Hitting the slopes? Be avalanche-ready, says expert

The frigid weather has turned into a bumper year for ski resorts in B.C. but Avalanche Canada is reminding people to be prepared for the risks.

Ilya Storm, a forecaster with Avalanche Canada, told CBC's The Early Edition that anybody who heads into the mountains in the winter should have a basic avalanche safety course.

"You can learn stuff about rescue and you can learn stuff about how to recognize avalanche terrain which allows you to take the first steps to manage your risk," he said.

These skills can be crucial where there are only minutes to act.

"If you are under the snow, we're talking a medical emergency and we want to get somebody out in under 10 minutes," he said. "It's really important that your buddies are the ones that look after you. Usually, if you wait for organized rescue, it's too late."

Storm said Avalanche Canada and other local providers provide weekend courses throughout B.C. during the winter months. Participants learn about the snowpack, what essential survival tools they need to haveand how to move across the mountain in groups.

"The more training, the more experience, the more knowledge and wisdom you have, the more you're able to do. I see training as an enabling thing to let you have more fun," he said.

Avalanche Canada is currently predicting favourable conditions this weekend for the South Coast Mountains, and the latest information can be found on its website, www.avalanche.ca.

With files from The Early Edition

To listen to the interview, click on the link labelled Avalanche Canada warns that more snowfall comes with risks