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Abstract

The Spearhead Traverse is one of BC's most iconic backcountry skiing trips. The Spearhead Range connects Whistler Mountain with Blackcomb along a 'U'-shaped route that crosses a dozen glaciers and even more jagged peaks. The trip is not an easy one, with several dangers posed to backcountry travellers who venture out into this wilderness. Avalanches pose a very serious and immediate threat to those who don't understand the terrain and the snowpack, and for anyone out on the mountains for a long time there is always the risks of hypothermia or death. 



This project analyzed the terrain of the Spearhead Range to propose a route for backcountry recreational users who aim to do the Spearhead Traverse. The terrain and landcover were analyzed together in order to identify and describe the avalanche dangers backcountry travellers would face along the way. The calculated avalanche dangers along the traverse, the landcover to be navigated through, and the strenuous terrain to be navigated over, were then assessed to determine a route along the traverse that minimizes exposure to avalanche danger and difficult terrain, while maximizing efficiency in travelling and fun on great skiable slopes.

 

Backcountry skiing/snowboarding/snowshoeing is inherently dangerous. No one should travel in the backcountry without proper training and full understanding of the risks involved. Any maps or proposed routes on this website serve only as suggestions. Avalanche danger relies on more than just terrain and so none of the information in this project should be considered on its own without also considering the snowpack and weather. No liability whatsoever is assumed for the use of any information presented in this project. 

DISCLAIMER

For more information on the Spearhead Traverse, The Spearhead Hut Project, avalanches, and avalanche conditions see these related pages:

This project was designed and created by myself, Jake Foster, for a GIS project at the University of British Columbia. I  chose to do this project because I am a backcountry enthusiast myself and was interested to see how I could use GIS to inform my own backcountry life. I was able to bring some of my own knowledge and experiences to this project to help make the subjective decisions more accurate. During this project I was fortunate enough to randomly meet John Baldwin, whose backcountry skiing maps (including one of the Spearhead Traverse) are known as being the ultimate resource for backcountry travel. Interestingly he admitted to me that his maps used very little GIS and were based mostly off experience and field observations. After finishing this project I see how relying on data analysis alone is likely to produce an erroneous map, but I did learn many ways that GIS could be helpful for this type of map making.

Myself, eating an early supper somewhere along the Spearhead Traverse - photo by Emily Mann

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