Mount Washington, New Hampshire — Tuckerman Ravine carries the nickname of The Proving Ground for good reason. It’s a bucket list item for skiers and riders due to its steepness and historical significance. However, there are many risks to skiing there.
Last night, The Proving Ground premiered at Ledge Brewing in Intervale and on YouTube. The fourteen-minute film includes perspectives from the Mt. Washington Avalanche Center, the skiers who have taken it on, and the rescue crews that have transported injured skiers. It was produced by Warden Co. in a partnership with the Mt. Washington Avalanche Center.
Situated on New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington, Tuckerman Ravine is considered the birthplace of extreme skiing due to the descents in the steep bowl in the 1920s and ’30s. Events in the Ravine, most notably the Inferno, have made the event more notorious.
Getting there isn’t easy, as it involves a steep 2.4-mile hike just to reach the bowl. From there, the real steepness kicks in. What some may think is a walk in the park is truly a mountaineering experience.
This is a backcountry zone, meaning that many hazards exist, such as avalanches. Most severe injuries occur from long falls, as it’s basically impossible to stop once you crash. With backcountry skiing on the rise in recent years, the risk of injury has increased further, prompting the Mt. Washington Avalanche Center to work on a new film.
Its risks were demonstrated earlier this week, when avalanches nearly took out backcountry skiers expecting a normal day in the Ravine.
If you go to Tuckerman Ravine, please bring a beacon, a probe, a shovel, an ice axe, and a buddy. Do your research, check the avalanche forecast, and consider taking an avalanche education course before heading up there.
Image/Video Credits: Warden Co., Wiseguy Creative (Aerial Photo NH & Alexandra Roberts)
