Avalanche safety mostly depends on skills but avalanche safety equipment is also essential:
• Avalanche Beacon
• Snow Shovel
• Probe
• Survival Blanket
• First Aid Kit
Probably the most important factor in effective decision making while backcountry skiing or snowboarding is the size of a group. There are some facts that were researched that apply to any group but as the number of members of the group increases the importance of those facts increases as well. We will define them in this article and they need to be taken into consideration seriously even though they seem obvious or even ridiculous.
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Issues and facts to deal with in larger groups
For a sake of simplicity we are going to talk about parties bigger than 5 or 6 people since groups of up to four skiers or snowboarders are common and are generally pretty safe while backcountrytraveling. The facts below are not sorted out according to their importance since we believe they can equally affect your safety in the winterbackcountry.
No designated leader(s)
In a bigger group it is harder to establish the designated leader(s) since different people have different opinions and they value experience and skills in different ways. Still, this is not necessarily a bad thing since with more people you have more observations therefore there should be more known variables that can help manage the risk. But you get also more opinions and attitudes. That means in critical situations when a fast decision making is the key the large group size will might be against you.
Chances of getting caught are higher
Mathematically speaking - the more people the greater probability of someone getting caught in an avalanche.
Even if you are skiing down a dangerous slope one at a time it still means that you are creating more pressure than a smaller group or an individual. Why? Because even if nothing triggers under the 1st (2nd, 3rd...) skier the repeated pressure on certain (weak) snow layers can create short / small fractures that can get longer as the pressure is applied again and again.
The animation: Fractures can get longer (and more dangerous) under sufficient pressure or repeated pressure and long enough to release an avalanche. These fractures might not be visible in the very top layer, they may slowly progress in deeper layers without noticing. So don't assume that if a slope was already skied and nothing happened that it is safe. Always be aware and watch out for possible avalanche trigger.
Common psychological misperception
The more of us the safer we feel.
Since we were kids we were told that a group of people is safer because it poses more physical and mental strength than an individual and just simply because it's a group. While this is true in a world created by our society mother nature doesn't care how many of us are trying to skin-up the mountain for few well deserved turns.
So try to think about some psychological factors that can lead to misperception before your next backcountrytrip.
Different goals and priorities
This is very important fact that has to be considered. Different goals makes it harder to reach compromises which leads to pushing each others' limits thus creating a stress within a group.
Simply, various people have various comfort zones but in a group they might be pushed beyond their limits which can often result in serious consequences.
Slower travel
As people we have different opinions and as athletes or backcountrytravelers we have different physical abilities. Even if you have 8 equally trained backcountry skiers they will always travel slower than four of them as a smaller group. There is nothing scientific about that, it's just a fact that needs to be understood. Generally, larger groups travel slower.
And how this affects your safety? Again, if someone is pushed beyond his limits he is more likely to make a mistake or underestimate danger. When you are tired your perception changes and awareness decreases. Also avalanches occure more likely after noon because of the heat created by the sunshine. So travel in the morning and faster to be safe sooner.
(Un)organized rescue action
As in life it is always harder to organize a group of individuals than a small team. In some cases it may be beneficial to have more people available to search, recover and to rescue the victims of an avalanche accident. In some. But unless the group consists of professionals or highly experienced members there is great chance that you will end up organizing a bunch of scared people who are frenetically running up and down the avalanchedeposit. These reactions are normal and also somehow expected but it certainly doesn't help the victims.
Harder risk management
Unless you planed your trip carefully and discussed the issues with your fellow skiers/snowboarders the above facts can greatly affect the overall risk management and your general backcountry safety as well as your avalanche safety.
The more people the greater probability that they will do their own things. It's OK, but only to the point that those things do not affect the safety of the group as a whole. In larger groups everyone should understand his own responsibilities. Even if he is less experienced he can help decrease the chances of accident just by listening to the ones with more experiences.
So what can you do to stay safe?
The facts are facts and we have to accept them. But the consequences as a result of all of the above can be greatly limited. So don't be discouraged because with careful planing you can manage almost anything.
Here is a summary of basics that can help you manage the group size as a factor in decision making:
chose your fellow skiers and snowboarders carefully
know that you are able to accept similar levels of risk
agree on your goals and priorities before the trip
respect each other equally, not based on experience
always make decisions to fit the weakest or the least comfortable one
the most experienced should be exposed to the lowest amount of risk - in case of an accident he can organize rescue the most effectively
Probably the most important factor in effective decision making while backcountry skiing or snowboarding is the size of a group. There are some facts that were researched that apply to any group but as the number of members of the group increases the importance of those facts increases as well. We will define them in this article and they need to be taken into consideration seriously even though they seem obvious or even ridiculous.
