Ski season is usually focused on winter sports, snow reports, and how best to après-ski. But should an avalanche occur, everyone should also be informed regarding what to do and how to stay safe.
Avalanche incidents and tragic associated fatalities have been making headlines in recent weeks. Earlier this month, 15 backcountry skiers were caught in a perilous avalanche in the Castle Peak area of the Tahoe National Forest in California’s Sierra Nevada. The group consisted of 11 guests and four guides. The heavy snowfall resulted in the deaths of nine of the skiers. Six of the deceased were adventurers on the three-day tour, and three were guides. CNN noted that the incident is the most deadly avalanche in the United States in the past 45 years.
Separately, a video capturing an avalanche’s dramatic descent before it hit a moving train in Zermatt, Switzerland, has gone viral. The clip was captured by Kirsten Osborne, a tourist, who documented the hair-raising incident from inside the train that was struck. Fox 10 Houston shared the clip and detailed that everyone on the train was uninjured. Powder.com contrastingly reported that five were injured. Osborne noted that it took two hours for rescue services to reach those on board.
What Can You Do To Stay Safe If An Avalanche Happens?
Avalanche.org is a major resource. It can inform you about avalanche incidents, important basics, and insight into the conditions where you are. Moreover, you can become trained in avalanche safety and rescue through courses offered by the organization.
Familiarizing yourself with the North American Public Avalanche Danger Scale (NAPADS) is critical. The tool scales avalanche danger from Levels 1 through 5, the latter being the most dangerous, and provides relevant travel advice and information. With that knowledge, you’ll be able to better determine how, or if, to proceed. Moreover, knowing the scale and checking the weather and conditions (like the local avalanche forecast) can be life-saving measures taken even before embarking on your winter sport.
Being aware of the area’s slope angles and if there’s unstable snow could also be the difference between life and death.
Before taking on the great outdoors, always make sure you have the right equipment and tools (such as a helmet, transceiver, shovel, avalanche airbag, tarp, probe, etc.). They will be more than handy if an avalanche occurs.
No matter what, look out for avalanche warning signs and heed their directions.
If you are caught in an avalanche, there are different safety techniques to use depending on your location on the slope and what winter sport you’re doing (skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, etc.). One of the most critical techniques is creating as much airspace as you can around the front of your mouth. Doing so, according to the Utah Avalanche Center, may help prevent death due to carbon dioxide poisoning from the gas’s buildup around your mouth if you’re buried in the snow.
