Science of avalanches

fmlarnapairce

Might be of interest to those venturing off piste this year!

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/science-avalanches

Fattes

fmlarnapairce wrote: »

Might be of interest to those venturing off piste this year!

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/science-avalanches

If you skin off piste take a weeks course with one of the many options it will be worth every penny

prunudo

I see the lure of the long awaited fresh powder is already bringing fatal avalanches to the French Alps. I'm amazed how ignorant people are to them, even among my friends I see it 'sure it's only just off the piste'.
As Fattes said doing a course is well worth it.

https://www.facebook.com/HenrysAvalancheTalk/posts/915697365151472

Fattes

http://mountainacademy.salomon.com/en

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

Both of these are really good resources, Plenty of people like Henry, the avalanche academy in Chamonix offering courses.

We offer courses for seasoinires here every year at the start of the season and a few employees actually pay for them for their staff.

To highlight the importance of them, we had some Irish in resort this week who told me they were skiing off post on the glacier, I currently won't ski on it for safety reasons, and I know it inside out! there is more to being safe of piste than avi awareness

prunudo

Thats madness, why would they do that without a guide.

Fattes

jvan wrote: »

Thats madness, why would they do that without a guide.

Ignorance I guess, its not the worst glacier in the world, but right now it is dangerous after a really warm summer, there is new Gletscherspalte and the older ones have grown considerably.

Long story but they explained by telling me that someone scolded them for skiing where they did! I don't think they where impressed when I did the same.

This time last year they could have skied where they did with no hassle, but this year sadly not.

prunudo

Isn't that the thing with glacier skiing though, because they are constantly changing without local knowledge you just don't know which is a safe route.

Fattes

jvan wrote: »

Isn't that the thing with glacier skiing though, because they are constantly changing without local knowledge you just don't know which is a safe route.

If you have any sense yep! But even people who know better can be dumb. Lets see how many warning signs you can see in this video before it triggers. Video was shot yesterday

http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/alpes/savoie/video-theo-lange-pris-dans-une-avalanche-tignes-897565.html

prunudo

My limited knowledge would say maybe wind blown cornice, fresh snow fall, steep slope >35°

Probably lots more but I'm no back country expert.

Fattes

jvan wrote: »

My limited knowledge would say maybe wind blown cornice, fresh snow fall, steep slope >35°

Probably lots more but I'm no back country expert.

All excellent answers, You picked up on quite a lot of the important stuff.

But look again you see those pipes! They are avalanche cannons triggered remotely to detonate slides, Now the lee slope he skied had wind blown cornices and wind blown snow, and the initial test showed unstable snow, and was steeper than the slope with cannons on it.

prunudo

Noticed the cannon alright, but figured it was on the opposite side so didn't mention it. Good point though about the slope he skied being steeper than the controlled side.
I was reading elsewhere a minute ago that he was doing some work for a tv contract. Pressures of work and deadlines masking his better judgement I wonder?

AlternateID

Fattes wrote: »

All excellent answers, You picked up on quite a lot of the important stuff.

But look again you see those pipes! They are avalanche cannons triggered remotely to detonate slides, Now the lee slope he skied had wind blown cornices and wind blown snow, and the initial test showed unstable snow, and was steeper than the slope with cannons on it.

Awesome cannons. Would love to be up near one for a test.

Fattes

I prefer the Russian approach myself!

Sometime its the simplest signs that you need to look at! like the avi cannons or when you are awoken in the am by the crews bombing as I have been for the last 2 days.

AlternateID

Fattes wrote: »

I prefer the Russian approach myself!

Sometime its the simplest signs that you need to look at! like the avi cannons or when you are awoken in the am by the crews bombing as I have been for the last 2 days.

ah the artillery. Very cool. Only the Russians can be this crazy.