Ski holidays are not only synonymous with snow, skiing and fun. Skiing and snowboarding represent real dangers often related to weather and snow conditions in the mountains. Unfortunately, each year in the Alps, there are a few tragic accidents when terrible avalanches are triggered giving no warning. Don’t be put off – the risks are minimal especially when skiing on marked slopes, but rise dramatically as soon as you venture off-piste! After the avalanche last weekend in Tignes, I felt it necessary to share recommendations about being prepared and well equipped.
An avalanche is a mass of snow that detaches from the mountainside and then slides down a slope at varying speeds. The speed depends on gradient, if there are any obstacles, such as trees or rocks in the way and generally increases as the avalanche gets larger and further down the slope. These slabs of snow detach when there have been heavy snowfalls on top of unstable surfaces. Most avalanche victims are the cause of the avalanche they get caught in, so read on to find out how to avoid becoming one!
Prevention is as important as protection when you are skiing and snowboarding off-piste or practicing extreme sports in the mountains. Local authorities in mountain regions advise the public to learn about safety issues, danger zones and weather conditions, but at the same time, they recommend not venturing into hazardous areas after heavy snowfalls! Before planning a day off-piste, go to the local tourist office to get the latest and most up to date information on the level of avalanche risk and the day’s weather and snow conditions. Then drop into the ski school and chat to the instructors – they’ll be very happy to share their in-depth knowledge of the off-piste routes and the risks. It is also very important to tailor your route to the technical and physical level of people in your group – many an intermediate skier has found him/herself in very tricky and dangerous situations by following their friends off-piste. If in doubt, hire a guide who will adapt the route to the skill level of the group making sure no-one is out of his/her depth. Finally, it is recommended to always tell someone (a friend in your group who doesn’t come with you, your chalet host or the receptionist at your hotel) roughly where you plan to go and approximately what time you should be back. That person should then be concerned if you do not return and can alert the necessary rescue services.
An avalanche victim detector (AVD), is certainly the most important piece of equipment to have during a ski trip. The most basic, but still very efficient, type of detector is the RECCO® reflector which has been adopted by hundreds of top ski and snowboard clothing brands. The beauty of this product is that you can’t forget it as it is already affixed to your clothing, it requires no batteries and is always ON. Rescue teams carry RECCO® detectors that send out a directional search signal, which is then echoed by RECCO® reflectors on the person’s clothing. Another type of detector is the avalanche rescue beacon which is an electronic device designed to locate the wearer in an avalanche. It operates in two modes : transmit and receive. In transmit mode, it emits waves (on a frequency of 447 kHz) and in reception mode, it receives signals from the buried devices. This is for the regular off-piste or extreme skier as they cost between 200 to 350 euros! The disadvantage of this kind of equipment is that it needs batteries and must be turned on – some unfortunate avalanche victims were found too late because their devices were turned off or the batteries were dead!
A probe and a snow shovel are also important parts of the equipment necessary to reduce risks off-piste. A probe is used to estimate the approximate depth of the victim under the snow and the shovel, well, no explanation needed! The ABS Airbag is one of the latest safety devices on the market and could save many lives in the years to come. This is a backpack system made of two cushions that inflate instantly (when pulling on a handle) with gas from cartridges. This system allows the wearer to float on/or at least stay nearer the surface of the snow. Professionals have varying opinions about the efficiency of these systems but the Swiss Avalanche Institute have shown some very positive figures in their studies.
The first, and perhaps most difficult thing to do, is to stay as calm as possible to save energy – you may need it later! If you see the avalanche start above you and you have time, then traverse the slope as quickly as possible to get out of its path. If it’s too late and you find yourself carried along with the moving snow, then you should let go of ski poles (if you’re a skier) and try to do backstroke swimming motions with your arms and try to swim uphill. The most important thing is to stay afloat or as near to the surface as possible. If you are under the snow, once you feel the momentum of the avalanche is slowing to a stop, hold each elbow with the other hand with your chin on your chest to create an air pocket between your arms, face and chest. When the avalanche is over, try to increase the size of your air pocket by moving your arms but don’t fight against the snow or you’ll quickly use valuable oxygen. Make high-pitched sounds but again, don’t panic, if you don’t hear any voices within the first minute, then just try to keep calm and rely on your detectors. Rescue should be on the way.
