A method of deriving operation-specific ski run classes for avalanche risk management decisions in mechanized skiing

摘要

An in-depth understanding of the nature of the available terrain and itsexposure to avalanche hazard is crucial for making informed risk managementdecisions when travelling in the backcountry. While the Avalanche TerrainExposure Scale (ATES) is broadly used for providing recreationists withterrain information, this type of terrain classification has so far only seenlimited adoption within the professional ski guiding community. Wehypothesize that it is the generic nature and small number of terrain classesof ATES and its precursor systems that prevent them from offering meaningfulassistance to professional decision makers. Working with two mechanizedskiing operations in British Columbia, Canada, we present a new approach forderiving terrain classifications from daily terrain assessment records. Weused a combination of self-organizing maps and hierarchical clustering toidentify groups of ski runs that have been assessed similarly in the past andorganized them into operation-specific ski run hierarchies. We then examinedthe nature of the emerging ski run hierarchies using comprehensive runcharacterizations from experienced guides. Our approach produceshigh-resolution ski run hierarchies that offer a more nuanced and meaningfulperspective on the available skiing terrain and provide new opportunities forexamining professional avalanche risk management practices and developingmeaningful decision aids.