Physically fit men who are young, confident and travel in packs are the backcountry enthusiasts most likely to get caught in deadly avalanches, according to the work of a University of Calgary researcher.

Albi Sole has spent the last 14 years working in the Outdoor Centre at the University of Calgary. He completed his master's degree in kinesiology two years ago by researching risk-taking in avalanche terrain.

"I wanted to try and understand specifically backcountry skiers, snowboarders and climbers. Who they were? How many they were and how often they went?

"I wanted to find which of those characteristics would increase their chances of being caught in an avalanche."

Extreme avalanche conditions in both Alberta and British Columbia led to three deaths last week. Two Calgary brothers were caught in a slide while backcountry skiing in Kananaskis Country, west of Calgary while another Alberta man was killed by a slide near Nelson, B.C.

Sole found men were more at risk than women and the young were more at risk than the old. The age group most at risk was 25 to 30.

"They have full access to the backcountry. They are more at risk than those who are older because of the drive for that intense experience. We all have it at some degree, but ... we become more risk averse as we get older."

Hanging out in packs also increases risk. Men that travel to the backcountry primarily with other men are twice as likely to get caught in a slide than men who travel with women.

And those with experience and training are more likely to be get into trouble than newbies.

"People with training take more risks than people without training," Sole said.

"Before they take the training they feel very exposed and intimidated because they know nothing, but once they have the training they expose themselves and take greater risks."

However, Sole defends those who live for the backcountry, saying it is no more risky statistically than driving a car.

It is also good exercise.

"For people who think it's crazy and irresponsible I think it's a lot less crazy and irresponsible than not exercising at all," he said.

"It is, to a certain extent, just chance and if someone goes somewhere stupid. They're going to be at risk for sure."

Sole is not the only one at the University of Calgary working on avalanches.

Other research is being done in the hopes of developing better avalanche detection.

Experts in the Applied Snow and Avalanche Research Group are using infrared cameras to read the temperatures of the intricate layers in the snowpack.

They are particularly interested in melt-freeze crusts, which are formed by layers of snow that get wet, freeze then get buried by fresh powder.

"We see a colour in the visible range when there's a strong difference in heat coming from any part of the snowpack," said Bruce Jamieson, research chair in avalanche risk control at the Schulich School of Engineering.

"If we see an abrupt change in colour above these melt-freeze crusts that's telling us those are the conditions where we develop a poor bond to the overlying snow. This is a new technique that I think will be more accurate."

Jamieson said the research is promising.

"We're really challenged in forecasting deep avalanches and in particular these that happen in these buried melt-freeze crusts, but it's a supplement to existing techniques," he said. "We'll still be scratching our heads in a few years."