Rivers Coe and Leven. Angling, Conservation and Poaching

 

In waters clear, where shadows dance,

A salmon swims, in bold advance,

Against the flow, a daring dream,

Upstream it goes, a relentless stream.

Its scales, a glistening silver sheen,

Reflect the sun's golden, shimmering beam,

Each leap, a prayer, for life's grand scheme,

A journey upstream, a timeless theme.

Through rapids wild and stony braid,

The salmon's spirit will not fade,

It's nature's call, an ageless theme,

To swim upstream, in this grand scheme.

With every stroke, a memory's gleam,

The river's tale, a whispered scheme,

In struggle and strength, a life extreme,

The salmon's dance, an endless dream.

Upward it glides, like a silken stream,

Against the current, an endless theme,

A testament to life's primal scheme,

The salmon's journey, a vibrant gleam.

In the swirling depths, it finds its way,

To birthplace, where memories sway,

A final act, a life redeemed,

The salmon's legacy, in waters deemed.

A form unique, a tale supreme,

The salmon's journey, an enduring dream,

In the river's heart, a sacred team,

Swimming upstream, in nature's scheme.

Sophia Grey

The King of fish the Atlantic Salmon and its close relative, and its equal, the wild Sea Trout, were once abundant in the West Highlands. Neither are abundant now. In many small local rivers, they have disappeared completely. Wiped out, extinct, extrirpated. Thousands of years of genetics and homing instincts enabling them to find their natal rivers gone. No great outcry from locals, other than perhaps the anglers, and litle publicity.  These tumbling spate streams and rivers are no Spey, Dee or Tweed where landed gentry and estates have political clout and where an outcry would result. No, the Salmon and Sea Trout just slowly disappeared, and no one noticed. Like rot in an old tree. First the little branches wither. The Salachan burn, The River Duror, Allt Chaolais and River Laroch.

The Duror in particular was a very good small river with some big fish. These small rivers all had grilse (one sea winter Salmon) and sea trout runs. At the headwaters of the river Laroch where the Allt Socach burn joins, next to the forest, some forestry workers saw grilse at the water gate on the fence they were fixing. It’s astounding the falls and hazards they would have encountered to arrive there. Then the River Coe died. The river Coe, once one of the most productive Salmon rivers in Lochaber, with big runs of both multi sea winter Salmon and one sea winter grilse. On occasion there were hundreds of fish in the sea pool. Folk would come to stare in amazement at all the fish swimming in the Coe’s clear clean water.  And folk seeing them often wanted to get one out, with or without permission. 

The river Leven fared a little better, despite almost drying out from the random shut off of the tailrace in dry conditions for hydro work. Its deep dark peaty pools perhaps helping a little. But it’s a shadow of the river it was. In the past the Leven as catchement area had some remarkable seasons. During season 1967 anglers caught 115 Salmon and Grilse and 65 Sea Trout in a mile of river Leven and the Tidal pool the Coe. I think the Coe and Leven are together as a catchment as if memory serves me correctly they were identified as identical fish. Its likley fish stray between the two rivers. The Scaddle is similar and its figures probably include the Cona. Although both the Cona and Coe were likely more productive than their neighbours at one time.

During 1973 the Leven ctachement produced 115 Salmon and Grilse. During season 1988 151 were caught, but 1989 was the best recorded, with a staggering 181 Salmon and Grilse.  Its very likely that this number is grossly inflated by fish farm escapees which were everywhere and were not reported as such. The seasonal average for the catchment is about 60. Although there are no records for the river Coe going back to 1988, I remember 37 Grilse taken during a four-hour period from the tidal pool of an afternoon in July that year. Having caught seven of them in an hour myself. Looking at the catch records, a steady decline started from 1997 with a steady drop to single fingers and only an occasional season when catches temporarily increase. A classic see saw of intermittent returns as things change at sea and in the Loch habitat.

Even if as I suspect these figures are for both rivers, just consider that the bulk of the Coe fish were caught in a 100 yard long tidal section from the Tidal pool to the falls, and the Leven mainly in the accessable section from the loch and upriver for a mile. 

Looking at the data there were also seasons when Spring Salmon were caught. The earliest in March, a few in April, and on a regular basis four or five each May. The Coe often had a good early run of sparkling silver springers. These early fish seem to have disappeared. As have the September and October late fish which were often nice clean fresh fish, running until mid October. Now we have a late Spring into early summer run and not much after July. Perhaps single fish but not the runs of a dozen or more with a tide.

Leven Catchment Rod Caught Data 1952 to 2022
Click Image to See Full Size

In these abundant years there were many bag netting stations taking a substantial but sustainable harvest of wild fish.  And sadly, organized poaching by gangs from the central belt would decimate river stocks temporarily. These gangs would wipe out the fish stock in the Coe from top to bottom in one night with Cyamag, taking hundreds of fish and killing juveniles. This was a criminal act conducted by criminal gangs travelling around the Highlands. They were the antithesis of Highland poaching.

