AVALANCHE EXPERT CHRISTJAN LADURNER

I know a thing or two about snow and avalanches – actually, I know quite a lot.

I have spent 37 winter seasons, up to 14 weeks each, navigating the deep, wild snowpack of the Columbia Mountains in western Canada. Steep, uncontrolled terrain that starts above 3,000 meters. Up to 20 meters of annual snowfall. Layers of buried surface hoar.

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I analyze the snowpack daily, dig profiles, and extrapolate findings across a 1,500-square-kilometer area. I write avalanche bulletins, trigger slides with explosives, and guide powder skiers through this vast, ever-changing landscape.

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​Do I consider myself an avalanche expert? Will avalanche experts even exist in the future? I am not sure. But I know more about snow and avalanches than most people ever will.