80% of avalanche fatalities are human-caused, says expert, who offers safety tips

A veteran ski guide and alpine expert says avalanches are predictable and injuries and deaths are, for the most part, preventable.

Doug Latimer's new e-book, Avalanche: The Guide's Guide to Safer Travel in the Mountains, is an interactive resource to increase safety and prevention and reduce risk.

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Latimer spoke with The Homestretch about what's in the guide and why.

This interview has been edited and paraphrased for clarity and length. You can listen to the complete interview here.

Q: Why write this and why in e-book format?

A: The effort is to try and create a new learning tool to improve avalanche safety.

There are certain things you can do, over the last 10 years, by going to this format. We have more than two hours of video in this book, over 100 images and links to other sites that are important for understanding safety.

Q: What is it about avalanches that people fear?

A: They seem to be the unknown.

They don't behave in the way we initially think. It's easy to go to a false sense of security or just as easy to be afraid when things are quite stable.

Q: Are there obvious signs to watch out for?

A: Yes. The best resources are at www.avalanche.ca.

If you are seeing certain warning signs, substantial new snow, wind, rapid rises in temperatures — these are all classic warning signs that might indicate things are getting worse.

Q:  People still get caught in avalanches and in some cases lose their lives. Why is that?

A: It's human factors, at least 80 per cent of avalanche fatalities, and from people not understanding or making bad decisions.

Q: Is it possible to avoid problems altogether with the right preparations?

A: There will always be a level of uncertainty, but you can get really solid ideas as to what is coming up.

Just like we can predict the weather, we can predict what is coming up with the avalanche hazard.

Q: How are people triggering avalanches?

A: Usually they step right into the start zone. Avalanches need more weight than the snow can support and then they fail.

Q: What tools should you take into the back country?

A: An avalanche transceiver, a good metal shovel and a probe at least three metres long.

Q: What do you do if you are caught in an avalanche?

A: Start screaming, then it's a lot easier to find you.

While making noise, try and get out as fast as you can if you still have control.

Arch across the slope as fast as you can. If you don't make it to the side, you are into a swimming motion.

There is now a standard and it's recommended that you use a variation of the backstroke. Get on your back, keep your head up and your feet down hill.

You can use your feet to push yourself away from trees or other obstacles. Just keep fighting and working to get across.

Q: What happens if you are buried under the snow?

A: As the avalanche slows to a stop, that's probably the best chance you have to push out.

If you can get an arm or a foot out, that's so much easier to find you.

If you can't get out after a couple of serious efforts, you probably should stop fighting because now you are just using your available air.

Try and protect your air way, so you are not getting any snow or a blockage in your throat.

Q: What areas are considered more dangerous?

A: The biggest thing to look at is slope angle. If you are on a slope 30 to 45 degrees, that's where 90 per cent of all avalanche fatalities occur.

If you are looking at a slope and are thinking you'd really like to ski that slope, it's probably an avalanche slope.

If you have new snow on top of that, you should be really concerned.

Q: Tourism is up, lots of people come from away. Are we warning people enough?

A: I don't think we will ever have the perfect solution, but Canada has gone a long way to providing a good system and good access to it.

We have a high compliance with people taking courses. We are doing better than average but you can always find ways to improve.

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