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Volume 19
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Article

Behavior in Avalanche Terrain: An Exploratory Study of Illegal Snowmobiling in Norway

by
Bjørn Michaelsen
1,*,
Iain Stewart-Patterson
2,
Carsten G. Rolland
1,
Audun Hetland
3 and
Rune V. Engeset
1,4
1
School of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
2
Adventure Studies Department, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8, Canada
3
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
4
Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, 0103 Oslo, Norway
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 6040; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106040
Submission received: 28 February 2022 / Revised: 28 April 2022 / Accepted: 29 April 2022 / Published: 16 May 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health, Wellbeing and Performance in Extreme Environments)
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Abstract

Snowmobilers make a grim and significant contribution to avalanche fatality statistics in Norway. However, there is limited knowledge on the behavior of this group in avalanche terrain and the factors influencing this behavior. Our study documents what snowmobilers do and not do in avalanche terrain, how their behavior relates to managing complex avalanche conditions and if there is a mismatch between avalanche competence, education and riding preferences. This ethnographic study observed snowmobiler tracks and thus avalanche terrain usage in Northern Norway during 2018 and 2019, supported by open-ended conversations with target group riders. Results show that high-marking lost popularity to technical riding, which seems to be perceived as safer despite increased exposure to complex avalanche terrain and conditions with persistent weak layers in the snowpack. The detected mismatch between preferences and avalanche knowledge/attitude will remain an obstacle to future accident prevention efforts unless behavioral changes are addressed. This study of a predominantly illegal activity sheds light on how to explore and observe hard-to-reach illegal activities and should be of interest to a wider audience from other research disciplines.
Keywords: avalanche education; qualitative method; illegal; snowmobiling; persistent weak layers avalanche education; qualitative method; illegal; snowmobiling; persistent weak layers

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MDPI and ACS Style

Michaelsen, B.; Stewart-Patterson, I.; Rolland, C.G.; Hetland, A.; Engeset, R.V. Behavior in Avalanche Terrain: An Exploratory Study of Illegal Snowmobiling in Norway. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 6040. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106040

AMA Style

Michaelsen B, Stewart-Patterson I, Rolland CG, Hetland A, Engeset RV. Behavior in Avalanche Terrain: An Exploratory Study of Illegal Snowmobiling in Norway. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(10):6040. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106040

Chicago/Turabian Style

Michaelsen, Bjørn, Iain Stewart-Patterson, Carsten G. Rolland, Audun Hetland, and Rune V. Engeset. 2022. "Behavior in Avalanche Terrain: An Exploratory Study of Illegal Snowmobiling in Norway" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 10: 6040. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106040

APA Style

Michaelsen, B., Stewart-Patterson, I., Rolland, C. G., Hetland, A., & Engeset, R. V. (2022). Behavior in Avalanche Terrain: An Exploratory Study of Illegal Snowmobiling in Norway. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(10), 6040. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106040

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