Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 791 Location: Ask Heisenberg
Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2004 6:27 am Post subject:
The following is a recent (nonfatal) accident in Scotland. It was first reported as an avalanche incident but wasn't - the original accident was a guided party and then a rescuer was injured. I can think of a lot of questions one could potentially ask about why this happened. But I've bolded the comment which jumped out at me in light of this topic here. It doesn't appear anyone is going to attack the guide or the rescuers, nor that anyone is going to condemn the standards of either the British guide association or the IFMGA. The comment in bold comes across to me as a truly professional response and one which will do far more to help everyone involved move on, heal emotionally as well as physically, and get out there again.
Quote:
MOUNTAIN RESCUER FALLS 200FT IN HUNT FOR CLIMBERS
ERLEND BARCLAY
09:00 - 30 December 2004
An Experienced mountain rescuer was recovering in hospital yesterday after being seriously injured during an operation to find missing climbers. William Anderson, who is in his early 50s, plunged through a thick bank of snow, and fell 200ft down Aonach Mor while taking part in an operation to find the two climbers and a guide on Tuesday afternoon.
Mr Anderson, who works for the Nevis Range and has many years of climbing experience, was called out with other members of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team following reports that the climbing group had been caught in a small avalanche.
An RAF rescue helicopter was also sent to the scene but low cloud and high winds made it impossible to use the aircraft to find the men. Mr Anderson was walking across a cornice with colleagues when the accident occurred.
Team leader Terry Confield described how the situation unfolded: "It was reported as an avalanche but that wasn't what happened. The guide had taken his clients up a particular route and one man was about 40ft ahead when he fell back and badly injured his back.
"Three members of our team who all work for the Nevis Range went out together and they were moving across the summit of Aonach Mor when one fell through a cornice and went about 200ft."
Mr Anderson suffered cuts and bruises to his face, and bruising to the rest of his body but luckily did not break any bones.
The group contacted other rescue team members and the party was split into two - one to get Mr Anderson safely off the hillside and the other to retrieve the climber with back injuries. Mr Confield said: "We split the party up and the ski-slope-grooming machine from Aonach Mor assisted us greatly. It was used to get our man off the mountain.
"This is the first time something like this has happened to our team because normally it just does not happen. "But the conditions were terrible - you could be in good hard snow and ice one minute and then suddenly you would find yourself in soft stuff up to your thighs. "It was so bad that you could think you were looking up at the summit but in actual fact it wasn't the summit at all."
Cornices are banks of snow which attach themselves to a structure. As more snow gathers and sticks to itself the bank tends to hang over the edge of the structure. They are notoriously difficult to detect and it is thought Mr Anderson was unaware of the cornice he was walking on when he fell through.
Mr Confield said: "Our guy is a very experienced mountaineer. There is no criticism of either incident. These were genuine mountaineering incidents and there is no point criticising when it is not due. "This is part of what we do - it is dangerous and we know the risks involved.".
Mr Anderson was still in hospital yesterday where he was being treated for cuts to his head and face and bruising on his body.
That's all well and good Snowman. I agree with the statement that "there is no point criticizing when it is not due. "
Yet Ruedi Beglinger placed one group of ski mountaineers he was guiding directly above another he was also responsible for, and this occurred in a wind loaded terrain trap with a slope angle of around 37 or 38 degrees-- during a period of high avalanche danger!
Only a complete and total moron with zero knowledge of avalanche safety could come to the conclusion that criticism of Beglinger's actions that day are unwarranted.
I would like to hear from anyone who has returned from SME this year or last. Is he still guiding in this way?
I would be shocked beyond all belief to learn that he is still climbing with one group above another on any slope.
Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 268 Location: Beautiful British Columbia
Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 7:15 am Post subject:
JPL wrote:
Only a complete and total moron with zero knowledge of avalanche safety could come to the conclusion that criticism of Beglinger's actions that day are unwarranted.
Here is the text of a Letter to the Editor submitted to the National Post Newspaper by Diny Harrison, President of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides.
Quote:
The role of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) was mentioned in the article concerning the tragic events of Jan. 20, 2002, on the Durrand Glacier in the Selkirk Mountains, which claimed the lives of seven backcountry skiers led by a member of our association.
This tragedy was of great concern to our organization. Following the avalanche, our technical committee received a detailed report from the ACMG member guiding the group in question, and a separate report from the assistant guide. We reviewed those reports, as well as the report issued by the British Columbia Coroner's Service and the report from the avalanche professional retained by the Coroner. The report of Frank Baumann, referred to in your article, was also reviewed.
After this examination, the technical director and the executive committee of the ACMG concluded there was no basis for any further investigation involving this member. This decision was communicated to Peter Millar, who hired Mr. Baumann last winter.
The ACMG is a respected member of the International Federation of Mountain Guides. Canada's reputation as one of the world's pre-eminent winter tourism destinations is due in no small part to our members' reputation for excellence. The tragedies of 2002 deeply affected all of us. As professionals, we learned from those accidents. As mountain guides, the safety of our guests has always been, and still is, our paramount obligation.
A thoughtful letter. Too bad she got the accident date wrong- twice yet- had the location wrong (it wasn't "on" the Durrand Glacier), fails to name the guide involved, forgets that Craig Kelly was a snowboarder, fails to say what she and her colleagues "as professionals" learned, in what way she was "deeply affected", or why "This tragedy was of great concern to our organization.".
