 Poster: A snowHead
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offpisteskiing, I must admit that I hadn't heard that one before. Is an ascending tourer actually at a 3x higher risk ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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skimottaret, they are exposed much longer on any slope. There are some stats from incidents from one of the avi institutes that show it to be more dangerous than skiing down.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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As an ascending tourer I am more likely to cut the slope than on decent, however I'm less likely to be on the steeper ground. How that nets out I have no idea.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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And you can't ski out of trouble that easily !!!!!!!!!!!!
Around ten years ago we were hut to hut touring with some very experienced skiers and three guide, it had been snowing heavily and conditions were pretty bad, we were climbing up well spaced out and there was a huge whoompf above us - the lead guide made various signals for us to stay put and be quiet - it was for about five minutes maybe more, it seemed!
Logic being the snow pack would refreeze and we could be on our way - but it's not an experience I want to go through again!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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The incidence of multiple burials is also higher for ascending skiers and multiple burials are much harder to manage for a whole range of reasons than single burials despite what a quick whizz around the car-park with your 3 antenna beacon might suggest  .
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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[quote=davidof]
(but an ascending ski tourer is at 3 times the risk of a descending skier).
[/quote]
Why only three? Lots of obvious reasons spring to mind, like you'll probably spend ten times the amount of time in the area - but that would suggest 10 times the risk?
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James the Last, I'd hazard a guess that an ascending ski tourer puts less force on the snowpack than someone skiing. So whilst the exposure to avi terrain is much greater the risk of causing a slide is lower hence balancing things out.
The real answer is that no body knows and the number reflects the data used. 
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When ascending, you are also moving slower. Though you are slower getting out of trouble, you are slower getting into it to. When descending, you can quickly ski onto a different aspect/into different snow conditions whereas on the up, you have more time to consider.
It's pretty multi-faceted.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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davidof, that fits with the Canadian stats:
http://www.avalanche.ca/cac/library/avalanche-accidents
Sledding is the biggest cause of avi fatalities and the victim profile is:
A male in his 20's
A backcountry skier
With a 73% chance of being killed during the months of January, February and March, compared to 23% during November, December and April
Between the hours of 12:00 noon and 2:00 pm
Triggering an avalanche while on foot (55%) or snowmobile (32%)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If we really had a 73% chance of being killed, skiing in Jan, Feb or March (or even 23% - or for that matter even 1%) none of us would do it. 
I think something has been expressed wrongly here.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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snowball, hence why it's the victim profile not a profile of the average ski tourer.
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snowball, I understood it to be 73% of all avalanche fatalities rather than all back country skiers.
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