Backcountry Safety, Survival &

c cou

y S e y, Su v v

&

Rescue

Alaska Mountain Rescue Group

Mountain Safety Education

Mountain Safety Education

• Alaskans are highly

g y

active in the outdoors

• Many new to Alaska

• Many new to Alaska

or to this area

• Refresher on winter

backcountry safety
and what to do in

and what to do in
event of an
accident/emergency

accident/emergency

O er ie

Overview

• Review Winter Hazards:

• Review Winter Hazards:

– Hypothermia
– Frostbite
– Avalanche
– Thin ice

• Trip Planning/Essential Equipment
• What to do in a backcountry emergency

H

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/

• How to initiate/request a rescue
• What to expect during a rescue response

Backcountry Hazards--Winter

• Winter backcountry travel requires MORE

SKILLS and MORE EQUIPMENT

SKILLS and MORE EQUIPMENT

• Educate yourself about the hazards

• Get additional training

• Know the weather and anticipate conditions

expected

(A) Hypothermia

(A) Hypothermia

Hypothermia Prevention

Hypothermia Prevention

•

Carry sufficient food, clothing, stove/pot

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,

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p

•

Stay well hydrated and eat often

•

Minimize over-exertion and sweating

e ove e e t o a d sweat g

•

Dress in layers, USE SYNTHETIC CLOTHING

•

Know how to build a snow shelter(s)

Know how to build a snow shelter(s)

•

Learn winter survival techniques (take a class or
learn from others)

learn from others)

•

Avoid alcohol, nicotine, caffeine—affect circulation

(B) Frostbite:

3 Stages

(B) Frostbite: 3 Stages

Frostnip

Frostnip

• freezing of the top layers of skin

tissue

• involves only a small area, such as

y

a cheek, earlobe, fingers or toes.

Signs:

• Firm white cold areas show up on

• Firm, white, cold areas show up on

the face, ears or extremities.
Sometimes 1-3 days later, peeling
and blistering occurs.
O

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• Occasionally, the person remains

very sensitive to cold afterwards.

Treatment:

• Re- warming the affected part with

skin to skin contact, do not “rub”

Superficial frostbite

• The skin feels numb,

waxy and frozen.

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• Ice crystals form in

the skin cells and the
rest of the skin

rest of the skin
remains flexible.

• Blistering may occur,

Blistering may occur,
particularly after re-
warming

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Full thickness frostbite (3

rd

stage)

Full-thickness frostbite (3

rd

stage)

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• blood vessels,

muscles, tendons,
nerves and bone may

nerves and bone may
be frozen.

• Permanent damage,

blood clots and
gangrene.

• Serious infection and

• Serious infection and

loss of limbs
frequently occurs

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Frostbite Treatment

Frostbite Treatment

Partial or full thickness (frozen)

A: Re warming should be initiated as soon as possible

A: Re-warming should be initiated as soon as possible,

but only if can keep from re-freezing Warm water
bath at 99-104 °F. Do not massage or use radiant
heat

heat.

B: If the frozen tissue cannot be protected from

refreezing, or if re-warming not practical or will

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delay evacuation, protect wound with sterile gauze
and allow to remain frozen.

C: Protect blisters and damaged tissue and avoid

C: Protect blisters and damaged tissue and avoid

constriction

D: Protect from re-freezing.
E: Pain management
F: Get person to medical care

Preventing Frostbite

• Avoid tight-fitting clothing, including footwear,

W

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f l hi

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i

• Wear several layers of clothing when in

extremely cold conditions since the air pockets
between the layers will help to retain warmth.

between the layers will help to retain warmth.

• Do not use of alcohol, caffeine and nicotine

Alcohol causes the blood to cool quickly (vaso-

Alcohol causes the blood to cool quickly (vaso
dialation) and nicotine & caffeine impair
circulation

• Stay hydrated and keep calorie intake up.

• Shield/cover face and other body parts from

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cold wind and temperatures

Backcountry Hazards--Winter

(C) Avalanches

(C) Avalanches

– Increasingly catching winter recreationists

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d

who are unaware of or underestimate hazard

– Take classes, educate yourself BEFORE

Take classes, educate yourself BEFORE
venturing into mountain terrain in winter

– Carry beacon, probe, shovel & practice using

them often

© Snow Dynamics

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE

The

SNOW

DRAGONS!

TERRAIN

DANGER
ZONE

60

60ºº

ZONE
20-60
DEGREES

NATURALLY

30-45º

SLUFF OFF

20

20ºº

MINIMUM DANGER

MEASURE SLOPE ANGLE.

WITH INCLINOMETER

Run-out Angle-

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The MEASURED angle from
you to the potential avalanche

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start point.

20 Degrees or less is

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considered safe

ous Clues of Snow Instability

Recent Natural Avalanches!

“Whoomping”

Sounds

“Drum”

Sound

Sound

Shooting

Shooting

Cracks

High winds

Lots of new snow = added stress

Lots of new snow

Rain on Snow

Rapidly Warming Snowpack

Indicators of high avalanche hazard

Indicators of high avalanche hazard



Evidence of previous slides on similar slopes



Recent heavy snowfall adding stress to the



Recent heavy snowfall adding stress to the
snowpack



Visible fracture lines in the snow—shooting
cracks”



Audible settling of the snowpack—”whumping”

R

id t

t

i



Rapid temperature rise



High winds--snow plumes off peaks



Rain on cold dry snow



Rain on cold, dry snow



Slushy spring snow– sinking in over the boot tops

At 35 minutes, survival rate drops to 37%

IKAR—Avalanche Emergency

Time (minutes)

• Be Prepared—mentally

(educate yourself, take an

avalanche class)

• Be Prepared—physically

(go with right people,

right equipment)

• Practice Rescue Regularly—

get

your friends to

do so as well

do so as well

“Travel as though rescue doesn’t work

Travel as though rescue doesn t work,

but practice it as though it does.”

