July 12, 2024: Apps and Websites - Caution!
A day or two ago an email from the Alpine Club indicated that numerous climbing incidents, of varying severity, have resulted from hiking route apps including technical routes. While this was specific to climbing there is no reason to believe that skiing and snow sport activities couldn't be subject to the same misleading information from various sources. There has also been no shortage of vehicle incidents resulting from Google maps and similar sources.
When it comes to on-the-snow routes for skiing, riding, etc, beware of accuracy on parameters such as slope angles. The last AIARE Level 2 fatal accident a few years ago occurred on a slope which the group had analyzed online or on a computer beforehand. Their slope angle estimate was off by a few degrees, which can make a difference. (We can't say in that case if that was a specific factor among others, but it's possible. And it could play a role in other locations and situations as well.) Other factors such as vegetation, alleged summer roads and trails, etc, may or may not be entirely accurate.
The climbing incident mentioned in the AAC email involved a group of nine people on the East Face of Teewinot Mountain. This is a very nice climbing route, which I have soloed at least twice. However, it is not a hike and requires some experience and at least some gear even for a solo climb. It is not suitable for a group of nine people. There are various steep sections to climb up and/or down, some can be avoided or simplified by a choice of route or direction. In some places on the descent it may be preferable to do a short rappel over spending time seeking a better route. There is also the possibility of rockfall, often initiated by others above. Nine people offers a lot of chance for this.
While I chose to solo this route my information came from established climbing guidebooks, not general interest hiking route books. I did not seek out the details of this recent incident but the email implies it is one of a growing number resulting from this problem.
I also recently read of a case where a man traveling from Springville to Vernal, Utah, took a shortcut shown on Google Maps and had to be rescued from an impassable mountain track. And a first hand account by another driver, of something a bit less serious I believe, told of entering Glass Buttes in Oregon and turning right according to Google. The road got progressively worse but he had 4wd and reached the top, with some difficulty. Where he found a nicely graded gravel or asphalt tourist road!
The bottom line here is to never take information from apps, websites and supposedly reliable sources like Google at face value. Do some Due Diligence, or if you're enroute already be prepared to turn back sooner rather than later if necessary.
When it comes to on-the-snow routes for skiing, riding, etc, beware of accuracy on parameters such as slope angles. The last AIARE Level 2 fatal accident a few years ago occurred on a slope which the group had analyzed online or on a computer before hand. Their slope angle estimate was off by a few degrees, which can make a difference. (We can't say in that case if that was a specific factor, but it's possible. And it could play a role in other places as well.) Other factors such as vegetation, alleged summer roads and trails, etc, may or may not be entirely accurate.
Some online tools and apps are excellent starting points for planning, but they are starting points. Some publications can be downright misleading. Such as any hiking guide which may include Teewinot. Or the guidebook for southern Utah many years ago which gave unrealistic times for canyon explorations, resulting in numerous rescues. Check additional sources and re-evaluate in the field as needed.
Too many people today are over reliant on their phones, sometimes rarely looking up from them. I had guests in Oregon who were taking a long time to start driving. I went out and checked on them and they were absorbed in their GPS to get to Crater Lake. I told them to follow the main highway 30-40 minutes until they saw a giant sign for Crater Lake! No GPS needed. I have sworn for a long time that if we ever have a loss of satellite and phone signals there will be a lot of people wandering around lost in the wilderness. With no paper map or compass, or no idea how to use it. Technology can be a great thing but look up and enjoy the world around you sometimes, and don't let it lead you into problems.
When it comes to on-the-snow routes for skiing, riding, etc, beware of accuracy on parameters such as slope angles. The last AIARE Level 2 fatal accident a few years ago occurred on a slope which the group had analyzed online or on a computer beforehand. Their slope angle estimate was off by a few degrees, which can make a difference. (We can't say in that case if that was a specific factor among others, but it's possible. And it could play a role in other locations and situations as well.) Other factors such as vegetation, alleged summer roads and trails, etc, may or may not be entirely accurate.
The climbing incident mentioned in the AAC email involved a group of nine people on the East Face of Teewinot Mountain. This is a very nice climbing route, which I have soloed at least twice. However, it is not a hike and requires some experience and at least some gear even for a solo climb. It is not suitable for a group of nine people. There are various steep sections to climb up and/or down, some can be avoided or simplified by a choice of route or direction. In some places on the descent it may be preferable to do a short rappel over spending time seeking a better route. There is also the possibility of rockfall, often initiated by others above. Nine people offers a lot of chance for this.
While I chose to solo this route my information came from established climbing guidebooks, not general interest hiking route books. I did not seek out the details of this recent incident but the email implies it is one of a growing number resulting from this problem.
I also recently read of a case where a man traveling from Springville to Vernal, Utah, took a shortcut shown on Google Maps and had to be rescued from an impassable mountain track. And a first hand account by another driver, of something a bit less serious I believe, told of entering Glass Buttes in Oregon and turning right according to Google. The road got progressively worse but he had 4wd and reached the top, with some difficulty. Where he found a nicely graded gravel or asphalt tourist road!
The bottom line here is to never take information from apps, websites and supposedly reliable sources like Google at face value. Do some Due Diligence, or if you're enroute already be prepared to turn back sooner rather than later if necessary.
When it comes to on-the-snow routes for skiing, riding, etc, beware of accuracy on parameters such as slope angles. The last AIARE Level 2 fatal accident a few years ago occurred on a slope which the group had analyzed online or on a computer before hand. Their slope angle estimate was off by a few degrees, which can make a difference. (We can't say in that case if that was a specific factor, but it's possible. And it could play a role in other places as well.) Other factors such as vegetation, alleged summer roads and trails, etc, may or may not be entirely accurate.
Some online tools and apps are excellent starting points for planning, but they are starting points. Some publications can be downright misleading. Such as any hiking guide which may include Teewinot. Or the guidebook for southern Utah many years ago which gave unrealistic times for canyon explorations, resulting in numerous rescues. Check additional sources and re-evaluate in the field as needed.
Too many people today are over reliant on their phones, sometimes rarely looking up from them. I had guests in Oregon who were taking a long time to start driving. I went out and checked on them and they were absorbed in their GPS to get to Crater Lake. I told them to follow the main highway 30-40 minutes until they saw a giant sign for Crater Lake! No GPS needed. I have sworn for a long time that if we ever have a loss of satellite and phone signals there will be a lot of people wandering around lost in the wilderness. With no paper map or compass, or no idea how to use it. Technology can be a great thing but look up and enjoy the world around you sometimes, and don't let it lead you into problems.
