The Avalanche Hour Podcast

Deep Snow, Deeper Lessons – The Origins of Avalanche Safety with Chris Stethem and Grant Statham (Part 1)

Jan 24, 2025

In this enlightening discussion, Chris Stethem, a retired avalanche consultant, and Grant Statham, a legendary mountain guide, delve into the pivotal moments that shaped avalanche safety practices. They recount the Granduc Mine Avalanche, exploring the urgent need for improved risk assessment. They reminisce about the early days of avalanche management, the evolution of communication methods, and the introduction of avalanche beacons. Their insights on snowpack changes and mentoring within the industry foster a deeper appreciation for the complexities of navigating snowy terrains.

01:32:20

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Episode guests

Grant Statham

Chris Stethem

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The Granduc Mine Avalanche incident highlighted the urgent need for improved risk assessment and communication within avalanche safety protocols.

The evolution of avalanche control methods since the 1970s illustrates the importance of adapting strategies based on research and field experiences.

Mentorship and collaboration are essential within the avalanche community, fostering a culture of shared knowledge and innovation among professionals.

Deep dives

Avalanche Risk Management Insights

A significant insight into avalanche risk management highlights the complexity of making sound decisions in the field. It is established that terrain constitutes about 60-70% of decision-making, snow stability about 20%, with luck comprising the remaining 10%. This ratio illustrates how vital understanding the terrain and its features is when assessing potential avalanche risks. For instance, early discussions surrounding the history of avalanche control at Whistler reveal the foundational role of terrain evaluation in establishing effective safety procedures.

Intro

3min

Exploring Avalanche Safety: Historical Insights and Community Engagement

5min

Avalanche Control Evolution

5min

Avalanche Awareness at Grand Duke Mine

25min

Navigating Risk and Communication in Avalanche Safety

6min

Avalanche Safety Evolution

17min

Navigating Solitude and the Importance of Mentorship in Consulting

2min

Navigating Avalanche Risks: Insights from the Field

30min

Episode Overview

In this first part of a two-episode series, The Avalanche Hour Podcast features an in-depth conversation with avalanche industry legends Chris Stethem and Grant Statham. These two have dedicated their lives to advancing avalanche safety, education, and research, and their collective impact has shaped how we think about risk management in snow-covered terrain.

The episode begins with the Granduc Mine Avalanche incident in Canada, a pivotal event that underscored the critical need for better risk assessment and communication systems. From there, Chris and Grant explore the origins of avalanche safety practices during the early “cowboy” days, where trial and error led to life-saving lessons.

Listeners will also hear about:

• Defining avalanche scales and aspects to improve communication and ensure messages reach diverse audiences effectively.

• The snowpack evolution of the 1976-77 winter, where facets became prominent, and the impacts of climate change began to show.

• A terrifying near-miss at a FIS ski race, where an avalanche ran into coaches, illustrating the gaps in early avalanche response planning.

• The development and introduction of avalanche beacons, from professional use to their eventual adoption by recreational users.

• Spatial planning for avalanche paths, with lessons drawn from Utah’s structural defenses and how they informed better land-use decisions.

Chris and Grant also reflect on how communication methods have evolved over time, emphasizing the importance of tailoring messages to the audience—whether professionals or recreational backcountry travelers—to ensure safety in avalanche terrain.

This episode sets the stage for an enlightening second part, where they’ll dive deeper into modern advancements, risk management techniques, and more.

Resources & Links Mentioned

• Wyssen Avalanche Control

• OpenSnow

• Gordini

• Raide Research

Crew

• Host: Dom Baker

• Guests: Chris Stethem & Grant Statham

• Producer: Cameron Griffin

Sponsors

• Wyssen Avalanche Control

• OpenSnow