An Avalanche Safety Tool
At last year's Climbing Committee Retreat we explored ways to build structured
decision making into the avalanche hazard training given in the basic and
intermediate courses. Our conclusion was to use the avalanche hazard evaluation
checklist on page 322 of Freedom of the Hills. When I called Jill Fredston at the
Alaska Mountain Safety Center to ask for permission to use it I was pleased to
learn that she has put the checklist on a pocket-sized plastic card that has an
inclinometer on the other side and scales for measuring slope angles on topo maps.
I placed an order and we will try out the cards during February's Winter
Mountaineering field trip.
Why is the inclinometer such an important feature? The first step in the
checklist is deciding if the slope can slide. Measuring slope angle, either on a
map or in the field, is a key step in making that determination. Plus, it starts
a party out with a structured hazard evaluation activity. The party then
addresses other checklist questions and assigns ratings of "red light" (stop),
"yellow light" (caution) or "green light" (go). A single red light may not end
the trip, but it alerts the party that it needs good information about the other
factors before making a go/no-go decision.
The card offers four suggestions for using the checklist:
- Seek critical data from a variety of sources.
- Assess potential hazard levels as red, yellow, and green.
- Identify/reduce areas of uncertainty while adding a level of caution for the unknown.
- Continually reevaluate your situation without letting your attitude and/or perception filter the facts.
For more information see Jill's and Doug Fesler's book "Snow Sense: A Guide to
Evaluating Snow Avalanche Hazard" ($8.95 at our bookstore). It explores each of
the four factors and the checklist in detail. The checklist/inclinometers are
available at REI for $7. I can't think of a better way to spend your REI
dividend.
