Whistler New Years Day in-bounds death

**shirk** · 01-01-2008, 09:58 PM

A skier and snowboarder were swept over a cliff in the Hanging Roll by sluff from a fresh wind slab today. Skier died from injuries but snowboarder survived.

The Hanging Roll is a Permanent Closure beside the entrance to the West Cirque.

Vancouver Sun report.

**GoNads** · 01-01-2008, 10:08 PM

Swept over a 75m cliff by avy sluff... thats huuuuuge. Its amazing the boarder survived. I guess some PC's are there for a reason, sad to hear about the skier. Be careful out there.

**Shaggy** · 01-01-2008, 10:17 PM

It wasn't just sluff, it was a class 2 slab. The guy was 29 years old, and was pronounced dead by a patrol doctor at the scene.

Very sad way to start the new year.

**TJ.Brk** · 01-01-2008, 10:24 PM

Sad to hear. ++++ to the family

but folks lets be smart and safe out there.

**shirk** · 01-01-2008, 10:25 PM

A class 2 slab formed between pre opening control work and 11:30am? (my own guess on approx time based on going when Peak closed) The winds were high but there wasn't any fresh to move around.

Is the class 2 a rumor or from a reputable source?

**shirk** · 01-01-2008, 10:33 PM

Originally Posted by shirk

A class 2 slab formed between pre opening control work and 11:30am? (my own guess on approx time based on going when Peak closed) The winds were high but there wasn't any fresh to move around.

Is the class 2 a rumor or from a reputable source?

Nevermind. They have entirely re-written the article that I linked since I first read it. Power of the web I guess, slap something up then update it as new info comes in.

Changed the size of the cliff from 75m to 50m and adding the Class 2 term.

But they have left in the quote about amount of snow ""There wasn't enough snow to bury anybody. But the movement of snow swept them over the cliff," he added.

doughboyshredder · 01-01-2008, 10:38 PM

horrible. Too many deaths already this year.

**Nanuq** · 01-01-2008, 10:47 PM

Originally Posted by doughboyshredder

horrible. Too many deaths already this year.

Yo doughboy, I like the blog!

As one free thinkin' atheist to another, keep USING YOUR BRAIN and keep up the good work!

**bigtrubs** · 01-01-2008, 11:08 PM

My roomate worked with him, everyone is pretty shaken up about it. December has been a really bad month, I already lost 2 Whistler friends in the past month.

WEAR YOUR HELMETS PEOPLE! (And stay out of PC areas... obviously)

**nesta** · 01-01-2008, 11:50 PM

Originally Posted by shirk

Nevermind. They have entirely re-written the article that I linked since I first read it. Power of the web I guess, slap something up then update it as new info comes in.

Changed the size of the cliff from 75m to 50m and adding the Class 2 term.

But they have left in the quote about amount of snow ""There wasn't enough snow to bury anybody. But the movement of snow swept them over the cliff," he added.

Sluff or slab, what's it going to be? Did anybody observe the Hanging Roll post event? Don't you Whistler people own telescopes? If there was a crown, well then we have confirmation of slab avalanche. if "There wasn't enough snow to bury anybody" well then it can't be a Size 2 by definition, except for the part about injuring or killing. I would classify the size on this one according to mass & volume of snow, rather than destructive potential, due to the fact that the trauma from the fall over rocks probably contributed to the fatality and not the avalanche.
Bummer. ++++ Vibes to friends & family.
Stay the hell out of closed areas!

**hutash** · 01-02-2008, 12:27 AM

Tough way to start the new year....vibes to family and friends.

**moving to revelstoke** · 01-03-2008, 02:24 PM

Here's the avalanche.ca avalanche incident report, http://www.avalanche.ca/Forums/ShowP...px?PostID=3351

here's the pertinent info"

WEATHER AND SNOWPACK INFORMATION
Weather: Overcast, unlimited visibility, -4.0deg C, winds E 50 gusting 70kph for 4.0 hrs prior
Snowpack: ****20 to 30cm deep windslab that is suspected to have formed on bed surface of size 1.0 avalanche that was released on start sone on Sunday Dec. 30. Fracture line profile was not conducted due to nature of terrain, time of day, and deteriorating weather conditions

also says the slab was 25m wide and ran for 300 m