Thrillseekers beware

By CATHRIN SCHAER

With increasing frequency you'll read about it in snow sports and mountain magazines: an intrepid crew of friends strike out on their own, leaving the groomed piste, babbling crowds and chairlift queues far behind.

Beyond the barriers and the avalanche warning signs they find an untracked, uncrowded heaven of powder snow and adventuresome thrills.

And it all seems so wonderful, so idyllic. But the truth is these kinds of stories make "going backcountry" sound much simpler than it is.

Hiking away from the groomed trails almost seems to have become something trendy, something for snowboarders and skiers alike to aspire to.

"I agree with you," says Steve Schreiber, the Mountain Safety Council's Avalanche Programme Manager.

"For a lot of reasons, there does seem to be a trend toward more adventurous activities. And that's supported by the print media and by things such as television programmes. There's also a huge film industry based on these types of activities and that's been around for a while," he says, referring to the fact that not too many snow sports movies focus on crowds queueing for the chair or how to avoid the 5-year-olds falling over on the trails. They prefer to take seasoned riders and skiers away from all that.

But, as Schreiber says, there's a dilemma in this situation for mountain safety experts. "Because we [at the Mountain Safety Council] actually think going out and using the mountains is a good thing. And we think the trend toward being more adventurous is a good thing, too," he says.

"I mean, look at the celebrations for Sir Edmund Hillary. There's a legacy about this in New Zealand."

The key, Schreiber asserts, is learning how to go off the piste and into the backcountry safely. One of the problems today, Schreiber says, is that snowboarders increasingly have a fast learning curve.

Whereas it can take a rookie skier weeks, if not months, to leave the mid-level slopes behind, a snowboarder can progress from the beginner's slopes to more difficult parts of the mountains within days. And for some, that makes them think they should be slipping under the boundary ropes and heading off into the untracked hills for a bit of adventure.

But it's important to remember that navigating mountainous terrain is a lot like sailing a yacht. It's beautiful on a sunny day with a light breeze when anyone can turn the boat's tiller. But in more dangerous conditions, a howling gale or freezing rain, the sea can be a harsh and unpredictable mistress.

A mountain - particularly one like Mt Ruapehu - is similar. Weather and snow conditions can change quickly.

Hard core adventurer or not, no experienced snowboarder or skier crosses a resort's boundary lines lightly.

And this winter, they might even be thinking of long-time American professional snowboarder Craig Kelly, 36, who, despite being a four-time World Freestyle Champion and a trained mountain guide, was killed in a Canadian avalanche in January.

If you'd like to go backcountry but you're not sure how, it's advisable to get your first taste of the pleasures of uncrowded skiing with a guide.

And if you're planning to go beyond the boundary lines by yourselves, check out the following websites first for safety information and avalanche courses in your area:

www.mountainsafety.org.nz

www.avalanche.net.nz