"BackcountryStowe Mountain Rescue responded this week to a backcountry incident involving a skier who followed a widely shared ski-line map of the Stowe area and ended up in dangerous terrain after taking the wrong chute, the rescue group said in a public statement. The incident, which did not result in serious injury, reiterated long-standing concerns from local rescuers about how easily online maps and social media beta can be misinterpreted in complex mountain terrain."
"According to Stowe Mountain Rescue, the skier had been attempting a line he recognized from a backcountry map that circulated on social media last winter. At the time, the rescue group had asked for the map to be taken down, warning that simplified or incomplete information could lead to an increase in rescues. That concern proved well-founded when the skier, unfamiliar with the terrain, entered the wrong chute and found himself above an icy cliff band with no safe way down."
"Unable to continue, the skier was forced to climb roughly 700 vertical feet back up a steep gully to escape the terrain. The effort was described by rescuers as dangerous, exhausting, and time-consuming. During the climb, the skier lost a ski and a pole, further complicating the situation. Even after regaining the ridge, he was facing a long retreat that he was not prepared for, both in terms of time and equipment."
A skier followed a widely shared ski-line map of the Stowe area and entered the wrong chute, ending above an icy cliff band with no safe way down. The skier climbed about 700 vertical feet up a steep gully to escape, losing a ski and pole and confronting a long, unprepared retreat. Stowe Mountain Rescue intercepted the skier, provided snowshoes, food, water, and gloves, and arranged a safe snowcat transport with Stowe Mountain Resort after nightfall. Rescuers warned that simplified or incomplete online maps and social media beta can be misinterpreted in complex terrain. Rescuers recommended learning lines only with someone familiar with the terrain or a qualified guide.
Read at SnowBrains
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