Essential Avalanche Safety Tips
Concise information about what you need to travel safely in the mountains including equipment and route planning
When traveling in avalanche areas what safety gear should you bring?
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
- Avalanche probe
- Radio Transceiver
- First aid kit
- Sat phone or cell phone
How to recognize avalanche areas
Many of the signs that you are in an area where avalanches are possible are easy to spot while others take a more experienced eye. Many of the methods for recognizing potential avalanches are:
- Is there avalanche activity in the area you plan to ski?
- Has there been a lot of precipitation in the last day and a half?
- Has there been any snow loading caused by high winds?
- Is the temperature above freezing or rapidly rising?
Other Signs indicating avalanche danger
- While skiing can you see cracks forming in the snow surface around you?
- Can you hear settling sounds in the snow as you move over it? This indicated layers of snow settling.
- Any abrupt temperature changes can cause a change in the snow pack
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.
Selecting a route up the windward side of a ridge will generally be safer since the snow is scoured off the slope and deposited onto the leeward side. There is also less risk from cornices that build over leeward slopes.
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.
Natural vs. human triggered
In nature almost all avalanches are triggered by natural forces. Snow loading, winds, warming and debris falling are common triggers of natural avalanches. Unfortunately most avalanche victims are buried by avalanches that were human triggered. Either someone in the immediate group or a group nearby released the slide.
When caught in a slide what do you do?
When an avalanche approaches from above try to avoid it by skiing down and to the side; trying to get out of its path. Large avalanches can travel at hundreds of kilometers per hour so do not try to out run it. It is always best to get out of its way.
If the unthinkable happens and you are caught by a slide you need to try and release your skis, pack and poles. These will prevent you from staying on top of the flow and can result in serious injuries. To stay on top of the flow move your arms and legs like you would when treading water. This will keep you need the top of the slide. As you feel the slide start to slow down scramble to get to the surface and as it stops thrust an arm or leg towards the surface. Even the tip of your glove above the surface will greatly increase the chances of being rescued alive.
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!