She also discloses that the ACMG did nothing at all except read what others had written, unless you count deciding not to do anything as doing something.
This suggests that whatever they "learned", and however they were "deeply affected", they "concluded there was no basis for any further investigation involving this member"; in other words, they didn't think that anything too seriously wrong happened. Which begs the question: if this situation wasn't all that serious, then what kind of accident would raise concern?
But it is comforting to know that "As mountain guides, the safety of our guests has always been, and still is, our paramount obligation." _________________ There are no easy solutions, only intelligent choices
Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 536 Location: Squamish, BC
Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 9:07 am Post subject:
Sorry to have to say it, but what a bureaucrat and what a bunch a bureaucratic bullshit. I really wish that more people could just say it like it is, rather than just constantly try to cover each other's asses; I'm sorry, but I'm really getting sick of this politically correct bullshit.
It really is astounding to believe that anyone who really examines all of the facts would conclude that there is "no basis for any further investigation involving this member."
Obviously, the ACMG has no desire to act like a professional body that examines and regulates the actions of it members. It will likely be left to the Province of B.C. to do this. _________________ We need wilderness because we are wild animals. Every man needs a place where he can go to go crazy in peace.
- Edward Abbey
snip..
It really is astounding to believe that anyone who really examines all of the facts would conclude that there is "no basis for any further investigation involving this member."
Obviously, the ACMG has no desire to act like a professional body that examines and regulates the actions of it members. It will likely be left to the Province of B.C. to do this.
PMFJI and I havent read more than a small no of posts in this thread but:
I really think there is a valid analogy between BC guiding and the medical profession, in that both categories assume some responsibility for the well being of others .
Malpractice in the medical profession is very severely dealt with.
Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 1575 Location: This is the Place
Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 4:38 pm Post subject:
My $0.02:
I skied at SME a few years ago. Never saw any snowpits. Ruedi told me evaluations were done elsewhere & at other times than w/guests. This was disappointing to me because of the learning opportunity lost. Ruedi did make terrain decisions based on pole tests on the hill. Groups were not stacked in avalanche terrain on my trip.
Other trips I've been on w/ACMG & UIAMG guides the guests were included in the snowpits & decision making. SME was different. _________________
Quote:
Best to have an unobstructed path if yer taking a long ride.
Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 268 Location: Beautiful British Columbia
Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2005 3:07 pm Post subject:
The new avalanche risk assessment protocols being used by SME sound really good. The use of ABS Airbags, even on a volunteer basis, is also commendable. Supplying appropriate transceivers, shovels and probes, and providing not only a transceiver practice, but also a full avalanche rescue practice, is also good.
Very valuable is the Satellite-based Internet link, which allows INFOEX data to be shared, and observations from nearby operations to be tracked and incorporated into the avalanche risk assessment program. This was a key recommendation of the Coroner's Inquiry report.
It is just unfortunate that seven people had to lose their lives, and so many loved ones had to endure so much pain, to help bring about these positive changes. But we have to look forward, right? _________________ There are no easy solutions, only intelligent choices
Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 791 Location: Ask Heisenberg
Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 1:39 am Post subject:
I agree that the use of ABS airbags is a good step and its actually a pretty progressive one. I doubt it could be considered an industry-wide standard of care even today.
I suspect there are many things I just don't know about the whole situation which is why I'm not making judgements one way or the other. However, one of the things I don't know and have wondered about is the reason the InfoEx was not used at SME at the time. Was it a political thing? An Ego thing? A technology thing?
It seems like the InfoEx should have been in use, and it seems to me it could have made a difference. But I don't know the reasons for it not being in use.
Along with the ABS airbags I think that subscribing to that is a good step also, looking forward.
Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 268 Location: Beautiful British Columbia
Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 2:03 am Post subject:
I predict that use of the ABS Airbag will become an industry-wide standard, at least in the heli-ski industry, if not in other commercial recreational activities, so I agree, this is quite progressive.
We subscribe to Infoex via a satellite-based Internet system and it is invaluable. I don't know how long this service has been available at a reasonable cost, though. _________________ There are no easy solutions, only intelligent choices
Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Posts: 9487 Location: Blue Canadian Rockies
Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 4:02 am Post subject:
I know some of the smaller less high tech lodges don't feel info-ex is worth their time and money.
They know their own terrain and snowpack and and have access to the general CAA bulletin, after all it isn't the knowledge of the snowpack as much as what you do with it.
Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 268 Location: Beautiful British Columbia
Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 4:50 am Post subject:
I think we only pay about $1500 for a season's subscription to Infoex, including the weather option; pretty cheap insurance. The satellite-based Internet connection costs more- but we get voice over IP phone service with that too.
But I agree with you- I'd hate for anything to become mandatory, just because a few outfits have it. The bottom line is that you have to have a system that adequately manages the risk. _________________ There are no easy solutions, only intelligent choices
Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 4135 Location: psssttt, over here...
Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 8:23 am Post subject:
Quote:
For the life of me I cannot see why ACMG is so dead set against their own investigation of the accident. It just makes them look bad.
I agree...I've pretty much decided I won't be using ACMG guides because of how they handled this incident. It appears to me like they blew investigating this incident off. If I were a PE and my project killed somebody, I would expect the A&E board to review my work. I was kind of expecting the same thing here. And it doesn't look like it happened. How can you learn anything if you don't learn from the mishaps? _________________ It's all about fun....
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