Black Diamond for everything climbing and skiing.    Dynafit -- Speed Up!    Tracker beacons, Stash packs, shovels, more more more.    Terrific deals on randonnee AT rando backcountry skiing gear.    K2 has the skis that stay true to earning your turns.    Garmont boots -- excellent choice for backcountry skiing.

THE Femfactor in Avalanche Safety

Bookmark and Share            By Lou

Last page of the most recent issue of Couloir Magazine proves through statistics that if you backcountry ski with women in your group, you’re more likely to get killed in an avalanche (if you’re a man). I guess it’s the ultimate result of the testosterone factor — men get around women and they tend to get stupid, or something like that. As presented in the article the idea of a “femfactor” in avalanche safety makes sense, and leads to some interesting conclusions.

Since men are the predominant participants in backcountry skiing, and the vast majority of ski groups are all male, one wonders what will happen to avalanche safety numbers as more and more women participate. In other words, say 10% of the groups going out these days are mixed gender, and over the next several years that grows to 80% — does that mean the number of avalanche deaths will increase 70% ? Or will men learn to mellow out when babes are nearby?

Perhaps retailers should start selling avalanche beacons bundled with a bottle of estrogen pills, then us X chromosome challenged humans could pop a few tabs before that mixed gender trip, for an extra margin of safety.

If you’re married, just wait till your wife reads the Couloir article (she does read it cover to cover, yes?). Soon you’ll be hearing a rattling sound coming from the kitchen while you’re getting ready for a backcountry ski trip, and your sweetie saying, “did you take your estrogen pills yet, honey? I’m heading out with you today and I don’t want the femfactor getting you hurt…”

The next thing you know Clyde Soles will be reviewing estrogen pills for Gear Trends Magazine, and we’ll be testing different flavors at the Outdoor Retailer trade show. And I can already see the mega-thread title at Telemarktips.com: “Got longer avy probe, need estro now?”

Posted by Lou on September 24, 2005 | Filed Under Backcountry Skiing 

previous post: Blogging Backcountry Skiing, Picking the Right Software
next post: Blogging Software Pick for Backcountry Skiing

Comments

Comments are closed.

Welcome to Louis (Lou) Dawson's backcountry skiing information and opinion website. Lou's passion for the past forty years has been alpinism, climbing, mountaineering and skiing -- along with all manner of outdoor recreation. He has authored numerous books and articles about backcountry skiing and is well known as the first person to ski down all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, otherwise known as the Fourteeners! Books and free back country information here, and tons of Randonnee rando telemark info.

All material on this website is copyrighted. Permission required for reproduction, electronic or otherwise. That includes publication and display on other websites by whatever means. PLEASE SEE OUR COPYRIGHT INFORMATION.

Backcountry skiing is a dangerous sport. You may be killed or severely injured if you do any form of randone, randonnee and randonnée skiing. The information on this website is intended only as general information. While the authors and editors of the information on this website make every effort to present useful information, due to human error the information, text and images contained within this website may be inaccurate, false, or out-of-date. By using, reading or viewing the information provided on this website, you agree to absolve the owners of Wild Snow as well as content contributors of any liability for injuries or losses incurred while using such information. Furthermore, you agree to use any of this website's information, maps, photos, or binding mounting instructions or templates at your own risk, and waive Wild Snow its owners and contributors of any liability for use of said items for backcountry skiing or any other use.