A skier is safe after Parks Canada says they triggered a Size 2 avalanche while going down a slope in Banff National Park.
According to a post by the agency on Facebook, Parks Canada Visitor Safety responded to an avalanche on Tuesday on the “Vortex,” a backcountry run outside the Lake Louise Ski Area.
Officials say the skier was at about an elevation of 2,450 metres when the avalanche started and carried the skier down.
“The skier was carried to the bottom, buried to their waist and lost both skis, but was otherwise uninjured,” said the post by Parks Canada. “The avalanche was a deep persistent slab that failed near the ground, on a layer of facets formed near the crust in November.”
Avalanche sizes are classified on a scale of one to five, with one being the smallest and five having enough destructive power to destroy a village or 100-acre forest.
A Size 2 avalanche, like the one the skier experienced, is big enough to bury, injure or even kill a person.
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Parks Canada shared photos and video of the avalanche and said it’s a reminder that such events can occur any time on any slope above 30 degrees, whether danger ratings are high or low.
The agency said people entering avalanche terrain should be prepared with the right skills and equipment, as well as experience to analyze the terrain and rescue themselves if they need to. They should also check the daily avalanche report before heading out and make informed decisions.
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