ONE minute you’re enjoying the run of your life, the next you’re completely and utterly lost.
Scanning your surrounds, it’s all unchartered, lonely and white backcountry which, while you were riding down waist-deep, was your best friend. But when you’re lost, and because it is near impossible to trudge through the deep powder now swallowing you, is all of a sudden your worst enemy. There are no tracks to follow, and nobody is around to be seen or heard. Where did your friends just go? They were right there… Glancing downwards, you can barely see your glove in front of your face, let alone the way you just came down, or a route out of there. Everything is immersed in a white, foggy, confusing haze, and the outlines of a whole lot of trees that all look the same. You don’t remember taking a wrong turn on the way down that could have taken you much out of your way, but who can be sure – you were having the time of your life. Maybe you went over a ridge too far? How did you get into this situation? And, more importantly, how are you going to get out of it, because the sun is disappearing, and it’s about to get really cold and really dark really quickly.
Many people have experienced this problem when out in the backcountry, and it’s easy to get yourself scared – even if you’re not really that lost, and just a little further off the piste than perhaps you should be. Something about being out there by yourself tends to play tricks on your mind. Many tourists and locals are forever coming back from the hill with sketchy stories of getting themselves into unsavoury situations, and having to hike themselves out of it. Long walk-outs can be a fact of life here, or any resort. Niseko is infamous for its white-out conditions, which don’t make things any easier. With Niseko’s open, liberal backcountry policy, it’s quite easy to drop yourself into a dire situation. It only really takes one bad decision, poorly made a little later in the day, and you may need to spend several hours by yourself in the bitter cold, with only your thoughts and worries to keep you company. You may even be facing the prospect of spending an entire night in the cold. So, it’s time to make a decision – what should you do?
You’re lucky that decision is not all up to you. Powderlife spoke with experienced Black Diamond Lodge tour guide and certified Canadian Avalanche Association guide, Andrew Spragg, who offered some helpful tips for surviving being lost in the backcountry…
1. Of course, carry the three essential backcountry tools: an avalanche beacon, probe and shovel. But other items may come in handy:
Headlamp – in winter, the days are short and it’s easy enough to run out of daylight and end up returning in the dark.
Spare batteries – for your headlamp, transceiver and radio.
First aid kit – no explanation needed.
Cam strap/ski straps – these can come through in a pinch to resolve a number of problems. For example, if your skin glue gets too wet through the day and will no longer stick to your skis, you can use straps to attach the skins. For snowboarders, they can be used in place of a broken binding or snowshoe strap.
Tools – basic set that will allow you to repair your bindings or other gear that may break over the course of your day.
Mobile phone – in Japan, mobile phone coverage is generally pretty good. But if you are headed into more remote areas you may consider taking a satellite phone. As a lighter and cheaper alternative, at the very least let someone know where you are going and when you plan to be back. And don’t forget to keep your phone charged!
Extra warm clothes – a down coat is the ideal extra layer that you want in the backcountry. Down offers the best thermal properties to keep you warm, even when you are not moving, is relatively light for the benefit it offers and packs nice and small to fit in your pack.
Food and water – cold weather and hard work takes a lot out of your body. Make sure you stay hydrated and well-fed throughout the day.
Emergency survival kit – waterproof matches, lighter, candles and emergency blankets are essential. You can also put in instant heat packs, signal mirror, flares and firestarters.
2. Moderate your body temperature – try to avoid sweating and stay warm. The easiest way to stay comfortable is to regularly adjust your layers to keep your body temperature even. A common mistake is to start hiking with all your warm clothes on, then wait until you are overheating before removing your top layers. This means that your important skin layers are wet and cold from sweat early in the day. When you start hiking, remove a couple of layers before you start walking. When you decide to take a break, quickly add extra layers before you get cold. It’s much easier to stay warm rather than try to get warm.
3. Never go into the backcountry alone – two people working together will greatly increase the chance of each other surviving.
4. Consider your options. If you do get lost, calmly evaluate your situation and options.
Do you know where you are? Are there any reference points you can see? Where was the last place that you did know where you were? Is there a nearby high point that would get you a better view of your surroundings? Or are you stuck in a white-out with next to no visibility?
Can you retrace your steps following your tracks back to more familiar ground, or is the wind blowing them away?
What time is it? Do you have much daylight left or is night time approaching? As darkness falls, so will the temperature and visibility, compounding your predicament.
Consider if it is possible to call in a rescue with your phone. Of course you will need to describe your location, and if the weather is extremely poor, then rescue attempts may be futile.
5. Pick a good location to wait it out. If you are totally lost, rescue is impossible, the weather is getting worse and you see no choice other than to wait out the night or the storm, then you need to start thinking about the best place to hole up for the night. Your first consideration should be to protect yourself from the wind and the elements. If you are in the alpine and cannot descend below the tree line safely (if visibility is extremely poor you don’t want to run the risk of falling off of a cliff or cornice), then try to find some sort of wind protection behind rocks or a terrain feature, such as a ridge line. You also need to consider if you are in avalanche terrain and need to get into a safer place. Ideally, if you get below the tree line, you will have better protection from the elements, as well as access to wood for a fire.
6. Get home. If you’ve made it through the night and the storm has subsided enough that you can see where you’re going, you need to calmly consider your next move. Do you have contact with the outside world (mobile/satellite phone) and the ability to get help? Or can you now see enough to determine what direction you need to go to get out? If you decide to start moving again, make sure to take note of whatever reference points you have available and keep track of your direction. Carefully consider what you’re objective is before starting out: are you heading to a higher location in search of mobile phone reception or a better view of your surroundings, or are you heading down a valley in hopes of finding a road or trail to take you home?
Pick up a copy of the next Powderlife for Andrew’s handy tips on how to build a snowcave.