The reality is that the risk is always present, this should be known to any person traveling in avalanche terrain in the winter time. I fail to see how this instagram sheds any light. I am not trying to be a cynic but I will be the first to say that the reason this accident occured is depicted in the posters own words. “we can live or die by the decisions we make”. I am going out on a limb in saying these two “aspiring mountain guides” made a horrible decision.
I live and breath the mountain life, but I am often the one choosing a less fun route down the mountain because I know that decision can save my life. Colorado is home to a very unstable snowpack year-after-year. The warning signs in the snowpack can always be compared or related to previous years/conditions. The CAIC mentions this in every page on their website, avoid all slopes steeper than 30 degrees. Let’s be honest, almost no one follows this advice and this is why accidents like this occur. I can guarantee that any east aspect has a huge underlying danger all across Colorado. It is with heavy shoulders that I have no repentance or any ill will in saying this guy is lucky to be alive and should reflect on how his decision to live “extreme” could cost him and future clients their lives. People need to understand the fine line between taking risks and mitigating risks. This Instagram post sheds light only on the bad decision making that takes places by so many Colorado backcountry skiers.
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The reality is that the risk is always present, this should be known to any person traveling in avalanche terrain in the winter time. I fail to see how this instagram sheds any light. I am not trying to be a cynic but I will be the first to say that the reason this accident occured is depicted in the posters own words. “we can live or die by the decisions we make”. I am going out on a limb in saying these two “aspiring mountain guides” made a horrible decision.
I live and breath the mountain life, but I am often the one choosing a less fun route down the mountain because I know that decision can save my life. Colorado is home to a very unstable snowpack year-after-year. The warning signs in the snowpack can always be compared or related to previous years/conditions. The CAIC mentions this in every page on their website, avoid all slopes steeper than 30 degrees. Let’s be honest, almost no one follows this advice and this is why accidents like this occur. I can guarantee that any east aspect has a huge underlying danger all across Colorado. It is with heavy shoulders that I have no repentance or any ill will in saying this guy is lucky to be alive and should reflect on how his decision to live “extreme” could cost him and future clients their lives. People need to understand the fine line between taking risks and mitigating risks. This Instagram post sheds light only on the bad decision making that takes places by so many Colorado backcountry skiers.