Queenstown avalanche in Remarkables: ‘Like a shotgun going off’, buried skier says

Rescue teams flew into the Remarkables range to help skiers caught in a major avalanche at 2000m. Photo / Supplied

Joe O’Connor and his mate had been enjoying a “mint” day skiing Queenstown’s back country.

Until the Remarkables snow face above the pair gave way at an altitude of about 1800-2000 metres.

“I just heard a boom, like a shotgun had gone off next to me, and then before I knew it, I was sliding, and I couldn’t control where I was going,” he told the NZ Mountain Safety Council (MSC).

O’Connor had been hit by a powerful avalanche - ranked three on a scale of 1 to 5.

“Before I knew it, I was covered in slab and I couldn’t move, and I started just sliding down the hill,” he said.

“It was a pretty scary experience. There were a lot of thoughts going through my head as I was sliding.”

His mate had been lucky enough to be slightly off to the side and escaped the avalanche’s main rush. But O’Connor tumbled about 100m.

“By the time I stopped I was buried about waist deep, so I managed to get my pack off and dig myself out,” he told the MSC.

O’Connor’s tumble had been witnessed by nearby expert alpinists, who immediately alerted search and rescue teams.

Rescue teams quickly mobilised and soon three helicopters flew in ski patrol teams and dogs to help the pair.

Luckily, neither O’Connor nor his mate were badly injured.

O’Connor called it an “eye opener”, while the MSC said the two men had done everything right beforehand by checking in with authorities.

It just showed that anything could happen in the back country, O’Connor said.

He and his mate had set out that morning planning to hike and skin - a technique for skiing uphill - into the back country where they could then do runs downhill.

“The plan was to go over and splitboard along the east aspect of the Doolans,” Queenstown-based O’Connor told the MSC.

“We went and talked to ski patrol and they said it should be pretty safe over there, but of course there is always the danger there so make sure to be cautious.”

He said the duo got to the top of where they were planning to drop in by about 10am.

“All our snowpack tests passed, and we thought, ‘Okay great, it’s a mint day, of course there’s always the danger but we don’t expect there to be any super big happenings’,” he said.

But about 11am, as they were working their way back up the mountain after a run, “a piece of crust” broke off and started sliding towards O’Connor.

“Once that went there was a big wind slab just about 50m above us, and then it all dropped,” he said.

The MSC and New Zealand Avalanche Advisory has been reporting tricky avalanche conditions since the start of this season.

But O’Connor said he and his mate didn’t see any weak layers in their testing.

“But obviously it was just lower than the probe of 2m, but at that depth you don’t expect anything to happen,” he said.

The trip had been just the second into the back country for O’Connor, who completed the Avalanche Skills Course Level 1 last month.

“It’s definitely left me a bit more wary, but hasn’t scared me off from getting back out,” he said.

He thanked the quick response from the rescue teams, including The Remarkables Ski Patrol and Avalanche Search Dogs.

Safety advice

For anyone heading to the back country, the Mountain Safety Council stresses people should check the forecast, get training and pack the right equipment.

Hikers and trampers can find the avalanche forecast under alerts on Plan My Walk.