Avalanche
A group of 4 skiers skiing in the backcountry near Treble Cone ski resort on New Zealand’s South Island triggered a Size 2 (Could bury, injure or kill a person) avalanche on Sunday, July 31st. Â The avalanche was up to 20-inches deep. Â None of the 4 skiers were caught in the avalanche.
Just 5 days ago, on July 26th, a Size 3.5 (Could bury a car, destroy a small building, or break trees) avalanche was triggered by a group of guides while skiing in the backcountry near The Remarkables ski resort.
New Zealand’s Southern Alps have been getting big snow the past week creating elevated avalanche danger.
We have 4 New Zealand conditions reports from the past few days:
New Zealand Conditions Reports
Treble Cone Press Release:
A group of skiers in an ‘out of bounds’ area near Treble Cone has triggered a Size 2 avalanche in the Hidden Valley area.
The group triggered the avalanche some time before 12.30pm today (Sunday July 31). The avalanche was up to half a metre deep in open terrain, and the four people in the group were not caught in it and skied out safely.
Before doing so they checked the debris and carried out a transceiver sweep of the site which did not reveal any signals. The group also searched for visual tracks and any further clues outside of the area and the full length of the debris, and did not find any evidence of other individuals or groups in the area at the time.
A phone call was received at Treble Cone by a member of the public who saw the party searching the debris.
Treble Cone immediately initiated its search and rescue procedures and informed Wanaka police.
A helicopter has taken two Treble Cone patrollers along with two search dogs and two handlers to the area to carry out a final search of the debris and the area has been declared clear.
Further information is not available at this time and any updates will come from Wanaka police.