Poaching is in a Highlanders blood. For some, it was about putting food on the table. For others it was a way of getting a bottle of whiskey for their pocket via the sale of a fish to a local hotel. Folk here in the West were not well off. More often poaching was a combination of putting food on the table, and getting one over on the estate, or owner of the fishing. A game, and a test of rights with substantial consequences if caught. A heavy fine, or for a repeat offence perhaps jail time depending on the Sherrif.  If the Sherriff was in the landed gentry’s pocket then harsh punishment. These were bowing and scraping times when you were expected to know your place. Locals quite rightly didn’t see why anyone could or should own the wild things their ancestors lived off. They would only take what they needed and were not greedy. They conserved and shared. Shared their catch with neighbor’s and left a few Salmon in a pool for others. Including leaving some for the owners of a river or loch who claimed the rights.

The Salmonids are under huge pressure. Habitat loss from river erosion, hydro schemes and climate change have had a huge impact. Overfishing of sand eels has affected the coastal sea trout. And Krill fishing by super trawlers at Salmon feeding grounds off Greenland’s coast is taking Salmons main food source. Both Krill and other small species of fish are being caught and minced to make feed for farmed Salmon. Often mixed with pea and other substitute proteins. Absolute madness, as to produce 1kg of feed for a farmed fish takes 4kg of wild. 

The Salmon farms are sited in areas where tidal flow is great so that the urine, chemical and detritus gets flushed away. Treating our seas as a free sewer. Also, the overstocking of these farms’ causes damage to the caged fish, with disease and blooms of sea lice following. Sea lice are natural, and often a sign of a fresh run wild Salmon. Sadly, the stocking density in farms cause massive blooms of these lice.  The lice are parasitic. Much like humans with body lice the fish can tolerate a burden up to a point. The human host is killed by diseases such as Typhus and epidemic fever. The farmed Salmonids by Aeromonas salmonicida, Amoebic gill disease (AGD), Bacterial Kidney Disease (BKD), Cardiomyopathy Syndrome and Cataracts to name just a few. These lice are fatal in high burdens to adult farmed Salmon. 

The farms are in juvenile Salmon (smolt) migration routes as the smolts follow these tidal flows. The young small fish become overburdened with lice, and with as little as 7 lice will be killed off. This is a major factor in West of Scotland wild Salmon decline. Salmon farms are currently sustaining 40 to 60% mortality or greater in some locations from lice, along with outbreaks of disease, and recently micro jellyfish blooms from sea warming.  That they can profit even with such huge mortalities shows the money involved in the industry and why they are left alone by Scottish and UK government’s, with not even the Green party challenging them. Farmed Salmon is the UK's biggest export followed by Whisky. Woven into the fabric of communities the Salmon farm companies have played a long game. Shinty, football and many local initiatives benefit from money from these farms.  

If it’s hard on the smolts going to sea, then it’s worse for the Sea Trout. If the smolts survive then at least in open water out past the Sound of Mull, past the big open sea Salmon farms they have at least some chance. The Sea trout are a coastal fish seldom straying far from their natal rivers where they began life as Brown trout. At most they travel three or four miles along coasts or up and down sea lochs. They are constantly exposed to all the detritus, chemicals, diseases and lice from the Salmon farms. These wonderful fish begin life in rivers that are mostly nutrient poor. Sea Trout are females. They go through a process called anadromy and adapt to salt water.  After this they can move freely between fresh and salt water. Better sea feeding allows them to grow and survive, migrate back and spawn ensuring the survival of the river trout population. If the river habitat is improved and there is more food abundance then less numbers go through anadromy as the river can sustain them. Nature is amazing. At least it’s amazing until we humans muck it up.

At best now we have perhaps 5% of the Salmon stock left and 50% of the Sea Trout in the rivers that still have them. We need to protect these fish and conserve them. Netting stations are closed. Rivers are now graded for abundance or in the case of the West the lack of abundance and so graded for scarcity. With few exceptions on the West coast, it is illegal to kill or be in possession of a wild Salmon or possess any part of one. Resturaunts and hotels should not advertise Wild Salmon as they shouldnt have any, and if they have then they will be prosecuted. Or they are mis selling farmed Salmon.

From the past days of abundance. A small run of summer grilse in the Coes's crystal waters. 

Paradoxically anglers play a huge part in Salmon conservation. While it can be argued that angling for sport and catching and releasing a wild fish is cruel, these anglers are the ones doing their best to highlight the problems of wild Salmon decline, and doing what they can in habitat and general river conservation. And more importantly, in these difficult times when folk are again looking to catch some free high-quality protein many unaware of the background story of Salmon, the anglers are the ones who are watching for poaching and protecting the stock that’s left. I am a member of a local angling club with a river running through its wee town and its members regard themselves as trustees of a unique village resource and are angler conservationists. Without them what few fish there are in that river would be gone. Like me, many just take a fishing rod for a walk to be on the river. It’s not always about catching fish. Its mindfulness, and nature comes to you in the quietude of fishing. Also sharing that environment with family, taking your children with you to share your rod, passes on that appreciation of a wild place and the mystery of An Bradán Feasa, the Celtic Salmon of knowledge. And another generation of trustees is invested.

