Avalanche Awareness

Being caught in an avalanche is perhaps the greatest fear of all those who undertake off-piste skiing or boarding and ski-touring. The boom in the snowsports industry, high lift-stations, and fat skis and snowboards have given greater access to the mountain for many who do not have the necessary experience to deal with the conditions and to know the warning signs. Snow conditions can vary from week to week, and even hour to hour as weather conditions alter the structure of the snow. Knowledge of the snow and understanding of the terrain are necessary to avoid in being caught in an avalanche, however the best form of avalanche safety is really avalanche avoidance!

An avalanche consists of a fast moving mass of snow, ice and other debris collected en route. As snow falls it forms layers which bond together with already laid snow and the ground. When these frictional bonds between a surface layer, the ground and surrounding snow are weak or poorly formed, it can take just the weight of a single skier to destabilise the entire mountain surface. ... more

Avalanche hazards are an inherent risk when skiing off piste so it is important to remain vigilant of avalanche hazards when skiing in uncontrolled areas. In Europe there is a European Avalanche Hazard Scale which uses a avalanche flag based system to warn of the dangers. The scale is set by the resort using data provided by Meteo France. Using a scale from 1 to 5, the hazard indicator classifies the immediate danger that is present from an avalanche.

Before venturing off piste, you should make sure you have read and understood the available avalanche information for your area. Regular avalanche bulletins are provided by Meteo France, and English website Pistehors.com often provide up to date snowpack and avalanche information. ... more

The chances of surviving an avalanche are dramatically increased when the group are properly equipped with the standard avalanche equipment, and are trained in how to use it. None of the devices we have listed here will actually prevent an avalanche or prevent physical injury from occurring, but will assist in the recovery process. So what does the basic avalanche equipment consist of?

For anyone going off marked pistes, (including climbers, skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers and walkers); it is advisable that the following items of equipment are carried at all times: ... more

The survival chances for persons caught in avalanches are dependant on several factors. Fatal injuries may be sustained during the avalanche due to collisions with obstacles in the avalanche path or large cliff drops.

There is a lot of controversy about what to do if caught in an avalanche. Some say swim (since a person is about three times denser than moving avalanche debris) and others say roll however the most important thing is to keep the mouth free from snow especially when the snow comes to a stop. Survival chances are greatly enhanced is the victim is able to breath and is dug out fast. It is widely known that an avalanche victim pulled out of the snow after only 15-20 minutes is much more likely to survive than a victim that is pulled out after 30 minutes. ... more

Here is collection of frequently asked questions relating to Avalanches that has been compiled from our own mountain experiences, chatting with the experts, your feedback, plus translations of French articles and websites. We have put this resource together to assist you in learning more about avalanches. Further detailed information can be found in the additional avalanche sections. ... more