 Poster: A snowHead
|
This article, written by Allen Best for the 'high country' site Tidepool takes a pretty uncompromising look at what you can expect from what's called 'the white death'. There is a quote from Scott Toepfer, an avalanche forecaster in Colorado ...
| Quote: |
| "It's like getting sent through the spin cycle of a washing machine." A moving avalanche, he says, not only has a way of packing snow inside a person's clothes; it also strips clothes off. |
There's more gruesome detail in the article, and some doubt cast on the value of transceivers, but then a statistic comes up ...
| Quote: |
| One Swiss study showed that 93 percent of avalanche victims survived if they'd been found within 15 minutes. |
Err ... which Swiss study?
This doesn't ring familiar to me.
Any comparative survival data on avalanches would be worth discussing. But how is this data authoritatively collected? Do we know the timing of someone going under ... and the timing of the person's discovery? Does someone stand by with a watch?
Or is the stated data on avalanche survival times much more theoretical?
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 11-01-06 20:45; edited 3 times in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
No idea, but I have heard that the vast majority of avalanche deaths come from suffocation, not physical trauma. Maybe 15 mins is about how long you have before runing out of air in the average avalanche?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
I think that's right , ponder.
The figures must vary a bit depending who qualifies as being a "victim" of an avalanche and what size avalanche qualifies as a proper avalanche. Do you have to be buried to count? How much of you has to be buried if so.
I was in quite a big avalanche with 7 others (I was carried 300metres) but only one of us was partly buried (we were very, very lucky).
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Why I was working out in In Ischgl in 1987, I vividly remember helping digout 8 Ski Instructors from Munich from under 17metres of snow. It was not a pretty site, it took over 8hours to recover them, some were limbless, some naked 6 were dead. I got some old photos that I will try to post up . THis avalanche occured within the confides of the ski area 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
stanton, reminds me - saw an avalanche coming partially onto the piste in St Anton in spring 1998. Luckily no one was on the piste at the time, but was on a chair on to the way to looking toward the Schindler Spitz with an instructor at the time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
During my 5 seasons i've seen a few, only been involved in one ( nothing to major ).According to a friend of mine who is a high ranking Pistehor, the majority of fatalities are caused by the inhalation of powder snow , drowning in affect. The power of a slide will easily remove your clothing and equipment , most snowboard victims are found inverted with their board still visible on the surface as it is harder for it to become detached . There was an incident last season where a board was located with a boot and binding still attached, macabre it may seem but the victims lower leg was still in the boot, twisted off at the knee , not a nice way to end a back country day .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| busyliving wrote: |
| the majority of fatalities are caused by the inhalation of powder snow , drowning in affect. |
Interesting Its not difficult to imagine;being tossed around,struggling and gasping,getting a mouth full of snow,and choking on it!!Perhaps a powder mask might be considered another off piste essential?
As someone at the early stages of the off piste adventure,I know all about the lure of the powder.I just hope I never get so blasé about it that I put my life,and the lives of others,at risk.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes. I inhaled powdered snow as I went down. When the avalanche stopped I found I couldn't breathe and had to cough up a plug of snow, which opened a narrow aperture for me to breathe a little. I sat there thinking "Don't panic, don't panic, it will melt and then you'll breathe better." Very scary, as was the power of it - I was on the front edge and luckily the slope was very regular and not steep so it just petered out rather than piling up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
hibernia,
Avalanches are common in St Anton on South facing slopes in the Spring.
They often close the Steisbachtal (Happy Valley) in the afternoon in April because of the risk from slides from the Schindler/Mattun side.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