Thin ice Escape

• Geisbrecht, Univ. of Manitoba--video

Trip Planning

(A) Leave a trip plan with family

member or friend

member or friend

–

Where

you are going

–

When

you expect to be back

–

Route

of travel

–

Amount

of gear taken + colors

–

What to do

if you are overdue

What to do

if you are overdue

Essential Equipment

Essential Equipment

• Map/compass (don’t rely solely on GPS)

p

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(

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)

• Waterproof jacket/pants)

• Food/water

• Food/water

• Hat/gloves

• Medical kit

• Fire starting kit (lighter, tinder)

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( g

)

• Signaling device(s)

• Extra clothing (season specific)

• Extra clothing (season-specific)

Essential Equipment--Winter

• Headlamp w/ spare

batteries

• Shovel (for making a

shelter)

• Foam pad

• Foam pad
• Stove/fuel & small pot for

making water

• Extra clothing
• Sunglasses (to protect

eyes)

eyes)

**Avalanche beacon, probe,

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l

if i

t i

shovel—if in mountain
terrain.

Signaling Devices -- Daytime

• Brightly-colored fabric

• Flares

• Ground signals

• Signaling Mirror

• Sound (whistle horn)

Sound (whistle, horn)

• Fire/smoke

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lf

bi

d

• Make yourself as big and

bright as possible if you

b

d

want to be spotted.

Signaling De ices NIGHT

Signaling Devices--NIGHT

• Headlamp

Headlamp

• Flare

P

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• Pocket/key chain laser

• Fire

• Light sticks, strobe

• Reflective clothing/tape

©Greatland Laser

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• Greatland Laser *!

(www. greatlandlaser.com)

Communication

• Cell phone **

• Satellite phone**

Satellite phone

• VHF radio

UHF

di

• UHF radio

• FRS radio

• EPIRB/PLBs

• SPOT Messenger

SPOT Messenger

Backcountry Emergencies

Backcountry Emergencies

• How serious are the

How serious are the
injuries/illness?

• Terrain?

• Terrain?

• Size/strength/resource

f

?

s of party?

• Distance to trail/

trailhead/road

• Other factors

When to request a rescue?

•

Severe injuries or medical emergencies
requiring immediate medical attention

requiring immediate medical attention

(severe trauma, heavy bleeding, head injuries,
HACE heart attack/stroke)

HACE, heart attack/stroke)

•

If evacuation requires long stretches of
lifting, lowering, carrying AND:

•

Party size/condition terrain distance to

•

Party size/condition, terrain, distance to
trailhead combine to make transport
difficult

difficult

What to Do

What to Do

• Stabilize subject(s)

• Call for help

• Signal others for help

Signal others for help

• Send others for help

C

t

t AK St t

• Contact AK State

Troopers!!

• 911

When reporting an emergency

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g

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y

• Make sure “backcountry emergency”

• Give name and location (be specific)

• Number of persons in the party

• Describe nature of emergency/medical condition

• Describe nature of terrain/situation

• Remain in contact with rescuers

• Make yourself as visible as possible

(signaling

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p

( g

g

devices!!)

What to Expect

• Response highly

weather/terrain

weather/terrain
dependent

Will t k

ti

• Will take some time

for rescuers to arrive

• Often will arrive via

helicopter

• Rescuers will approach

cautiously

When to request a rescue?

(B) If A family member, friend, co-worker is

overdue from a backcountry trip:

overdue from a backcountry trip:

Was there a trip plan?

Wh t did it

b

t

t

d ti

ti

t

What did it say about route, destination, return

day/time?

Do NOT wait to initiate rescue unless trip plan

Do NOT wait to initiate rescue unless trip plan

indicates potential for being late/overdue.

Call 911 or AK State Troopers

to notify of

Call 911 or AK State Troopers

to notify of

backcountry emergency and need for rescue—

make clear that this is a backcountry

y

emergency not a missing person!

7 Lessons for Survival

7 Lessons for Survival

• Perceive and believe

• Stay calm

• Think analyze plan

Think, analyze, plan

• Take correct, decisive action

B li

ill

d

• Believe you will succeed

• Do whatever is necessary

• Never give up

Local Resources

• Alaska Avalanche School

www.alaskaavalanche.com/

• Alaska Snowmachine Association: www.aksnow.org/

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• Alaska Outdoor Source: www.akoutdoors.net/
• Arctic Orienteering Club:
• Mountaineering Club of Alaska

www.mcak.org

• Knik Canoers and Kayakers: - [phone]

REI

monthl clinics on a ariet of topics

• REI— monthly clinics on a variety of topics
• Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game: fishing, hunting, wildlife

information

“Planning, caution, training, and good

decision making skills are the essential

decision-making skills are the essential

tools of adventure.”

--Drew Leeman, NOLS

www.amrg.org

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Th

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li ”

That others may live”

“No one is immune to backcountry
accidents…Admit that it can happen to you.”

--Simon Priest

References

Wi t /A

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h

Winter/Avalanche:

– Snow Sense: A guide to evaluating snow

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h h

d

avalanche hazard

– Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills

Th M

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ttl

WA *

The Mountaineers, Seattle, WA.*

– Wilderness Survival Guide, M. Alford. 1987

Al

k N th

t P bli hi

C

Alaska Northwest Publishing Company,
Edmonds, WA.