One man is dead and several others were left shaken after a series of avalanches released within Whistler Blackcomb’s boundaries in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, April 12, the resort confirmed that four inbounds avalanche events occurred in open terrain between March 15 and April 6 of this year, ranging in size from 1.5 to 2. In a statement, a spokesperson for Whistler Blackcomb said the slides resulted from a recent spring storm cycle.
“Whistler Blackcomb is home to big mountain skiing and riding, with unique and variable conditions. We are extremely grateful to our dedicated Ski Patrol team who is relentlessly focused on guest safety and is passionate about what makes Whistler Blackcomb so special,” the statement read.
Though Size 1 avalanches are "relatively harmless to people," according to Avalanche Canada, even small slides can pull individuals towards dangerous terrain traps or into other more hazardous situations. Size 2 avalanches, on the other hand, are big enough to bury, injure or kill a person.
RCMP CONFIRM 34-YEAR-OLD WHISTLER MAN KILLED IN SIZE 1 SLIDE OFF WEST RIDGE
The lone fatality occurred on Tuesday afternoon, April 5, when a 34-year-old Whistler local was caught in an avalanche on Whistler Mountain.
Whistler RCMP said several skiers called police just before 4 p.m. on Tuesday after locating a man in need of medical assistance in the West Bowl area accessed by Peak Chair. In a statement, a Whistler Blackcomb spokesperson confirmed ski patrol responded to a "ski incident" Tuesday at the base of West Ridge, a black diamond-rated run that falls between the lower sections of Whistler Bowl and West Bowl.
Whistler Ski Patrol and RCMP responded to provide emergency care, but the skier was tragically pronounced deceased on scene, police said in a release.
Responders determined an approximately Size 1 avalanche had occurred, according to RCMP and Whistler Blackcomb, into which the Whistler man is believed to have been swept. A search of the area was conducted and no other individuals were located. Whistler RCMP is investigating the incident alongside Whistler Blackcomb and the BC Coroners Service.
In a statement, Whistler Blackcomb chief operating officer Geoff Buchheister offered condolences and support to the skier’s family and friends on behalf of the resort, patrollers and parent company Vail Resorts.
The man’s identity has not been released.
The alpine was opened to the public on the morning of April 5 for the first time since a massive spring storm dumped more than 70 centimetres of snow over the resort in the 24-hour period leading up to Monday morning, April 4.
Last week, Pique’s cover feature detailed an avalanche that killed four skiers in Harmony Bowl exactly 50 years ago; a tragedy that sparked significant improvements to Whistler’s snow safety and search-and-rescue practices. In an interview for the story, former Whistler Mountain hill manager Hugh Smythe could not recall an inbounds avalanche resulting in a fatality at the resort since that day in 1972. The feature was sent to press prior to Pique learning about Tuesday’s fatal slide.
The tragedy marks the fourth on-mountain death confirmed on Whistler Blackcomb's slopes this winter. In January, a 44-year-old Vancouver woman died following an accident in Whistler Mountain's Sun Bowl area, followed by the death of 22-year-old Gloria Kodra, who was visiting Whistler from Toronto, after an incident on an intermediate trail in Symphony Bowl in February. A 72-year-old man from Bedford, N.S. was also pronounced dead at Vancouver General Hospital following an incident on Horstman Glacier on Saturday, March 26.
SIZE 2 AVALANCHE ON BLACKCOMB GLACIER RESULTS IN LOST GEAR, BUT NO INJURIES
One day after the April 5 death, Whistler RCMP was alerted to a Size 2 avalanche in the West Col area of Blackcomb Glacier.
Several skiers were caught in the inbounds slide but no injuries were recorded, police said. One ski pole and one ski were seemingly lost in the incident. The avalanche was reportedly triggered by a bootpacker walking uphill near the windlip.
Due to the recent storm and the presence of a buried melt-freeze crust, avalanche danger for the Sea to Sky on both Tuesday, April 5 and Wednesday, April 6 was rated as “considerable” for terrain at and above the treeline.
In a release issued April 7, Sea to Sky RCMP Staff Sgt. Sascha Banks said "The snowpack in and around Whistler is unstable at the moment due to the warming weather and snowfall this past week."
She added, "We are recommending everyone to check your area prior touring in the backcountry or Whistler Blackcomb, know your skill level, trip plan, have the appropriate equipment, and have friends with you. Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and the responding team from the man found on Tuesday."
Criticism of the resort was lobbed across local social media channels later in the week, after longtime patroller Wayne Flann—a Whistler Blackcomb employee who also operates a popular and highly regarded avalanche blog—deleted an Instagram post about the April 6 slide following a request from the resort’s “PR department.” Images and details about the avalanche, however, remain posted on Flann’s blog.
In a statement, COO Buchheister said “the ask by a Whistler Blackcomb team member was made with the best of intentions,” in light of an investigation into recent avalanche activity at the resort that remains ongoing.
“Out of respect for anyone involved, we do not share images or details until an investigation is complete,” he said. “We are grateful to our patrollers who pour their hearts into protecting our guests, employees, and each other in these mountains every day.”
Whistler Blackcomb also works closely with the Canadian Avalanche Association to transparently report all avalanche incidents, Buchheister added. “Safety is of utmost importance to me and my team. We are committed to furthering education around snow safety and will be kicking off a snow safety educational content series in partnership with our Ski Patrol team, given their expertise on the dynamic conditions in our mountains.”
Find backcountry safety and trip planning advice at avalanche.ca and adventuresmart.ca.
