Winter Recap 2020 Report
The Mountain Safety Council (MSC) had a remarkable winter season in New Zealand's alpine landscape, with a number of significant achievements and milestones.
MSC's recent website changes were well-received and even earned a nomination for the Designer's Institute of NZ's Best Awards. The new design has been praised for its user-friendly interface and informative content.
One of the key focus areas for MSC this winter was avalanche safety. Avalanche season in New Zealand extends from November to April, with over 40% of avalanche fatalities occurring during this period. To address this, MSC organised a series of avalanche courses, which were well-attended in 2021.
Tom Harris, Alpine Advisor, completed the Avalanche Risk Management Level 5 (Avalanche Stage 1) course in Winter 2020. This course provided insights into avalanche hazard management and safety techniques in the industry. Harris experienced a strange winter in New Zealand's backcountry in 2021, highlighting the long hours, changing environment, and mental stresses faced by professionals in the field.
The weather was fantastic during the mid-August tramping holiday in the South, but August was marked by a lack of snowfall for the first half of the month. However, snow returned at the end of August, bringing winter back to life. This was particularly welcome news for the Mt Hutt ski field, which had one of its best opening periods ever.
Public observations of avalanche incidents were reported, providing valuable learning opportunities. MSC received a record number of public observations (over 200 for winter at the time of writing). This strong start to public observations for the season aims to double last year's total of 170 observations.
Avalanche forecasting, ski areas, and guiding operations were able to proceed with some restrictions. Despite a period of uncertainty about winter conditions in March and April, the season ended on a positive note.
MSC's new approach of 'forecaster lead content' on its NZAA Instagram page gained over 45% more followers. This approach has been successful in engaging the public and raising awareness about avalanche safety.
As we move into the off-season, avalanche forecasts will continue for the Aoraki/Mt Cook area throughout the year. With the lessons learned and the momentum gained, MSC is looking forward to another successful season in the future.
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