The Anglers are a first line of defense against poaching. Members of an angling club have membership cards and rules to abide by. They also watch over their rivers and can challenge folk fishing without permission, which in law should be permission written and produced as a permit or club card. A lot of folks are unaware of fisheries law and conservation rules. Mostly it’s just a case of asking folk illegally fishing to move off and explaining why in a polite but firm manner.  The public also have a role to play even if they don’t fish and if they witness suspicious activity they can mention it to an angling club member. Very occasionally folk challenged can become angry and then it’s a task for the Police or local water Baliff.  

Water Baliffs are appointed by District Salmon fisheries boards or Scottish ministers. A Baliff must successfully complete a training course and final exam. This ensures that a warranted Baliff fully understands the range of their powers of arrest, seizure, entry and search, and the circumstances under which they can be exercised. Fisheries law in general has a common theme running through the legislation which is conservation, protection and management of fish and fisheries. This is mainly based on the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (consolidation) Scotland Act 2003 and the Aquaculture and fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007 https://fms.scot/fishing-and-the-law/legislation/ Also the Sea Fish (conservation) Act 1967 and the inshore Fishing (Scotland) Act 1984.

Within the provisions of the relevant acts a warranted Baliff may apply to a justice of the peace or Sherrif for powers of entry to premises or a vehicle if there has been suspected breaches of the 2003 or 2007 act, and confiscate anything used in the offence. Very importantly under section 8.12 of the 2003 act, a Water Baliff without warrant may seize and detain any person found committing an offence against any provisions of the act. It is also an offence to obstruct a Water Baliff in the exercise of their powers. Once arrested a Baliff will endeavor to hand over the person detained to the Police. For me these days my Baliffs powers are rarely exercised. Anglers as river watchers with mobile phones can get vehicle registrations and pictures of illegal fishing, and of the offence being committed. They can pass that to the Police who can charge on that basis.

I hold a Baliffs warrant for the Lochaber Board area and specifically the Leven sub board area of Leven, Duror and Coe. My task is mainly public engagement and education as well as the conservation message. Only if illegal poaching methods were being employed, salmon caught and killed or folk fishing without permission who refuse to move on would any of my warranted powers come into play.  And then only when no resolution could be politely sought.  Between Covid lockdowns I had a group illegally fishing on the river Coe reported to me. I went to see them and found a dad with three kids learning to cast spinning rods. I just talked to them and listened to their story. My heart went out to them. I pointed out that they shouldn’t be fishing there. I gave them casting tips and some hope of better days. I also gave them ideas of places where they could legally fish and catch something, as where they were fishing was barren. A lovely family who I hope learned something about fish biology, conservation and fishing. At the opposite end are folk with a sense of entitlement who get abusive and want to argue with the person asking them to move. That can be financially costly to them, and if the offence is serious can cost them their vehicle and the tackle used in the offense.

I fish, although mainly it’s just taking a rod for a walk. I am fortunate to be a member of Kinlochleven and District Angling Club. A club of keen anglers and fine people who value greatly the lovely river Leven. I am a representative to the Lochaber Salmon Fisheries board for anglers, and Alastair Sutherland who owns fishing on the river Coe. I am also a trustee of the Lochaber Fisheries Trust which employs two full-time fisheries biologists.  I am a huge fan of the recently formed MACOLL group (Marine Conservation of Loch Linnhe) and the Save Loch Linnhe group trying to stop a proposed giant super Salmon farm just South of Cuil Bay Duror.  

All is not lost for Salmon and Sea Trout if we fight to save them. Doing nothing is not an option. 

A May Spring fish from the river Coe safely returned

Avalanche Jenga Season

Recco Training at Glencoe Mountain
 Nevis Range and Glencoe Professional Ski Patrols

These musings by a now almost, but not quite, burnt out arm chair pundit who has been buried  and also weilded a shovel too many times in avalanche recovery, should not be taken as gospel, just my personal opinion. Always seek out other opinions. 

Forecasting and local avalanche risk assessment is about prediction based on past and future weather forecasts, therefore it will always be uncertain, and a game of probability. Especially when what is an area forecast is  applied more locally. Local topographic effects, and slight weather variations will make a difference. 

As an example. There may be a difference between the Glencoe Mountain ski area weather and snowpack at the East end of Glencoe, and the Ballachulish Horseshoe circuit at the West end. Interpretation and application of forecast information to a trip is a process of increasing or decreasing uncertainty. Its rarely 100% certain. That's why a degree of flexibility in decisions and dynamic risk assessment is essential during a day out in the mountains. Conditions might be quite different to what you thought, and plans will need revised. Mountaineers and skiers who reach pensionable age have become good observer's of small and subtle weather and snow pack detail, and possess a spatial awareness while also being very respectful of the mountains while  journeying among them. Its not required to achieve an objective some days, and quite enough to listen to what the mountains are saying to you. This may be go home, or it might be todays the day, so get the rope/ski's on and enjoy.

