toucy and abnormal snowpack, and haven't seen anything like it in 30 years" and avoiding avalanche terrain alltogether, and this is certainly a warranted approach at least as this avalanche cycle peaks towards Sunday / Monday when conditions could easily go to extreme hazard when a large storm approaches.
The snowpack could be described as a mousetrap ready to snap. It might get your leg or your head.
Stick to simple, low-angle, slopes in the trees that are well away from avalanche paths and runouts.
Again, conditions are very touchy and triggering an avalanche is likely, especially in shallow rocky areas, steep convex rolls, and windloaded northerly aspects. Also noted from this mornings flight were numerous small size 1.5 below treeline.
It may be possible to trigger avalanches in areas that see infrequent activity, and also remote triggering is possible. Exercise extra caution and give yourself a wide margin of safety.
We are expecting conditions to rapidly deteriorate again on Saturday night with the arrival of an intense frontal system.
Official RCMP news release
Link to site-->>
Canadian Avalanche assoiciation
Link to site-->>
A special avalanche warning has been issued for the South Coast beginning on Thursday, January 1 until Monday, January 5. We are urging backcountry users to be very conservative in their decision-making at this time.
If you are not comfortable assessing avalanche conditions then you should consider enjoying the new snow in-bounds at a ski area.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Monday, October 27, 2008
Pair Rescued from Cliff
Pair Rescued from Cliff
Oct. 27, 2008
19 WING COMOX – A 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron CH-149 Cormorant helicopter rescued two Victoria climbers from Mt. Arrowsmith early this morning. The pair used their cell phone to call for help which led to the Cormorant being tasked to the mission by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria.
“It appeared like the two climbers got lost on their descent,” said Sgt. Wade Simpson, the search and rescue (SAR) team leader from the mission. “They were well prepared for the hike, but reached a point where they didn’t want to continue in the darkness. They tied themselves in on the rock wall and called for assistance.”
Port Alberni Ground SAR was on scene when the Cormorant arrived, initiating a rescue from the base of the mountain. The pair was located 1750 meters up the mountain on the side of a cliff, making ground rescue challenging in the dark. The Cormorant easily found the two climbers, but it was the crew’s continuous training at climbing cliffs such as the Devil’s Ladder at the Comox Lake that prepared them for the challenging hoist.
“Practicing at the Devil’s Ladder came into play big time on this one,” said Sgt. Simpson. “The pair was located on a small ledge of a sheer cliff wall, and the techniques required for the crew to perform hoists in this situation were well practiced aiding in the crew’s comfort level. We were really happy to be able to do that mission so that the Ground SAR didn’t have to climb in the night. Mountain rescue climbs at night are that much more difficult, all you have is your headlamp on, it’s harder to find holds and you can’t find route selection.”
After the climbers were extracted from the cliff wall, they were flown to a pad near Port Alberni where they were transferred to Port Alberni Ground SAR. The pair’s current condition is unknown.
Cormorant Crew: Capt. Mulholland, Aircraft Commander; Maj. von Kruse, First Officer; Cpl. Legendre, Flight Engineer; Sgt. Simpson and Sgt. Seguin, SAR Techs.
Oct. 27, 2008
19 WING COMOX – A 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron CH-149 Cormorant helicopter rescued two Victoria climbers from Mt. Arrowsmith early this morning. The pair used their cell phone to call for help which led to the Cormorant being tasked to the mission by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria.
“It appeared like the two climbers got lost on their descent,” said Sgt. Wade Simpson, the search and rescue (SAR) team leader from the mission. “They were well prepared for the hike, but reached a point where they didn’t want to continue in the darkness. They tied themselves in on the rock wall and called for assistance.”
Port Alberni Ground SAR was on scene when the Cormorant arrived, initiating a rescue from the base of the mountain. The pair was located 1750 meters up the mountain on the side of a cliff, making ground rescue challenging in the dark. The Cormorant easily found the two climbers, but it was the crew’s continuous training at climbing cliffs such as the Devil’s Ladder at the Comox Lake that prepared them for the challenging hoist.
“Practicing at the Devil’s Ladder came into play big time on this one,” said Sgt. Simpson. “The pair was located on a small ledge of a sheer cliff wall, and the techniques required for the crew to perform hoists in this situation were well practiced aiding in the crew’s comfort level. We were really happy to be able to do that mission so that the Ground SAR didn’t have to climb in the night. Mountain rescue climbs at night are that much more difficult, all you have is your headlamp on, it’s harder to find holds and you can’t find route selection.”
After the climbers were extracted from the cliff wall, they were flown to a pad near Port Alberni where they were transferred to Port Alberni Ground SAR. The pair’s current condition is unknown.
Cormorant Crew: Capt. Mulholland, Aircraft Commander; Maj. von Kruse, First Officer; Cpl. Legendre, Flight Engineer; Sgt. Simpson and Sgt. Seguin, SAR Techs.
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