Remarkables, New Zealand – At 3:12 PM on July 25 a man triggered a large avalanche above Lake Alta in the backcountry near the Remarkables Ski Resort near Queenstown on the South Island of New Zealand. Luckily the man was able to hold on to a large rock while the avalanche swept by him and was able to survive.
According to news reports, the man triggered the avalanche and it punched through a frozen layer onto a persistent weak layer. The New Zealand Avalanche Center has been forecasting this weak layer for the last 10 days.
TVNZ.co.nz writes that the avalanche was a “category three, 80 metres across and ran down 90 metres until it hit the lake. It was 1900m above sea level.” Another report from NewsHub.co.nz writes that the avalanche was 500-meters wide. Either way this was a large avalanche and the man who survived it was very lucky.
Ski patrollers from the Remarkables Ski Area responded to the scene of the avalanche even though it was out of bounds. They did a beacon search in the avalanche debris but did not find a signal as the man was above the debris.
A friendly reminder: If you’re heading in to the backcountry, always check the avalanche forecast, bring your beacon/shovel/probe and know how to use these items. This situation had a positive ending, but it could have been very different.
Read more about this avalanche incident at the Remarkables in New Zealand from these sources:
