James Gordon Avalanche Trust

In winter time, when the snow arrives, there’s a kind of mania hits our snow loving friends and they follow the weather and plan excursions to the nearest or favourite mountain ski field for some adrenalin pumping action.
Skiing is a great sport, as is snowboarding, both involving sliding down on the surface of ice and/or snow and returning via a chairlift or tow to repeat the experience over and over again.

Experienced adventurers and some who think they are experts, like to push the skifield boundaries and look for unmarked trails and new challenges. These folk are those who need to know about the avalanche phenomenon. Yes we have avalanches in New Zealand. Our ski fields are patrolled every day by those who are specialising in the science of snow/ avalanche forecasting. Daily small bombs are dropped within the ski field area to remove potential danger of an avalanche coming down within the crowded slopes and causing a catastrophe. This has happened.
Luckily very rarely.

Last year we had three deaths ‘off piste’ adventurers who were skiing /boarding beyond the boundaries, on days when the advice of the forecasters was not to go out there. This information is available on the www.avalanche.net.nz daily report written for the public each morning so that everyone has access to the latest information before they venture out. NZ Mountain Safety Council has been working hard over the years to make all information ready for each day at each location.

At www.snowtime.co.nz I aim to make people aware that there are these dangers in the NZ snow and that there are courses, knowledge and equipment essential to keeping friends alive when they   go out for a days fun.

Pub Charity sponsored rental packs for teachers or group leaders to use when taking groups to the mountain so that they can become familiar with the correct equipment and know what they should be carrying. One transceiver (which sends and receives a signal within a football field size area), one probe (to locate a buried victim as soon as possible and the position of the body so that the head is exposed first in order to get air) and one shovel (to dig out the buried victim as snow changes in an avalanche and becomes solid). I put these 3 items into a pack with a check list, as I also want adventurers to take food and water, thermal blankets and high viz plastic bags. Being found when missing or late for a rendezvous is better than a night in the freezing conditions. These precautions enable our young to think about the worst scenarios and be prepared with light but essential items.

Knowledge and equipment becomes my mantra. Knowing what to take, when to stay home and how to find your mates is so important. Having the correct equipment and knowing how to use it efficiently is a lifesaving precaution.
I learned all of this the hard way... my son did not return from his day of fun. His friends did not ensure he had the right equipment, nor did they protect themselves: 3 died that day. Of the 22 in the group only 4 had transceivers on. Those that did tried but they had no signal to find.
                                                                   
The James Gordon Avalanche Trust was set up to create an awareness of avalanche danger. The more people that attend an avalanche course, the more that buy transceivers, the more that go to the daily information sites, means that there are informed adventurers and with any luck we can keep our adventurers alive, so that they come home each night.

Robyn Gordon
Avalanche Lady

James Gordon Avalanche Trust - www.snowtime.co.nz

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