In off piste skiing and touring, you couple uncertainty with risk homeostasis from airbags, carrying the three avalanche rescue essentials of transceiver, shovel and probe. Have a ponder that its a recipe for feeding the white room spin cycle if you don't stop and think. The decisions you make with the presence of consequence reduction kit such as these should be no different to that ones you would make if you left them behind. The idea is not to get avalanched and need them. Acknowledging human fallability and uncertainty, they are there of the unforseen "Black Swan Event", a phrase nore commonly used in the world of finance, for an extremely negative event or occurrence that is impossibly difficult to predict.

The top graphic is pretty obvious. Its pretty certain that natural and human triggered avalanches are predicted above 650m on North to South Eeast aspects, and a localised avalanche risk is present below this altitude from the North West through South. Most folk with a brain will avoid the areas above 500m (allowing a bit of leeway!). RED is the colour of danger (obviously) and folk will choose to go to safer aspects, which in the above is green, which as a colour the colour of greater certainty of safety. Things become less certain on yellow, and very uncertain at orange. This uncertainty especially at Orange is where the risks are, as the risks are localised. Yellow the probability of getting caught is less, but still uncertain, stick a localised considerable orange strip in there and you have a mine field of uncertainty lying in wait.

How do you mange or minimise risk if you have to travel on these aspects, or choose to ski them? Well you don't manage the risk with any degree of certainty as you just don't know for sure where weak spots are, and you will for sure not know the true propagation risk from a trigger. You can't minimise a risk you don't know.  For the inexperienced person there is a temptation to look at these localised hot spots in the graphic and think you can avoid them, thinking, surely I will recognise these weak areas and can ski/walk/climb around them. Folk dont though, which is wahy folk still die in Scottish avalanches.

So my take on why it is that most folk get whacked when the risk is considerable or localised, is that being outdoor optimists (as we all are), and perhaps having got knackered climbing up a mountain or skinning into a valley, or maybe having a bluebird pow day, folk get used to that middle risk level, as it's used the most representing the most common and therefore familiar avalanche conditions that occur for the longest periods.  That  risk level has the most uncertainty and therefore is the most dangerous for the winter sports person IMHO

I suppose if you were to roughly put a % chance of probability of being avalanched on the European avalanche scale you could say that:

Black 100% chance of getting whacked while either minding your own business, in Galtur or being suicidal side piste in Tignes

Red   98% chance of getting whacked on an aspect with that high level of risk. The Scottish highest level of risk.  Apart from the Gaick Lodge avalanche, our main roads and villages are not in avalanche run out zones so Black does not apply. If an aspect is RED in the forecast then go to the pub or climbing wall or find a nice safe low level walk or ski run.

Orange   If the rose is all orange then in my view its just the same as red, just a tad less obvious. You have a very high chance of getting whacked. Stick some localised Orange risk in among yellow, then it becomes 50/50 and that's scary uncertainty, as some folk think they can recognise the danger hot spots and avoid them. Maybe they can, but then maybe not. Its certainly dicing with the big white avalanche room. This would be low angled slope day for me, well away from run out areas. The more times you roll the dice in the orange/considerable risk zone then the more chance you won't be needing your old age pension. 50/50 isn't odds, its worse than Russian Roulette!

Yellow maybe a 40% of getting away with it, but victim triggered death is still very likely if you hit a hot spot and it propagates into something bigger. Even if smaller avalnches can be lethal especially if it takes you into a terrain trap. This is true of all terrain features you can end up in if avalanched.

Green Well, either its the best of Scottish neve and you should be climbing with the axe and crampons in blue skies, or be getting the lawn mower out. If its the best of Scottish neve and its a sunless aspect then watch out next time it snows as there's could to be something growing on the top surface like hoar or faceting that will give a higher avalanche risk when it next snows fi its early winter especially.

Piss or get off the pot
Only one thing is for sure, we can only manage uncertainty up to a point. We live in a chaotic universe, bad things happen to good people, and a lot of good things happen to good people as a reward for getting out there making the effort. I think we have to accept that the line between the best day skiing of your life, and getting taken out by a slide is pretty close if you want to ride the powder days on higher angled slopes. If you don't accept that take up another sport.  We can reduce risk by managing uncertainty, and reduce consequences by equipment and terrain choices. Avalanche prediction and avoidance will never be 100% accurate. I am told knitting is pretty safe, if you prefer a more sedate pastime with a surer risk assessment.

Avalanche Types and Uncertainty
Some types of avalanche are more predictable i.e "certain" and some less so and some types of avalanche risk can be more easily seen in tests and observations. The ones that concern us the most are the least predictable with the greatest uncertainty so require extreme caution. Windlsab is the biggest enemy. Have a think about the following:

• Aspects that might be affected from a weather forecast, and very importantly observed wind direction 
• Angle of slope based on contours, precipitation type and deposition 
• Altitude, and what the precipitation is, and its likely rate of deposition 
• Anchored to. Whts under the snow,  based on summer knowledge of your ski patrol/local area.  Or avalanche forecasts that mention  surface or deeper instabilities within the snow pack.

