| Point of clarification - This is real world stuff, raw and flawed. Everyone in this video is a recreational skier, an amateur in back country rescue. Even with a successful outcome, this rescue has mistakes and is not a representation of proper technique. The intent of this video is to demonstrate and educate people on the dangers of tree wells. NOT a demonstration on HOW to rescue someone from a tree well. If you choose to venture into the back country seek professional instruction and guidance. acmg.ca amga.com Every year I go "SnowCat" skiing in the back country of British Columbia with a group of 12 friends. It's a hunt for deep powder far from the controlled environment of a resort. You need to be familiar with and prepared for the dangers - primarily avalanche and "tree wells." Everyone is familiar with avalanches. In the back country, everyone wears a transceiver (a small device, strapped to your body that sends out a signal) in case there is a slide and someone gets buried. It's a terrifying thought and we all practice, in fact it's mandatory, how to rescue a team member/s if there is a burial. To be prepared, we ski with collapsible shovels and avalanche probes in our packs. With a 15-20 foot snow pack in winter, a lesser known but of equal or greater danger are "tree wells" - a quicksand like funnel that forms from the far edge of tree branches, tapering down to the base of the trunk. Because the snow around the edge easily collapses, often one falls in ... |
