Snowboarder Falls into Tuckerman Ravine Waterfall Hole

Overview:
On Saturday, April 15, 2023, a snowboarder attempting to descend the Tuckerman Ravine Headwall, lost control resulting in a fall into one of the deep, open waterfall holes that forms each year from water runoff and melting. The person ultimately was uninjured and able to extract themselves from the hole after about 10 minutes. This incident and near-miss highlights a dangerous and high-consequence springtime hazard that has injured and killed visitors in past years.
Events:
Saturday, April 15, 2023 was a classically busy spring day in Tuckerman Ravine full of skiers, snowboarders, and hikers. An estimated 3000 people visited Tuckerman Ravine throughout the course of the day. For the most part, skiers and riders were enjoying warm temperatures, soft snow conditions, and plenty of sunshine.
Throughout the day, a handful of aggressive skiers were descending over the Tuckerman Ravine Center Headwall, which at the time was one of the most technical and hazardous features in the ravine. The people descending in this area were encountering mandatory drops over cliffs, ice flows, and open waterfall holes in the snowpack. Knowingly or not, descending this area means accepting very high levels of risk.
In this instance, a snowboarder began descending one of these “lines” before losing control in the incredibly technical terrain, falling past a couple ledges, and ultimately into one of the main open waterfall holes in the snowpack. You can see the full video of this incident here.
Luckily, the snowboarder landed on a rock ledge about 15 feet into this large hole and was able to stop himself from falling further down into the hole, which extended well out of view to an unknown depth. Uninjured, he was able to remove the snowboard and use an ice ax to climb up out of the hole.
Takeaways:
At a distance, the takeaways from this incident seem relatively obvious - traveling above large open holes in the snowpack in highly technical terrain has extremely high consequences and little margin for error. However, there are several nuances to this hazard and this location that are worth pointing out for the goal of education and preventing these accidents in the future.
Spatial reference and perspective:
In steep backcountry terrain, especially if it is unfamiliar, awareness of where you are in relation to certain terrain features can be very challenging. Referencing a terrain feature on the way up and scouting a route can be helpful, but when the perspective completely flips looking down the fall line, and it’s easy to lose spatial reference. This phenomenon is compounded by steep convexities, where “blind” entrances are common. The Tuckerman Headwall is a great example of terrain where spatial reference is challenging without an intimate knowledge of the terrain.
Risk and margin for error:
Remember: You control your own level of risk by choosing when, where, and how you travel in the mountains. Think critically about route choices and the potential consequences of each option. Fully understanding the consequences of a hazard and the ability to maintain control over your exposure to that hazard will help maintain your acceptable margin error when taking on risk in the mountains.
Waterfall holes and glide cracks:
As warm temperatures, rain, and water runoff continuously melt snow during spring, it is common for large,deep holes and cracks to form in the snowpack. There are a few mechanisms of formation including concentrated water runoff falling onto the snowpack, snow becoming undermined from water runoff below the snow surface, and from snowpack movement (also called creep) and separation. Sometimes, these cracks and holes are reminiscent of a crevasse, which are formations specific to glaciers. These openings in the snowpack can be very deep (over 50 feet) and large enough for a person to fall into. In most cases, these openings have no reasonable exit until the snow completely finishes melting. Here are a couple key points about this hazard:
Glide cracks can be seen as horizontal lines in the snow pack from a distance. It is best to distance yourself from these features because the surrounding snow can be weak, undermined and connected to the same crack.
Deep holes often appear as depressions in the snowpack from a distance. They are often found next to or below rock buttresses and boulders where water collects and melts snow from the surface.
In the route planning process, it is important to identify where these could be found and to make sure there is a way to avoid them.
Traveling above these features increases the consequences of a fall.
Fresh unsupportive snow can mask the openings.
Read more about the many other springtime mountain hazards here: www.mountwashi...

[@Strategic_Reformer]

Why would _anyone_ even _think_ about getting anywhere near that area...

[@nemesis256]

Looking up that's what one would think, but read the section about "Spatial reference and perspective" in the description. It makes good points.

[@DanielWeinreb-vc6et]

@@nemesis256The section on spatial reference and perspective only reinforces the idea no one should be anywhere near that hole unless it's a planned stunt with a high chance of success. This guy was the opposite of that.

[@codyheisinger2190]

You’re climbing up. Find your line.

[@artienye2094]

several or more yrs ago a skiier or winter hiker fell into a waterfall hole on tuckerman...that person was killed as he or she was swept deep under the melting snow pack and could not climb back up do to either an injury or hyperthermia or combination of both

[@richardpare3538]

That happened once back in the early '70's if I remember the timing right. He eventually swept out of the underground ( under snow) stream down near Hojos.

[@blkcoupequattro]

A reminder to pick your line..... he's really lucky to be alive

[@jonasbleuer996]

alive ? he def dead af

[@unclebuck5051]

He spent more time picking his pud.

[@80sRadDad]

Where is the rest of the rescue footage. It’s such a circus up there in the spring, I’m surprised there are not more incidents!!

[@mikeguydish382]

That spits you out right at the bottom for an automatic hole in 1.

[@rottie1954]

A similar hazard is when water undermines the snow. Even off the head wall, there could be streams of water that are melting the snow towards the surface. I skied Tick’s many times; danger was always present. One needs to take precautions and respect nature. There’s no glory in skiing/boarding down headwalls where risks outnumber one’s chance of being a star on TikTok. That guy had no business taking that route.

[@goji059]

now, that's some remarkable stupidity

[@cwaddle]

Hes lucky.. the hole looks really deep but the bottom would be deep due to the waterfall.. so a lot of the damage would have been absorbed by water.

[@DanielWeinreb-vc6et]

He actually fell on a rock ledge which prevented him from falling further.

[@pekolucky]

Ice water. he would have been. dead within minutes.

[@mulletover3832]

Dear Darwin:
I believe this next move will put me in first place...

[@wikiwikiwee1]

Hey god, it’s me again

[@Moe-bz6je]

The snowboarder is either crazy or stupid or doesn't care or the old fashioned combo.

[@easternyellowjacket276]

He just won the equivalent of the lottery.

[@Project_Prescott]

the Fall of a thousand streams yearns for joeys

[@ryan39584]

Hope they paid for rescue for doing such a stupid thing.