Pretty sobering avalanche experience

a148pro

Found this quite provacative, no harm in reading

http://welove2ski.com/how-to-ski/avalanche

Fattes

a148pro Good post there is a couple of very interesting things in the article that really stand out! His advice is all reactive after an avalanche where the best course of action is preventative. He is missing one or two steps from the initial slide, MAKE NOISE Lots of it!!!

We could see that they had apparently set off a small avalanche, which was to the right of where we were heading and on a steeper pitch.

his part of the slope was a bit of a bowl funneling in towards the ridge where the guide was waiting

So there was previous signs of avalanche activity that day, and they decided to ski it, then skied into what is written above and sounds like a natural terrain trap which you want to avoid? Seems a bit odd. I would have serious questions to ask of the guide, but then again it may just be badly written.

Lastly I cannot emphasise enough how innocuous the slope looked.

Odd statement the angle of slope that most avalanche accidents happen is 38 degrees (Average Red to black run) Most stuff over 45 will slide naturally, most stuff under 25 is to shallow to be of concern.

Wear an avalanche airbag rucksack.

^^ If you think you need one you have all ready made a bad decision!!!! I have bought one for this year, but if I thought for one second that the terrain I was about to ski required it I would not be going! I have bought one just incase someone else sets one off and I get caught in it. To many people think its ok I can use them for anything and I will be OK Education and prevention is better than cure.

Off-pisters should also consider attending an avalanche awareness course, s

This should be the first most important bit of the article, not a small bit tucked away at the bottom. The below is a great resource

http://www.avalanche.net.nz/education/Online-Avalanche-Course/Decision-Making.asp

Fattes

I got caught in a slide 3 years ago in Canada,I should have been more aware of the changing weather and the impact it was having on the area I was skiing. Worst experience of my life. I got lucky, got buried head out of the snow and up to below my waist!

This is a great video of an airbag in action!

a148pro

Yeah I agree fattes, i've only armchair avalanche knowledge (have that tremper book which I find fascinating) but seems like they made some real schoolboy errors there

fannymagee

Eurgh, provocative is right, I felt claustrophobic just reading that!! Here's a lighter alternative http://bombsnow.com/archives/skier-buys-airbag-gopro-now-ready-for-the-backcountry