According to a story from Reuters (www.reuters.com/article/inDepthNews/idUSN0928476320070322) young male snowmobilers are now the most likely group to be killed in an avalanche.
This year, 20 people have been killed in snow slides, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Half of them have been snowmobilers.
I onced asked an any expert why risks for sledders were so much higher. He said it's simple. To be good enough to ski avalanche terrain usually means a commitment of several weeks in the backcountry to learn skills. During that time, skiers usually also learn about avalanche danger. For a sledder, it's just gas and go. Inexperienced people can get into dicey situations their first day out. Many of them don't carry the nessesary safety gear. Together, that leads to more fatal burials.
2 comments:
It's evolution at work.
Highmarking is also a factor. Backcountry skiers don't try to leave tracks on avalanche slopes just for bragging rights, usually.
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