Avalanche deaths prompt calls for caution in backcountry

Days after an avalanche killed three German tourists in B.C., a professional skier who witnessed his friend buried in one is reminding people to be cautious in the backcountry.

In 2019, Chris Rubens was skiing with a group of people in Revelstoke. The team had prepared for the day, but as his friend began to embark down the mountain, an avalanche ensued, lasting 90 seconds.

“In the 20 years that I’ve been doing this, that’s the first time I’ve physically taken out my avalanche transceiver to really search for someone,” Rubens said.

While Rubens’ friend survived, 12 people in the province have died in avalanches so far this year, marking one of the worst seasons in decades.

At a news conference on Thursday, Premier David Eby addressed the fatalities.

“For people who are thinking about going into the backcountry, please be extremely cautious,” Eby said. “We want everybody to be safe across our province when they're engaging in recreation.”

Conditions have been more challenging compared to past years due to the weak snowpack, prompting questions about whether the backcountry should be closed.

“You can find avalanches under all danger rating levels, and so where do you draw that line?” said Pascal Haegeli, an associate professor at Simon Fraser University who leads a research group on avalanche risk management.

“These are voluntary activities and people need to have certain skills and inform themselves to make these decisions.”

Which is why Rubens is hoping to remind people of all skill levels how quickly things can shift.

“A lot of the deaths that are happening are from professionals,” Rubens told CTV News. “To me, it goes to show how challenging and difficult this year is.”

On Saturday, Avalanche Canada’s danger rating for the province was at "considerable," which demands "careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding, and conservative decision-making," according to the scale.