When it comes to snow safety, calling Iain Stewart-Patterson an expert is like calling powder skiing enjoyable—accurate, but only scratching the surface.
When it comes to snow safety, calling Iain Stewart-Patterson an expert is like calling powder skiing enjoyable—accurate, but only scratching the surface.
One of the few guides fully certified by the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association and the only one by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides to also complete a PhD—notably on the role of intuition in the decision process of expert ski guides—he offers a comprehensive perspective to a topic that’s on everyone’s minds this time of year: staying safe in the mountains. Stewart-Patterson recently sat down with Radio NL’s Paul Graham for a segment of Talk to the Experts.
Recognizing the draw of the mountains, he outlined basic precautions for those heading to the slopes this winter. It’s essential to have the correct clothing and equipment to be out in the elements, and know the weather forecast in advance to ensure you’re prepared.
As an experienced backcountry user, Stewart-Patterson mused on why so many people are ducking ropes into out-of-bounds zones these days: “It’s a quest for the untouched, the untracked.”
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Image via Thompson Rivers University.
