I saw what the members of the PNOA were talking about in the chat, and I wanted to share my own thoughts about the situation. I actually heard about Shi Tou through the LionsBaySAR (Search and Rescue) Instagram account, since I follow their social media. I saw a post about how Search and Rescue was called to Mt. Brunswick for a hiker who had slipped and fallen about 100 meters trying to save another hiker who had fallen. The post mentioned that many people in the group were of Asian descent. At the time, I thought it might have been an accident involving the PNOA, since we often hike in large groups, but I didn't look into it much. It pains me to say this, but my first thought when I saw that post was, "Why didn't they use ice axes?"
As someone who only recently got into hiking, I do a lot of research before every hike. I check the weather, usually on Mountain Forecast (though I know there are better sites for it), and I mostly go only when it's sunny to make sure conditions are safe. I read blogs for the "beta" on each hike; scramble difficulty, distance, elevation gain; and I watch YouTube videos showing what the hike actually looks like, comparing it to hikes I've done before to make sure I can complete it safely. For hikes with scrambles, I memorize the route beforehand, download the map, and bring equipment like a helmet, flashlight, and whistle. I'm also active on social media and watch a lot of hiking content from outdoor influencers.
This brings me to my initial reaction to the situation. I often see posts of people mountaineering and glissading (sliding down a snowy slope on their butt ) or climbing a snowy mountain with only hiking poles. In the comments, people point out that this is unsafe: no proper glacier/snow travel knowledge, no ice axe. So when I saw the LionsBaySAR post, I immediately assumed the group had been unsafe for not using ice axes, and thought I'd never hike Mt. Brunswick in April, since winter conditions were still in effect (especially since LionsBaySAR had recently been posting about avalanche risk in the area). Still, I didn't dwell on it much at the time.
It was only a few days after the post was made that I found out it was Shi Tou who had unfortunately passed away, and that it was the PNOA that was on Mt. Brunswick. I instantly started crying because: 1. I knew Shi Tou. a. We'd hiked Needle Peak together. This was an important hike for me, because it's what made me fall in love with hiking. I realized I wasn't actually scared of heights and had a knack for scrambling, maybe because I did gymnastics as a kid and have good body awareness and balance. I ended up leaving the group and scrambling by myself, following a family ahead of me. It showed me my own progress, but it also showed me I was being unsafe. Shi Tou, as the unofficial Group B leader, made me realize there was still a lot I needed to learn, especially about scrambling. I remember him talking about his daughter, who was close to my age. I think his wife was also on the same hike. This was the first time I've encountered death in my life, and it hit me harder because I consider the PNOA members like my own parents. They're similar in age to my own mom and dad. I realized how easily the person on the hike could’ve been my own parents and this made me incredibly sad. 2. I thought it was avoidable a. This is what people were arguing about in the PNOA wechat. I have done a lot of thinking about this. I won't say it was avoidable, but I do think the risk of death would have been greatly reduced with an ice axe—from my research, you can self-arrest a slide with one. However, that is not to say that sometimes shit does happen and you can’t avoid it. A classmate of mine recently climbed Sky Pilot in Squamish, which, if you're into scrambling, is comparable to the West Lion, arguably more technical. He saw a man slip on a sloped snow section, breaking his arm and requiring a SAR call. The man had an ice axe, but lost it in the fall. So while an ice axe is incredibly important and can absolutely save a life, it doesn't fully eliminate the risk of falling. b. I personally would never hike Mt. Brunswick in April or May, or any time there's still significant snow. If I were a leader, I wouldn't bring people on a hike like that if the members themselves didn’t have ice axe training or snow travel knowledge. I know that sounds harsh, but I do think there's some responsibility on the leader who organized the group. 3. I lost faith in the organization a. At the time, this also shook my trust in the PNOA as an organization, which was hard, because this is the group that got me into hiking in the first place. As an inexperienced hiker, I would have trusted any leader on a hike and I think that's true for a lot of PNOA members: the assumption is that any hike organized by the group should be safe, because the leader is experienced and will match the hike to members' skill levels. From what I've seen, the PNOA is made up largely of middle-aged Chinese men and women, many of whom are inexperienced hikers and don't do much research beforehand. They just go and hope for the best. Therefore, that's part of why Shi Tou’s death felt so concerning to me. b. At the same time, I know Shi Tou had hiking experience and likely understood the risks himself. I wasn't there, so I can't fully judge the situation. And ultimately, one person can't control another person's actions. Like I said, shit happens.
I cried every day for a week over this. My conclusion is: there's some responsibility on the leader, and some on the hikers themselves, since they chose to go. But because it's so hard to actually figure out the factors in this situation, I think it's more productive not to assign blame at all. Blaming doesn’t help at all, for my mental health, or the people on the hike, and especially not for the victim's family.
That said, I do think two things need to change: 1. Everyone should research a hike before going. Understanding the risks, such as distance, elevation gain, weather, and required equipment, relative to your own skill level would take some responsibility off the leader and put it on each individual hiker. 2. Leaders need more training. I agree that leaders need to learn how to use an ice axe and have more training about snow travel, glacier travel, crevasse rescue, and rope skills—just general mountaineering knowledge. However, I don’t think leaders should be learning these skills on their own through Youtube videos. Guided courses (like the Intro to Mountaineering programs from Altus Mountain Guides or Canada West) with ACMG-certified guides ensure these skills are taught properly and safely. Self-taught leaders may be missing critical knowledge, and may not be equipped to teach others or catch mistakes. The problem, however, is money. These courses are quite expensive, so I wonder if the PNOA can somehow partner with ACMG guides to get discounted courses? I’m still not sure how this would work, but personally, I would feel safer if PNOA leaders could learn from ACMG guides. I’m wondering if there are people in the PNOA who are ACMG guides or have certificates equivalent to the same level and if they could lead a class?
All in all, this is just my personal opinion about it. I’m also happy to talk about how you guys feel about this. Mountaineering and hiking is all about risk management. After all, it comes down to life and death. Being aware of risks, and knowing how to decrease these risks are the most important skills a person should have when partaking in activities like these. Finally, one must understand that death can still occur even when you do everything right to prevent it.