Incident Summary
- Date
- 2003-01-20
- Location
- Tumbledown Mountain
- Location Description
- Province
- BC
- Coordinates
- 429400.00000 °, 5682300.00000 °
- Elevation
- m
- Activity
- Backcountry Skiing
- Involvement
- 13
- Injury
- Fatality
- 7
- Description
- 21 people were ascending La Traviata Couloir when an avalanche occurred. 2 subsequent avalanches were triggered sympathetically, the second of which overtook a group lower on the route. 13 people were buried and 7 died.Visibility was poor soon after the slide happened.
Avalanches
| Date/Time | Size | Type | Trigger | Elevation | Aspect | Slab width | Slab Thickness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-01-20 10:45 | 3.0 | Slab | Sy | 2510 m | SW | 65 m | 150 cm |
| 2003-01-20 10:45 | 3.0 | Slab | Sr | 2450 m | S | 50 m | 50 cm |
| 2003-01-20 10:45 | 1.0 | Slab | Sy | - | S | - | - |
Weather
| Present Temp | Max Temp | Min Temp | 24hr Trend | Wind Speed | Wind Direction | Sky Condition | Precipitation Type & Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Snowpack
| Snowpack | 24hr Snow | Storm Snow | Storm Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - |
Snowpack Comment: Wind slab over Nov. Crust. Thin at top of col where wind effect was greatest. Snowpack on La Traviata generally much thicker and bridged weakness.
Documents
| Document Date | Title | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-01-22 | Fatal avalanche on BC glacier was a tragic accident, police say | CBC News | view |
| 2003-04-01 | A Thin White Line by Ted Kerasote | Outside Magazine | view |
| 2004-12-11 | Tragedy on a Mountain | National Post | view |
| ACC Accident Write-up | Alpine Club of Canada Accident DB | view |