out about past, present and future conditions that have and are likely to influence snow stability. Snowfall, wind and temperature all influence avalanche risk.
Appreciate the significance of slope angle and aspect to avalanche risk. Slopes between 25° and 40° are perfect for skiing on, but they also present the greatest risk.
Be observant. Conditions on tour change fast not only from day to day but from one slope to another and even on the same slope. Look for indicators of instability.
Ensure you are properly equipped and clothed, and that equipment is all in good working order.
Ensure you are prepared for emergencies and have a fast and efficient procedure in place to deal with them.
Choose your route with care, and avoid suspect slopes. Be prepared to change or abandon your route. Be aware of the danger presented by slopes above and below the one you are on.
If you have to travel through high-risk terrain do so with care. Be prepared at all times, make everyone aware of the risks and ensure they know what's expected of them in the event of an avalanche.
Organise your party for maximum safety. If possible let people know your route. On hut-to-hut tours this is relatively easy, as you move between huts and guardians are expecting you. If you change your plan let the guardian know. Don't simply fail to turn up at a hut where you have booked a place.
European Avalanche Hazard Scale
The European Avalanche Hazard Scale has been adopted throughout the Alps and is commonly used in conjunction with snow and avalanche reports. Often the degree of hazard existing at a given time is shown simply as level on a scale of 1–5 without further explanation. Understanding what the numbers mean is essential when weather reports are in a language you may not fully understand, but where a synoptic chart clearly indicates the level of hazard. The chart below provides a detailed explanation of the European Avalanche Hazard Scale.
Avalanche Accidents
What do you do if you get caught in an avalanche? The fact is that once an avalanche has been triggered, unless it really is minor it is almost impossible to do anything. Things happen very fast, and you need a fair amount of luck if you are caught in one. Call out to alert your companions and try to outrun it or ski off to the side of the avalanche if possible.
Snow profiling to gather information essential for avalanche risk assessment during a tour
If you are caught:
try to release your bindings
release your ski poles
try to stay on top of the snow by adopting a swimming or rolling motion
before you are buried pull your knees up to your chest and cover your face in an attempt to create an air pocket
if you can thrust a hand up and out of the snow do so
try not to panic
pray.
If you are looking on:
keep an eye on the victim/s for as long as possible
point and follow the victim with your finger until they are buried – it's easy to lose track of them in a mass of moving snow
keep pointing until the position can be marked with a ski pole. This will speed up the search.
The Search
Appoint a search leader.
Stay calm.
Assess the whole situation and ensure the safety of the rest of the party. Visually scour the avalanche to see if you can see the victim/s – they may re-emerge lower down the slope. They may only be partially buried, in which case there's no need to instigate a transceiver search.
Organise the search based on observed facts, number buried, vanishing points and terrain.
Begin the search as soon as possible. Eyes and ears as well as transceivers should be used.
Switch off transceivers not in use if it is safe to do so.
Maintain a controlled search pattern. Don't give up – despite the statistics victims have been recovered alive after very long periods of burial. Ensure a total and thorough search of the area. The victim may not be in the obvious deposition zone.
Alert rescue services. They may be needed to evacuate victims, give medical help or search.
Immediate Response To Victims
Adequate primary care requires correct training in first aid. Ideally everyone should have this.
Free the head and chest of the buried victim as soon as possible.
Ensure they can and are breathing.
If not give artificial respiration (CPR). Continue resuscitation until medical help arrives.
Lay the person down correctly.
Treat injuries where possible.
Protect from further loss of body heat.
Continue to observe the victim for any change in status.
Evacuate to safety if required.
Signalling to a helicopter: note the skier is kneeling in front of a large flat area, back to the wind, with arms raised in a Y
Helicopter Rescue
If there is an accident on tour that requires rescue assistance, helicopter is the recommended option. When someone is injured speed and safety are paramount. Trying to carry out self-rescue with an improvised stretcher, especially over difficult terrain, is complicated and slow, and may well result in further injury. It is important to know how to carry out such a rescue and be proficient at it, but it is not the best option when helicopter rescue is possible.
Helicopters have their limits, however, and require safe conditions to carry out a rescue. Poor weather conditions will restrict their safe operational use. In poor visibility, strong winds, and in snowy or icy conditions they may not be able to operate. However, the pilots of rescue helicopters carry out some remarkable missions. They should only be called in for an emergency or forced evacuation – do not endanger their lives unecessarily.
Insurance
The cost of emergency rescue, medical treatment, and repatriation, if necessary, varies from country to country, and you will need appropriate insurance to ensure that you are adequately covered. The BMC (Tel. 0161 445 4747, www.thebmc.co.uk)
