Couloirs and avys

Hey guys, I wonder what are the chances of triggering avalanches when couloir climbing? Most avalanche information talks about the risks of backcountry skiing but few mentions climbing.

If I can't afford an AIARE class, are there alternatives (books, websites) where I can learn more about the matter, or is it better to just stay at home lol.

you're asking a loaded question (no pun intended). any BC activity has the possibility to trigger slides, climbing included. Start by taking a free avi awareness course (do a web search, there are plenty of providers), and start learning about the CAIC forecast. there are also tons of resources available online.

Lastly, and I can't stress this enough, don't go into avi terrain without knowledge and equipment (and knowledge of the equipment).

FYI - couloir climbing season doesn't really start until the spring, but is snow dependent.

Yes, couloirs are avalanche terrain and may be subject to frequent loose dry avalanches among other types, and hazards from above (e.g. wind loaded bowls feeding into couloirs).

Tremper’s book is pretty standard material for understanding avalanches from a recreational perspective. You should take a class and have an experienced mentor to learn how to manage avalanche terrain and understand avalanche weather. 

The risk of triggering an avalanche is probably very close to equal as a climber.  Maybe you put a little less impact on the snowpack compared to skiing, but I wouldn't let that change your decision making (you're probably a little more likely to find trigger points as a climber).  Avalanches are complex and unpredictable, and so many factors can contribute to stability or lack thereof.  Climbers typically don't have beacons, shovels, and probes either. This is obviously a problem if you were to trigger one. Combine that with a cavalier attitude and you've got a recipe for disaster   It doesn't take a large slide to injure or kill you.  In Colorado, conservative decision making is paramount.  Our snowpack is pretty sketchy in general.  During the Spring, it's game on.  In the Winter season however, your best bet is to avoid slopes above 30 degrees entirely (this is definitely important without any education, training, and experience).  I would strongly suggest taking an avy course.  Look for a good mentor, and read as much as you can.  Check out avalanche.org, CAIC, and the book "Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain".  That's a good start, but I can't stress enough how dangerous it really is.  I see a lot of people making really poorly informed decisions and it's a miracle we don't have more fatalities in the state each year. 

As a generalization, the couloir "climbing" season often lags a ~month behind the couloir skiing season. E.g. skiers might enjoy something like Dead Dog more in May; whereas climbers with no ski intentions would enjoy an icier snowpack in June. Skiers might also hit a slope a couple hours later in the day with warmer, softer, and less stable snow.

Skiers like a different snowpack, snow quality, and (sometimes) slope angle than pure climbers and often push the bounds of avy risk a little more. Arguably, skiing requires far more advanced avalanche knowledge and precautions.

An alpine start and exit plan are often precaution enough for experienced climbers in late spring, but any information and training you can get early on are certainly recommended to reduce the bad experiences and spicier aspects of the learning curve.

What Ryan said. The snow conditions you want for climbing are not going to slide. You are not likely to climb couloirs when the top layer is a wind or wet (mushy) slab.

What Jonathan and Ryan said is true, but you need to know what that looks like.  I've had friends get in larger wet slides during corn season as well (I've even triggered a small loose wet avy on a 35 degree slope), so some amount of prudence is still necessary if you want to be safe (which you do because getting hurt and rescued, or worse, is lame af).  Basic rules of thumb: if you're climbing and your boots are sinking in past your ankles, it's getting too warm.  If you see rollerballs and pinwheels or surface water, same thing.  Rapid warming and instability on an otherwise safe slope can happen surprisingly fast. Timing is important, as Ryan mentioned the importance of an alpine start (climb in frozen conditions) and an exit plan (be off the slopes before they get too warm to move). Obviously, North facing couloirs are going to be more stable during this period, and South facing couloirs will experience a higher range of temperatures during a given period of time. 

​Ice climber dies in avalanche in BC​

climbing couloirs is one of the worst places to be....you're in a bowling alley, and your the pins. Avalanche safety can actually be better though as "pits" will tell a truer story of the snow vs on a open slope where it doesnt tell you shite