Skier death on Youngs Peak at Rogers Pass - Accident Report
A few weeks back it was reported on the site that a skier had died on Youngs Peak in Rogers Pass but there were few details know at that time. We have dug up the report filed by Parks Canada and it looks like the skier took a fall on a seldom skied line called "North Cirque Basin" just to the east of Forever Young Couloir. The complete Parks Canada report is below along with a photo outlining the events that took place. It's well worth a read to better understand what happened on April 22nd and how the skier died.
While this is a tragedy and we feel for the surviving skiers in the group and the friends and family of the deceased I did want to start a dialog around this incident and the Parks Canada Analysis. We would like to hear your thoughts and how you feel about this incident.
Do you think that this is a realistic line to ski depending upon skier ability and conditions?
Do people really need to ski lines like North Cirque Basin and put themselves at risk (as well as those that have to potentially rescue them)?
Does the risk off set the reward?
If you ski lines like this do you consider the consequences?
Could something like this be prevented from happening in the future?
We don't mean to cause those involved any more heart ache by asking these questions but rather see if we can make some observations of our own and potentially learn from this tragedy. Thanks for your time.
Here is the full report:
Accident Report
On April 22, 2013, a party of two skiers ascended Youngs Peak in the Asulkan area with the intent of skiing down the north cirque basin to the east of Forever Young Couloir. At approximately 12:30 pm, the first in the party skied 2/3 of the way down the slope and stopped on a spur. The second in the party then began his descent. On the fourth turn he hit something – possibly a rock – and began sliding down the steep slope. He was unable to self arrest and subsequently fell over a series of cliffs, coming to rest on a 30 degree slope below and sustaining injuries to the head and chest.
His partner skied down to him and performed initial first aid. Unable to get cell phone reception, he skied down until he met a group skiing up. Using their phone, he called 911 and initiated an emergency response. The group immediately skied to the accident site to assist with first aid.
Red line: Victim's trajectory;
Blue line: Reporting Person’s line to “safe location” to spot;
Green line: Reporting Person’s line to victim, and out valley bottom;
Red circle: Victim’s location after fall;
Star: Helicopter landing spot;
Arrow: "Forever Young Couloir” on Youngs Peak
Rescue Summary:
At 12:56 pm, Jasper Dispatch called Parks Canada Visitor Safety Specialists in Rogers Pass B.C. and reported that an air ambulance from Kamloops was responding to a call for an injured and unconscious skier in Glacier National Park. Rescuers were able to speak directly to the reporting person and plan for a technical heli-sling rescue. A rescue helicopter was dispatched immediately, and within half an hour rescue personnel were on the scene of the accident. Within one hour of the initial report, the patient was assessed, packaged and transported to the waiting air ambulance. Sadly, the victim succumbed to his injuries.
Analysis:
Skiers and riders coming to Glacier National Park are beginning to branch away from standard ski lines to explore a more adventurous or challenging ski experience. This may be a response to “congestion” in popular ski destinations caused by the popularization of winter backcountry ski touring. Careful evaluation of committing terrain is required, as slips, avalanches and small sluffs can have serious consequences.
Image and words from Parks Canada.
