Researchers from Simon Fraser University are urging snowshoers and winter hikers to get clued up on avalanche safety after a new study found a concerning lack of awareness among those taking part in the sports.
With the arrival of the alpine season, winter sports enthusiasts across B.C. are getting ready to head up into the mountains - with snowshoeing becoming an increasingly popular activity.
To gauge the level of avalanche awareness among those strapping on the snowshoes, SFU's avalanche experts surveyed more than 500 snowshoers and winter hikers at the main trailhead on Mount Seymour.
Nearly half of those surveyed were either completely unaware that avalanches could be a risk on their trip, or they were not concerned at all.
"As soon as you walk into snowy mountainous terrain, you're potentially exposing yourself to the risk of avalanches," says Pascal Haegeli, SFU associate professor, School of Resource and Environmental Management.
"Our results suggest that a large number of snowshoers and winter hikers are not aware of the potential threat of avalanches and are not taking the necessary steps to inform themselves of the risks. This lack of awareness could have very real consequences on people's lives."
Haegeli, a co-author of the study, heads up SFU's Avalanche Research Program. He says the aim of the study was to better understand how snowshoers and winter hikers currently understand avalanche risks with a view to helping safety organizations, like Avalanche Canada, produce messaging that reaches different backcountry visitors.
"Snowshoeing is an entry-level activity. It's maybe the first activity you do if you're new to the mountains, or if you want to do a quick trip from Vancouver," he says.
"But it is different from summer hiking. Avalanches are a very real hazard on B.C.'s mountains and it takes a little bit more skill and preparation to properly evaluate the risks."
According to Avalanche Canada, the main public safety organization for avalanches, an average of 10 people die in avalanches in Canada every winter.
While the majority of fatalities relate to people doing backcountry skiing or mountain snowmobiling, there have been 10 snowshoeing avalanche fatalities over the last decade, including 7 in the Lower Mainland.
In 2019, a snowshoer was killed in an avalanche on Mount Seymour, and another was killed in a 2020 avalanche on Brunswick Mountain. In 2017, five snowshoers died in a single accident on Mount Harvey above Lions Bay.
Among the survey's key findings:
All 510 people interviewed were undertaking trips into avalanche terrain.
Basic awareness of avalanche terrain was low: 46% of people surveyed were either completely unaware that avalanches could be a concern on their trip, or they were not concerned at all about avalanches.
Even among those travelling in areas where avalanches occur frequently, the lack of awareness remained high (34%).
The use of Avalanche Canada's avalanche forecast was low: 65% of participants were either not aware of the forecast or stated that they do not use it.
This figure also remained high (47%) among people travelling in areas where avalanches occur frequently.
Only one-fifth of people surveyed had formal avalanche safety training.
Two-thirds of participants said they never travel with a transceiver, shovel or probe.
According to Haegeli, people's main reason for not consulting the avalanche forecast or taking a safety course was the mistaken belief that they were not travelling in avalanche territory.
"People think snowshoeing is a low-risk activity, but everyone in our survey was heading out into avalanche terrain," he says.
"When we asked why people weren't consulting the avalanche forecast, they said they didn't think they were at risk of encountering an avalanche. They didn't think it was necessary to inform themselves or carry the appropriate safety gear.
"There was a mistaken belief that they were safe while out on Mount Seymour, but unfortunately that's simply not true."
The study, published by the Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, was carried out in partnership with a number of organizations, including Avalanche Canada, over the 2023/24 winter season.
The results have been shared with Avalanche Canada to help it better target its avalanche safety messaging and resources towards snowshoers and winter hikers.
Haegeli says that AllTrails was the most popular source of trip planning among participants, so one solution could be to partner with the website.
"We need to reach people where they get their information from already," he says. "Snowshoers aren't really using the forecast on the Avalanche Canada website, so can we work with sites like AllTrails to get relevant avalanche information on there so we can raise awareness.
"Avalanches are a regular part of winter here and the threat varies from day-to-day. But you can still get out and enjoy the terrain perfectly safely if you plan your trip properly.
"That means informing yourself about the conditions, carrying the appropriate safety gear and understanding how to use it. It's about making informed decisions on when and where to go into the mountains."
AVAILABLE EXPERT
PASCAL HAEGELI, SFU associate professor, School of Resource and Environmental Management, director of SFU's Avalanche Research Program
