 Poster: A snowHead
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We'd had quite a lot of discussion following deaths in avalanches. Here to balance things slightly is a tale of a lucky survivor. Tom Greenall a Natives Senior Resort reporter. Thumbnail images will enlarge on clicking but don't open in a new window unless you force that behaviour using right clicks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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tom is a lucky lucky boy but it is worth remembering that the majority of people caught in avalanches do survive - someone I know was hit by an avy recently and carried over a 20 meter cliff - fortunately the slide preceeded him and he escaped without a scratch. It is an experience best avoided though.
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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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Only one time in my ski life has sliding snow carried my feet away (it's a bit weird when a confident traverse suddenly turns into an uncontrollable sideslip aboard a huge slab) but it was nothing like as scary as Tom Greenall has just gone through.
As you say, davidof, he's one very lucky puppy. What a great story.
Anyway, let's thank our lucky stars he made it - I'd have missed his interesting roving reports on Natives - and that one is by far the most interesting of the lot!
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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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I agree David, he writes some of the better stuff there. Nice to have some good news too Ian.
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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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I have only had the snow slip away once and I was able to mantain my footing and get away ok. It opened my eyes.
So this is a good story...with a good ending
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I posted about a major avalanche I experienced in St Anton just after Snowheads first started, and have had a couple of other ones - one like JTs when in Alpe d'Huez and the top 18" or so of wet fresh snow slid, but I managed to stamp/crouch down and use my hands to stop myself being knocked over. And another in Zermatt when maybe a foot of fresh powder went and I managed to ski out. But both these were minor compared to the Natives story...yikes 
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I have known Tom for a good few years since we raced in the same ski team at Uni - he was always more adventurous than most!!! I remember one time that he drove the minibus back from a race one handed due to a dislocated shoulder.
Always look out for his posts to see what he is currently up to.
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What struck me was the enormous amount of effort (and risk?) that these people (or poor old Mel, anyway) put into retrieving and hanging onto the gear. I can understand the wish to have two skis to use, but once that became impossible, I'd have junked everything that I didn't have to carry. Perhaps that's why I'm the sort of wimp who would'nt find themselves on a pair of skis up to my armpits in crud up an off piste gully in Alberta.
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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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do you think he could whinge a bit more.. i feel sorry for poor old mel!! fk your bloody boots mate! 
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