Wet snow release triggering a weakly anchored slope

Powerful wet snow glide avalanche that takes everything in its path. Buachaille Etive above Lagangarbh. You don't want to be in here if its raining during a thaw just after a big snowfall.

Persistent slab, skier triggered slab March 30th 2013 Glencoe Mountain Ski Area - Fatal

Organised rescue teams use RECCO which is harmonic radar that can also be used from a helicopter. RECCO is a standard search tool by mountain rescue in Europe. Three Scottish mountain rescue teams, and threes ski patrol's use it. No search and rescue helicopters have adopted it in the UK for avalanche rescue to date, but the hand held can be used from a helicopter with an adaptor system from a 3rd party manufacturer. I have one here in Glencoe as I am also the UK trainer for Recco.

A skier going off piste or touring in the mountains should carry three essential items. A transceiver to be located, or to locate a buried companion, a collapsible snow probe to confirm the victim’s location, and a strong aluminium shovel to dig them out quickly.

Recovery of buried companions in an avalanche is time critical with a 90% survival if victims are located and dug out within less than 15 minutes. After this time survival is very poor. It follows that practise in locating and digging out a victim is critical. 

Killin Mountain Rescue and a group of Freeride skiers using the  Glencoe Mountain Avalanche training park

Recco is another important part of the organised rescue strategy. Education and avalanche avoidance is primary, being found early by companions if it goes wrong is vital, and prior practice makes this work. Organised rescue requires a triple response: Dogs, Recco and Probe Lines. Survival is time critical. Much has been made of trauma being the main factor in poor survival in Scottish avalanches. Largely based on a few tragic avalanche incidents where trauma has been the dominant factor.

Anecdotal observations and opinions make easy to forget the victims where triple"H"syndrome has been the killer, of which there have been many over the last decades. Anecdote is not enough, and there is no data from coronial studies in Scotland to support the Trauma versus Triple H debate.

Being searchable and located quickly increases survival. Some Scottish MR teams already have Recco as part of their search strategy (Tayside, Glencoe, Cairngorm MRT's) and Glencoe Ski Patrol. There has been a demand for buying two single Recco reflectors to carry by mountaineers. One in a front pocket and one in back (on the person. never the rucksack or ski). Reflectors are light, passive requiring no battery and small. For the burdened winter mountaineer already with a heavy pack it provides a cheaper and lighter option than shovel, probe and beacon.

I can imagine nothing worse than a victim recovery delayed because a search team did not have a Recco detector and the victim when recovered is found to have either a Recco reflector or a harmonic like a mobile phone on them. Recco detectors are of course for "organised rescue". Recco and the many clothing manufacturers who sew in the Recco relflectors, endorse the view that not getting avalanched through education and training is best. However, in the real world shit still happens, and unless someone is "searchable" a rescuer cannot find them quickly. Even if the poor victim has bottomed out of the survival curve a vistim recovered quickly reduces rescuer risk exposure, and provides some closure to waiting family. 

How does a Recco Reflector work?

• Professional rescuers can quickly pinpoint a buried reflector-equipped person’s precise location using harmonic radar. Often quicker than a transceiver.

• This two-part system consists of a RECCO R9 detector used by professional rescue groups, and RECCO reflectors that are attached to clothing, helmets, protection gear, and boots worn by skiers, mountaineers and riders and other outdoor users.

• When used in conjunction with a RECCO Detector, the reflector's diode mixer acts as a harmonic generator to produce multiples of the frequencies received from the detectors.

• The returned signal is translated into an audio tone whose volume is proportional to the returned signal, and by means of volume control, a trained rescue operator can literally go straight to the buried reflector once a signal is detected.

• It is a non-powered device meaning that it never needs to be switched on, will never lose signal strength and needs no batteries to function. It is maintenance free and has a virtually unlimited life.

• In total more than 900+ search & rescue organizations in the world endorse it.

The Recco Rescue System is different from an Avalanche Transceiver because its a small band-aid size sticky transponder which is not powered, the reflector can be applied to your boots or helmet, the Recco detector does not contain any antennas and cannot be picked up by an avalanche beacon, the Recco detector has a range of over 200 metres which professional mountain rescue teams can pick up in the case of an avalanche.

Due to it not being a passive device the reflector will not lose signal strength and no battery to malfunction. 

We should not forget Robert Burnett's remarkable twenty two hour survival in the Southern Cairngorms. All victims surely deserve the benefit of the doubt, with  rescuers throwing all resources at an attempt at a a live recovery.

Robert Burnett - 22 hours Buried.  Pic courtesy of Hamish MacInnes

A really good summary of this pretty miraculous survival on the web site 

RECCO Proffessionals

The hand held R9  Recco detector is the size and weight of a hard back book and easy for rescuers to get to the scene and search with.

The underslung Recco SAR pod picture right. Searches 200x200m in a minute and the above Austrian crew hadsjust recovered a victim located with it.

