As shown by figure two below, the Spearhead Traverse includes a number of sections of high avalanche danger. It is also the longest of all the routes we examined. From the beginning of the traverse, on Blackcomb mountain, to where the route begins to reach Whistler mountain, there are numerous medium-risk and high-risk areas located on the traverse. The highest risk areas can be found at the higher elevations, particularly where the slope is steepest, shown by the contours being very close to one another. As the route approaches Whistler village, the risk decreases, likely due to the lower elevation and the more gradual decline in slope. 

The Spearhead Traverse is significantly longer than the descents on Mt. Currie and Joffre Peak, thus the entire route typically takes three to four days. This will likely increase the risk associated with the traverse, as the weather could change considerably during that time.

Figure two: Avalanche Danger map for the Spearhead Traverse.

Similar to the Spearhead Traverse, the areas of highest avalanche danger on the Mt. Currie Couloirs are found at the higher elevation areas, as illustrated in figure three. The beginning portion of the Central Couloir is located directly beside an area of high-risk terrain, as well as passing through part of it. This section also has the steepest slopes. The avalanche danger decreases slightly in the next section, however, it is still moderately high until the final section, where it becomes significantly lower. As the risk decreases, the slope angle also decreases. 

There are two routes at the beginning of the Pencil Couloir, both of which pass through areas of moderately high to high avalanche danger. As the route descends, the risk decreases until it is in a low danger area at the end. Again, the route begins with very steep slopes which eventually become much more gradual. 

Figure three: Avalanche Danger map for Mt. Currie.

Although the routes on Joffre Peak cover the shortest distance, they contain the largest proportion of high-risk terrain within the descent. This is illustrated by figure four; twisting couloir has the greatest amount of high avalanche danger areas, followed by Joffre Couloir and then Central Couloir. However, due to the short distance of the descents, it is possible that these routes would not be as dangerous as the Spearhead Traverse or the Mt. Currie couloirs, because it may be possible to complete the descent more quickly, thus the weather conditions are less likely to change during that time. On the other hand, due to couloirs having a large proportion of high-risk terrain, it is also possible that the skier would have to be more careful when descending, thus taking more time to complete the routes. Figure four: Avalanche Danger map for Joffre Peak.