Ski holidays are not only synonymous with snow, skiing and fun. Skiing and snowboarding represent real dangers often related to weather and snow conditions in the mountains. Unfortunately, each year in the Alps, there are a few tragic accidents when terrible avalanches are triggered giving no warning. Don’t be put off – the risks are minimal especially when skiing on marked slopes, but rise dramatically as soon as you venture off-piste! After the avalanche last weekend in Tignes, I felt it necessary to share recommendations about being prepared and well equipped.
An avalanche is a mass of snow that detaches from the mountainside and then slides down a slope at varying speeds. The speed depends on gradient, if there are any obstacles, such as trees or rocks in the way and generally increases as the avalanche gets larger and further down the slope. These slabs of snow detach when there have been heavy snowfalls on top of unstable surfaces. Most avalanche victims are the cause of the avalanche they get caught in, so read on to find out how to avoid becoming one!
Prevention is as important as protection when you are skiing and snowboarding off-piste or practicing extreme sports in the mountains. Local authorities in mountain regions advise the public to learn about safety issues, danger zones and weather conditions, but at the same time, they recommend not venturing into hazardous areas after heavy snowfalls! Before planning a day off-piste, go to the local tourist office to get the latest and most up to date information on the level of avalanche risk and the day’s weather and snow conditions. Then drop into the ski school and chat to the instructors – they’ll be very happy to share their in-depth knowledge of the off-piste routes and the risks. It is also very important to tailor your route to the technical and physical level of people in your group – many an intermediate skier has found him/herself in very tricky and dangerous situations by following their friends off-piste. If in doubt, hire a guide who will adapt the route to the skill level of the group making sure no-one is out of his/her depth. Finally, it is recommended to always tell someone (a friend in your group who doesn’t come with you, your chalet host or the receptionist at your hotel) roughly where you plan to go and approximately what time you should be back. That person should then be concerned if you do not return and can alert the necessary rescue services.
An avalanche victim detector (AVD), is certainly the most important piece of equipment to have during a ski trip. The most basic, but still very efficient, type of detector is the RECCO® reflector which has been adopted by hundreds of top ski and snowboard clothing brands. The beauty of this product is that you can’t forget it as it is already affixed to your clothing, it requires no batteries and is always ON. Rescue teams carry RECCO® detectors that send out a directional search signal, which is then echoed by RECCO® reflectors on the person’s clothing. Another type of detector is the avalanche rescue beacon which is an electronic device designed to locate the wearer in an avalanche. It operates in two modes : transmit and receive. In transmit mode, it emits waves (on a frequency of 447 kHz) and in reception mode, it receives signals from the buried devices. This is for the regular off-piste or extreme skier as they cost between 200 to 350 euros! The disadvantage of this kind of equipment is that it needs batteries and must be turned on – some unfortunate avalanche victims were found too late because their devices were turned off or the batteries were dead!
A probe and a snow shovel are also important parts of the equipment necessary to reduce risks off-piste. A probe is used to estimate the approximate depth of the victim under the snow and the shovel, well, no explanation needed! The ABS Airbag is one of the latest safety devices on the market and could save many lives in the years to come. This is a backpack system made of two cushions that inflate instantly (when pulling on a handle) with gas from cartridges. This system allows the wearer to float on/or at least stay nearer the surface of the snow. Professionals have varying opinions about the efficiency of these systems but the Swiss Avalanche Institute have shown some very positive figures in their studies.
The first, and perhaps most difficult thing to do, is to stay as calm as possible to save energy – you may need it later! If you see the avalanche start above you and you have time, then traverse the slope as quickly as possible to get out of its path. If it’s too late and you find yourself carried along with the moving snow, then you should let go of ski poles (if you’re a skier) and try to do backstroke swimming motions with your arms and try to swim uphill. The most important thing is to stay afloat or as near to the surface as possible. If you are under the snow, once you feel the momentum of the avalanche is slowing to a stop, hold each elbow with the other hand with your chin on your chest to create an air pocket between your arms, face and chest. When the avalanche is over, try to increase the size of your air pocket by moving your arms but don’t fight against the snow or you’ll quickly use valuable oxygen. Make high-pitched sounds but again, don’t panic, if you don’t hear any voices within the first minute, then just try to keep calm and rely on your detectors. Rescue should be on the way.
Being lucky enough to have parents who were crazy about skiing, my love for the mountains started when I was 4 years old on our first family ski holiday to Austrian ski resort of Obergurl. One ski holiday a year was never enough and tears rolled down my face as I looked out the back window of the car on the drive down the valley on the way home!