Recco Helicopter based SAR is based at these sites, with more added including a prospective private North of England site soon:

• Switzerland – Zermatt, Sion
• Italy – Aosta, Bozen, Trento
• Austria  – Hohenems, Innsbruck, Linz, Graz
• Norway – Alesund, Hastad, 
• Sweden – Ostersund 
• Canada – Snohomish Helicopter Rescue Team, Snohomish, WA
• United States – Alpine Helicopters, Canmore AB

Live recovery of a victim located by her Recco reflector
 

Glencoe Ski Patrol doing a precautionary combined 457mhz transceiver search and Recco harmonic search on the "Fly Paper". The R9 detector searches both, and at close range can find many other harmonic devices such as mobile phones.

A Slightly Tongue in Cheek Guide to Snow

Snow science seems to be in vogue and nothing wrong with that. But - most folk are not avalanche forecasters just Joe average trying to make good decisions. I like to simplify it when discussing so here’s a white board session based on a  picture taken on an avy course I ran some time ago when the PowerPoint projector failed and I had to cuff it. A good whiteboard session is good as an instructor as you need to know your subject and cant hide behind pictures:

Mountaineers are seldom "searchable"
Above "The Gate"  below Summit Gully Glencoe
Spot Probe Finds x 2 Fatal 😢

• The avalanche forecast is an area forecast. The local risk may be different + or –

• Read the forecast and its nuances, snow pack history and snow profile – and the blog. They have done 80% of the work for you. You decide the rest

• Terrain choice is a big deal, Angle, Aspect and Altitude, Complexity, Commitment and Consequences

• Water becomes ice or something along a continuum

• Snow flakes have branches which break up if transported by the wind

• More wind more break up, denser snow pack i.e Slab

• Graupel is not hail which is a laminate, but it is a ball of softish ice. Graupel are ball bearings with similar effects with new snow laying on top. They eddy into rock features causing local weakness. Rocks can be Islands of safety or a landmine.

• The deeper you go down the snow pack the less cold it gets until at ground level its zero or just above. Mice shrews and invertebrates live there. 

• Water vapour rises through the snowpack.

• Crystals can grow/regrow in cold conditions either on the surface as hoar or within the snowpack as hoar/crystal regrowth.

• Early season shallow snowpacks can be just as lethal as big deep snowpacks as water vapour causes surface hoar which if snowed on become lethal, graupel can be trapped around prominent rocks causing trigger points, or crystal re growth/faceting can occur and get buried. Shallow is just as lethal as deep.

• Avalanche forecasters measure the snow temperature every 10cm. If the temperature is greater than 1c in 10cm going up the snowpack then the snowpack is getting weaker. Less than 1c in 10cm then overtime the snow pack will eventually get stronger, Strong gradients grow facets, weak gradients make rounds.

• In rain, thaw and warmer weather crystals round off sometimes joining to each other

• Wet snow is Water logged snow and can flow like a concrete river down gullies, corries and obvious slide paths. Beware spring thaws or after heavy rain.

• Wind blown slab snow shears or collapses on a layer underneath and just like rice crispie's there's a snap, crackle and pop

• Whump is the sound of air escape from under the slab, the snap.  If it doesn’t pop go buy a lottery ticket as your lucks in.

• Windslab most often requires a trigger. You are the trigger and in the poop!

• Snow pits should be kept simple. The SAIS and other forecasting services in alpine countries do the heavy lifting. Snow pits and profiles are only relevant for the couple of  square meters where you dig. They are good places to take stock, talk and communicate. The data might confirm what you see but also might not. Its just a hole in the snow. The armpit test is fast and repeatable but not definitive. Dig out a small hole and above cut out as deep a column as you can with a ski end, pole or shovel. Pull on it to see if the surface slab is bonded to the underlying snow pack.

• The progression of survival probability such as % survival at a given time is a statistic. You could survive a couple of hours if in the miracle headline survivor group, but more likely dead from hypoxia unless companions dig you out fast. Bear in mind ski patrollers who can get to fully buried victims in alpine resorts fast, give BLS with fast helicopter access and ALS from dedicated SAR Docs taking the victims to specialist centre's and even then victims do not survive to discharge. Your companions are your saviours.

• A shovel is an airway opening device

• If you are not searchable your fucked 

• That's about it really

Snow and Avalanche Safety Equipment from Ortovox

I Sell Ortovox Avalanche Safety Equipment. UK RECCO Representative and Trainer

It’s that time of year again. We anticipate winter and its many false starts before we finally get going on the skins, ice tools or uplift. Backcountry/Side country skiing has grown its market share as folk want to earn their turns or be away exploring. Uplift and ski resorts are the slingshot getting folks high and fast before skinning away to summits or dropping into bowls or gullies. Some stay ski area inbound and some folk go outbound.  A lot of the “side country” skiers are resort skiers who may have acquired few mountain skills and may not be “searchable” (Recco Strip and/or Beacon). Serious backcountry tourers tend to be mountaineers, be more avalanche aware, and will be more likely have the essential three items of shovel, probe, and avalanche beacon, and so be searchable and rescue capable. No matter how you play it, more and more folk are exploring all aspects of the ski areas, not just frontside. With that comes the inevitable consequence of the aspect, angle and precipitation posing a risk to the less mountain aware, less experienced folks who are not avalanche aware and so perhaps more incidents. Be it near misses or unfortunately sad events.

