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Avalanche Safety

The safety equipment, knowledge and skills you will need for safe adventures in avalanche areas

What everyone need to carry when in avalanche areas.

Like any other sport there is special equipment you and all the members of your group need to carry when traveling in avalanche terrain. The first thing everyone needs is to have knowledge. All the special equipment you carry needs to be practiced with before getting into a situation where you need to use it efficiently. Time is of the essence when rescuing a buried victim. Safety equipment includes:

Shovel
3 meter long rescue probe
Rescue beacon
First aid kit
Sat phone or cell phone

Recognizing avalanche terrain

There are many signs that might indicate you may be in danger. Ask yourself these questions.

Has there been avalanches in the area?
Precipitation: Is it snowing, raining? Has there been a heavy snow event in the last 36 hours?
Have there been high winds?
Are the temperatures rising or above zero?

Other Signs indicating avalanche danger

While skiing can you see cracks forming in the snow surface around you?
Whumpf sounds are layers in the snow pack collapsing. This is an indication of high avalanche hazard.
Abrupt temperature changes or heavy snow, wind, rain and high winds can all increase avalanche hazards.

How to travel safely in avalanche areas

The more people involved in route selection the better. Everyone in the group should discuss the pros and cons of each route and choose a route together. You must weigh all the conditions mentioned already ad determine which factor are affecting each route. Avoiding terrain traps such as creeks and gully's is important since avalanches typically follow these features and deposit deep snow into them.

Sometimes there is no choice but to ski across a suspect slope. When faced with this it is important that only one group member cross at a time. You should remove pole and ski straps an undo any straps on your pack. While crossing all group members should watch the person crossing. Cross the slope stopping in a pre designated safe zone.

The angle of the slope can be a good indicator of the stability. Slopes less then 25º are unlikely to slide and can be considered a safer choice then a slop over 30º.

As wind passes over a slope (windward slope) it picks up snow and deposits it onto the opposite side of the ridge (leeward slope). This wind deposited snow is often unstable and should be avoided when possible. Choosing a route up a windward slope will usually be safer.

A sure sign of avalanche activity is slides that have occurred. If slopes similar to the one you plan on skiing have slid then it is likely the one you are looking at can slide as well.

How are avalanches triggered?

The vast majority of avalanches are natural triggered. Usually the result of overloading of new snow, wind deposited snow or debris falling. Unfortunately most avalanches that involve people are triggered by the victim.

When caught in a slide what do you do?

If you see an avalanche approaching from above try to ski out to the side of the slope and avoid the slide. Ski down and to one side as quickly as possible. Never try to out run a large avalanche.

When caught in a slide try to release your skis, poles and pack. These can prevent you from rising up in the slide. Skis can get caught up in trees and brush and break the victims’ legs. While the slide is moving tread like you are in water and as the snow slows down scramble to get to the surface with an arm or leg. This will help the rescuers immensely. If you are buried try too create an air space in front of your face to preserve oxygen.

There are many factors that can determine if a route is safe to travel. The variables listed above should be considered every time you or your group has to travel through avalanche terrain. Remember to always have the required safety equipment and the knowledge to use it effectively. Enjoy the backcountry!

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