The mountain safety council has warned skiers to adopt "backcountry precaution."
A series of avalanches on ski field – including Turoa – has prompted a warning from the Mountain Safety Council to skiers and snowboarders to adopt “backcountry precautions” when leaving a patrolled ski area.
“These incidents really highlight that all slopes beyond ski field boundaries, no matter how close, should be regarded as backcountry terrain and treated accordingly,” chief executive Mike Daisley said. “Fortunately, in these cases, no one was injured, despite several close calls.”
On Saturday, the Turoa ski patrol on Mt Ruapehu reported signs of an avalanche outside the ski area.
It prompted a search operation because it was not known if anyone was in the area at the time.
Debris was searched using avalanche transcievers and then the local search and rescue dogs avalanche team.
The search concluded with no one found.
“Skiing within the ski field boundary means you’re within a controlled environment where ski patrols monitor and manage avalanche danger,” Daisley said. In contrast, skiing in the backcountry is an uncontrolled, wild environment, where avalanche hazards are not actively managed.
“Those venturing beyond the patrolled ski area boundaries need to take responsibility for assessing the terrain, understanding snow conditions and making safe decisions.”