Now is the time to dig out the search tools. Check your avy beacon, fit new batteries and get familiar with it again (use three antenna beacons only – bin the two antenna or old analog). Even consider upgrading older three antenna ones that have had daily seasonal use for more than five years. If you upgrade don’t go too fancy. You can’t go wrong with something like the Ortovox 3+ or "Diract".  Avalanche beacons like all technology evolve. In the last year some of the new beacons coming on the market have much faster signal acquisition and processing. Newer models have much better signal separation, GPS to keep you going forward and the “flag/mark” feature is much more reliable if it’s a multiple burial. This makes locating multiple victims easier. But they still need dug out, and unless you have many hands with shovels then you may be better excavating the first one found fast rather than all of them slow. Personally my take is that unless you have more than four folk with shovels on the surface don’t spread your resources until you have the first located victims face exposed, some of the chest clear and started resuscitation. Some research has shown that airway management with ventilation and if possible, chest compressions should begin immediately, even when the victim is still partially buried. See link to Scandinavian Journal of Trauma Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine paper below.

New avalanche beacons such as the Ortovox “Diract” are now coming with useful features such as voice prompts, re chargeable Li Ion batteries, hardware checking via a phone app and via the app software updates to future proof them. The curse of the “auto revert” from an inactive rescuer during training or during the real deal is now less of a problem with a beacon standby mode prompt when you go back from search to transmit, or if searching when a light sensor on the display gets covered it puts the beacon back to transmit.

Its sensible to have a longer probe if you can fit it in your pack. Most ski specific day rucksack sleeves only take a 240cm probe, although touring rucksacks are bigger. I find a 280cm carbon probe in my day sack a good compromise. MRT and Ski Patrol should have some 3m+ probes for when the companion rescue phase is taken over by rescuers. It used to be assumed that folk buried deeper than the 240cm had a poorer chance of survival. In fact, it’s only poor as it depends how fast they are dug out and with less people and fatigue that remains partially true. Ski patrol, mountain rescue should be able to have lots of diggers available. With strategic digging methods and enough rescuers folks are now getting dug out alive from 4m+. 

Avalanche rescue is also a logistics issue requiring delegation and leadership as well as regular training and skills practice. Realistic scenarios get teams or groups working together and well drilled. If the victim has no beacon transmitting, or Recco reflectors then its avalanche dogs early on scene, or probe searching. Probing the slowest of all methods to find a victim. Probing requires more rescuers and good line discipline. Initially it may be members of the public co-opted (if deemed safe) spot probing while rescuers carry out beacon and Recco sweeps. MRT and SARDA should be on the way ASAP. Survival is best with the “all in” approach where every search method is called in and deployed as soon as possible. Formal probe lines are like herding cats. Fail to practice this and you plan to fail. It’s a neglected area which is why rescuers need to practice.

It remains that the most effective airway opening device is a good shovel in the hands of someone who’s not work shy. A memorable example was local builder Brian MacDermott a member of Lochaber Mountain Rescue who I witnessed shift more snow in a short space of time than 4 other rescuers in a multiple victim event in the Great Gully of Buachaille Etive. We normal folk can achieve similar as a group by employing a conveyor and using a more strategic organised approach to digging. The tool needs to be an alu shovel with a wide blade and extendable handle such as the Ortovox Pro Alu III. It’s also useful if it can convert to a hoe as sometimes those in a conveyor behind the front person are better to be pulling the snow away from the front digger.

While we wait for the snow to arrive there is plenty for us to train and probably not enough time to do it all. But it can be a sociable time and a good mental preparation for a season that’s not just going to be unpredictable for its weather, but also from a snow hungry public with time to make up and perhaps less risk averse. The pieces to be picked up by rescuers.

For all you mountaineers out there. "Be Searchable" if your pushed for money or carrying the full winter climbing kit and no space for more kit then at least consider a couple of RECCO reflectors. £40 that might either save your life, or a rescuers life as they are not exposed for longer than necessary to avalanche risk - and they may actually find you. Several Scottish MRT's and Ski Patrol have Recco R9 detectors as this is part of the standard "all available search tools" immediately deployed to an avalanche scene as per International Alpine Rescue protocols. A Helicopter airborne Recco search capablity is currently under way in the North of England as it can search huge areas very fast as the detector looks down from the sky. Also drone technolgy for deployment is also now possible. If you require any information on RECCO please contact me as I am the UK Trainer and rep.

https://recco.com/global-network/

Peter Pan and A Lost Boy

The philosopher and author Jordan Peterson a contentious writer who I seldom agree with on some issues but aptly describes a "Peter Pan" effect when boys don't grow into men by their mid 20's and take personal responsibility for the direction of their lives. He's quite a contentious philosopher but there is much truth in what he says of boys to men. He hints that when men do come out of being a "lost boy" (some of us had to grow into manhood much, much quicker than that) its ok to rediscover the freewheeling attitude of youth, try different new things or throw yourself back into old things with gusto. Basically get some youth back into your old bones and soul. I guess I'm a bit like that now much to the amusement of my family.

