 Poster: A snowHead
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Serre Chevalier was hosting the Freeride World Tour qualifiers, and after 60cm of snow mid-week it was delayed to today from yesterday, and risk was 3/5.
The competition was on the Yret face, which many SH's know and have skied.
The competition had been running for a good three-plus hours with skiers and boarders taking their various lines.
Now I do not know how much, if any, avy control took place beforehand, or delaying it a day with a lower risk was seen sufficient, but if you look at the video below and scroll to 5:35:30, you will see what happens.
https://www.youtube.com/live/hHLxVi62apk?si=xtpjJvukVJbnCVuy
As it happened, I was ski-touring on the other side and took this photo.
And then zoomed in on the face where the Comp took place.
It really goes to show, the danger that can be forever lurking.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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I was watching... agree totally unexpected and imagine it covered the blue piste at the bottom of the face too?
Snowboarder has posted on his Instagram page that he is ok - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUOB0EDDBCv/
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Terrifying video ...
Especially the commentator having no idea if the rider was safe.
However it is hardly a surprise that a few days after 60cm of snow avalanches occurred on a steep 40 degree slope ?
The take away message has to be that 3/5 is still "considerable" risk.
Arguably that level is the hardest one to make sensible decisions when free-skiing.
Most of the time you might get away with it - until something like video above happens.
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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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Just read that 50 competitors had been down before
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Extraordinary
You will be thinking about your line and competition performance not whether the slope is going to go
as we all know well most avi deaths on a 3 day
And all 3 days are locality 5
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| Weathercam wrote: |
| Just read that 50 competitors had been down before |
True. Though snowboarder clearly hits wind loaded "hotspot" which was (almost) untracked.
Once triggered then avalanche quickly propagates.
It's a great educational video / reminder / eye opener
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Oof, that crown looks deep (dunno how deep the weak layer was?).
It looked like even at the point that it 'went' there were a few tracks already. As you say, good reminder that the mountain is unpredictable and you have to think about what you're doing without relying on others' decision making. Super glad there were no serious injuries.
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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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How much Avi safety goes on for a FWT event? It's way beyond my knowledge base but you see stuff in The Fifty or some ski films where they're digging pits etc. does that kind of thing happen?
Obviously things like blasting are going to ruin the spectacle a touch, but I'm guessing riders have to have airbags and there are search crews on standby too.
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OMG! Lucky guy
Shows how quickly things can go bad, in an instant there are tens, maybe hundreds of metres covered. Good job he had the airbag on.
Just as it pans right out, you can see the inflatable hoardings getting pounded by the snow. Mind boggling how quickly the snow moves.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Recently someone on SH mentioned they'd stayed in the trees for increased safety. We used to say that as well, until one such forest slid 1,000' down, creating what appeared to be a cut run (Employee Housing, Crystal Mtn WA). Avi control is great, and often makes The Difference. But some days Mother Nature feels compelled to issue a reminder....
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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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Wow, that went wrong quick! It traveled a long way too. Lucky he was below most of the rocks when it went.
@Specialman, i seem to remember being told, the average dry slide hits >100kph in <4seconds
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There's actually rather a lot of safety stuff going on behind the scenes of FWT events. Numerous mountain guides inspecting the faces, digging pits, performing ski cutting, and even using explosives in some cases. I know one of the guides working on a 2* event this year, and they had to abandon the face they wanted to use (and used the year before) due to avalanche danger and ended up on something <30° which is not great for freeride as it becomes really difficult to separate riders, but safety really is a priority.
As for the current incident my guess would be shallow snowpack in that rocky area and he hit a weaker layer which propagated. Although it's probably my bias as many seasons in interior BC we had DPWL with low risk of triggering but potentially huge risk of triggered. So we were super aware of trying to avoid areas where the snowpack was shallow i.e. rocks.
But as said above, steep slope following a big storm, you probably don't need to overthink it so much 
As much as it's true that tracks don't mean safe, there is arguably nothing that can offer a stronger prediction that a slope is safe. I forget Trempers exact quotes and stats, but "never go first".
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You know it makes sense.
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3/5 is not only considerable risk but also relates to the size of any slip. Big enough for local burial.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Blimey that’s a massive slab. They must have known the weak layer was under there (I mean it’s everywhere in the Western Alps on North facing slopes) but for it to slide after what must have been comprehensive avi controls and after several other riders had already dropped shows how unlucky the poor guy was. Glad he’s ok!
Looks like the added pressure on the snowpack of his air and check triggered the fracture. Never jump into a questionable slope. If in doubt and no other options go straight and light footed
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Poster: A snowHead
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And on his insta the rider admitted he didn’t have his handle out and managed to unzip it as he was falling down in the avalanche! That’s a cool nerve to correct a big mistake!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I was wondering why it took him so long 
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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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| BobinCH wrote: |
| And on his insta the rider admitted he didn’t have his handle out and managed to unzip it as he was falling down in the avalanche! That’s a cool nerve to correct a big mistake! |
Cool thinking to pull that off. I'd have expected it to be something that was checked before they were allowed to drop in  Probably do obvious to have it out that no one thought it needs checking.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We were only thinking the other day after we had nigh on 60cms to do some head over heels down a steep bank in the field next to us to pull the trigger, as I haven't released it for a while and would be sort of good training, though nowadays I'd rather not put myself in any possible situation.
And when I did get caught it all happened so quickly I didn't have time to pull it anyway.
We were up there in that vicinity today, and bearing in mind there was a big ski test going on, so many a good skier ripping, I didn't see anyone skiing anything dodgy, though KenX and I did see a patroller shouting like mad up at a very sketchy slope when we were on a chairlift up at a slope but we couldn't see what was going on or down?
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FAQ