Cloughs Cleft E25b 

Climbing re-discovered for me was and is my late life Peter Pan effect, I think. I have been among the mountains and trying to be a climber since I was maybe 13 years old. Not always very successfully as an early rescue of myself and friends proved when at 16 years old Hamish and the team rescued us from the icy North Face of Aonach Dubh when I was left at the end of the frozen rope in an icy gully. Mountain Rescue involvement was long part of that growing as a person as at that time it was a small rescue team very strapped for cash. It was where all active local mountaineers migrated to or were co opted to help out. Rescues were a moral obligation and often there just were not enough team members, and it was the only way someone was going to be recovered. This only really changed in the mid 1980's. The only way it could happen was if the local or visiting mountaineers went out and made up a rescue team. Folk were called up by phone, grabbed out the bar or co opted when up staying with a friend on a climbing trip. Often these were among the best mountaineers of their generation and from Glencoe School of Winter Mountaineering. It was in effect also a climbing club. As a young lad  learning to become a mountaineer and having a love of the mountains could be overshadowed by tragedy and a normalisation of dealing with that. Putting somebody in a body bag at the foot of a route then climbing the same route at some future point and with a smile on your face because you had enjoyed it seemed ok. So I suppose like other lads in Highland Glens who took to climbing, the two things, MR and Climbing ran in parallel and were a little bit firewalled from each other. Although making the same mistake on "Big Top" as a climber who we knew was killed by not extending the runner on the bulge and step on the last pitch was thought provoking, as was the fact it had started raining hard while literally hauling the rope a bit at a time to the top. Character building. 

I always thought that was ok as it never stopped me exploring and climbing some of the hardest routes of that time. Over that forty five or so years, forest work, falls and accidents took its toll a bit. Crippling back injuries, chainsaw cuts and broken bones, a debilitating chronic illness and also some mental health issues from trauma and tragedy, not all MR related all at one point came to a head and I turned my back to the mountains and hated them. When an old back injury came back to haunt me and I couldn't walk I sold all my climbing gear. That was it over with the mountains as places that take too much - or that was how it seemed.

I was on my first rescue at 15 years old and on reflection the early years were a golden period where  tragedy was never permitted mentors to interfere with the climbing as they were climbers and mountaineers above all else and that was just the price for fucking up or bad luck. I would be very wary of allowing my son even now who is a good climber in his mid 20's to be involved in what is now a more organized but not necessarily a better mountain rescue service. I think firstly team members need to become good climber/mountaineers for themselves before allowing the mountains to show you the dark side on a regular basis. It's too easy to become an addicted rescuer trauma junkie rather than mountaineer who rescues, as it was back when obligated by a small population with few mountaineers and a local necessity to form a rescue party.

A bit of sport fun at Glen Lednock

These musing are leading somewhere. Its maybe a bit of stream of consciousness stuff. After selling my kit and hating the mountains, five years later and after much rehab I could run again despite a hip impingement picked up on an MRI on my spine and raced my bike and then really got back into ski touring.  Due to my son getting the bug again for climbing it got me back up to the wall and training and ending up having to buy some climbing gear. I was really well supported by lifelong friends especially Sean MacNeil who donated his old climbing rack to me. In just about everything I do I try and apply myself to be the best I can. Be it self taught spey casting for salmon, to sport climbing or skiing. If you work hard at it you improve. 

Currently I do some core work, yoga stretches and conditioning and follow a basic "climbstrong" plan, and despite the years I see progress. There is lot I can't do from old broken bones. I have broken lots of bits and in particular had a head injury and spinal trauma, but I am blessed with strong fingers and arms and I am maintaining and even seeing progress despite the years. Self improvement doesn't stop when you get a free bus pass. Climbing and the mountains re discovered give back that feeling of being part of a unique tribe of wanderers and seekers among or over the high tops, and meeting like minded folk.  But also, since Fiona's passing a new perspective and a grace allowing the mountain obsession to not rule as other good people come into your life and share gentler pastimes.

It's not always about grades although for me, that merely provides a measure of indoor success at the walls and being goal focused it provides a measurable result. While at a wall folk chat about what they have done, where they have been or life in general and its good social. The same is true out at the crags. It's great to enjoy the mountains again and to have forgiven them. They are in the end benign lumps of rock but they allow us space to be free. This quote sums it up better than I can:

“The secret of the mountain is that the mountains simply exist, as I do myself: the mountains exist simply, which I do not....I ring with life, and the mountains ring, and when I can hear it, there is a ringing that we share” Peter Matthiessen, The Snow Leopard