I've been hearing about all these guys dying in avalanche accidents. I sometimes go sledding so it's a little scary.
My question is, there's got to be some way of saving yourself if you're caught underneath a ton of snow right? Can you not carry a dunes flag with you and if you get burried stick it straight up or something? Maybe shoot off a flare? Maybe a paint can can release when you fall off to show where you are?? Anything?
Avalanche protection
Started by
twistedkeys
, Feb 05 2012 10:47 PM
3 replies to this topic
Posted 06 February 2012 - 10:17 AM
First thing first, take an avy class. If you're completely buried you can't move (the snow is like concrete), and you will pass out within about 10 seconds making your ideas moot. Make sure you have a beacon, shovel, and probe, and that you and your partners know how to use them well. Know first aid/cpr because it doesn't matter how quickly you can dig your partner up if you can't revive them. Know the snow conditions, how weather effects the snowpack, and how to use the terrain to your advantage. And don't get cocky or let what you want to do blind you from what you should do. Pretty much all avy deaths are a result of human error.
To answer your question, the best protection is to not get caught. And maybe an airbag backpack, but you could still die from trauma. I don't know where you are in Utah but I used to ski patrol at a resort in the Wasatch, have been on a few rescues, a body recovery, and have gone for a ride or two myself and it sucks.
To answer your question, the best protection is to not get caught. And maybe an airbag backpack, but you could still die from trauma. I don't know where you are in Utah but I used to ski patrol at a resort in the Wasatch, have been on a few rescues, a body recovery, and have gone for a ride or two myself and it sucks.
Posted 06 February 2012 - 02:46 PM
deepaltapow, on 06 February 2012 - 10:17 AM, said:
First thing first, take an avy class. If you're completely buried you can't move (the snow is like concrete), and you will pass out within about 10 seconds making your ideas moot. Make sure you have a beacon, shovel, and probe, and that you and your partners know how to use them well. Know first aid/cpr because it doesn't matter how quickly you can dig your partner up if you can't revive them. Know the snow conditions, how weather effects the snowpack, and how to use the terrain to your advantage. And don't get cocky or let what you want to do blind you from what you should do. Pretty much all avy deaths are a result of human error.
To answer your question, the best protection is to not get caught. And maybe an airbag backpack, but you could still die from trauma. I don't know where you are in Utah but I used to ski patrol at a resort in the Wasatch, have been on a few rescues, a body recovery, and have gone for a ride or two myself and it sucks.
To answer your question, the best protection is to not get caught. And maybe an airbag backpack, but you could still die from trauma. I don't know where you are in Utah but I used to ski patrol at a resort in the Wasatch, have been on a few rescues, a body recovery, and have gone for a ride or two myself and it sucks.
Really good points, and I forgot about those beacons. Too bad most locals think "it won't be that big of a deal" and don't even read the safety tips. Kind of like bikers not wearing helmets because they think they won't crash.... I'm in Sevier btw, where did you patrol?
Posted 06 February 2012 - 10:10 PM
First... most importantly... education. Know how to read a slope, what has a higher chance of sliding, signs of instability... and check the avalanche center. Colorado has a pretty good one... check it before you go riding and take that info to heart.
Second... equipment. Beacon, shovel, and probe at the minimum. This comes after education, simply carrying them doesn't do much good if you don't know how to use them effectively.
Third... Not a "requirement" IMO but they're nice to have if you can afford them... avalanche airbag packs. Gas cylinder, trigger module, venturi tube, inverse segregation, blah blah blah... pull the handle, airbag inflates, and it floats you to the surface of the avalanche like wearing a lifejacket in water.
Even if you have this gear, don't take chances and put yourself in a dangerous situation simply because you're wearing an avy pack or have a beacon. As strange as it sounds, I've spent a lot of money on good avalanche gear and I hope I will never need to use it.
Bright red airbag folds inside the shoulders and top of the pack
Handle on the left shoulder attached to the trigger mechanism of the cylinder
Pull the handle, airbag inflates in about 8 seconds
Expensive but worth it if you ride avalanche terrain.
Second... equipment. Beacon, shovel, and probe at the minimum. This comes after education, simply carrying them doesn't do much good if you don't know how to use them effectively.
Third... Not a "requirement" IMO but they're nice to have if you can afford them... avalanche airbag packs. Gas cylinder, trigger module, venturi tube, inverse segregation, blah blah blah... pull the handle, airbag inflates, and it floats you to the surface of the avalanche like wearing a lifejacket in water.
Even if you have this gear, don't take chances and put yourself in a dangerous situation simply because you're wearing an avy pack or have a beacon. As strange as it sounds, I've spent a lot of money on good avalanche gear and I hope I will never need to use it.
Bright red airbag folds inside the shoulders and top of the pack
Handle on the left shoulder attached to the trigger mechanism of the cylinder
Pull the handle, airbag inflates in about 8 seconds
Expensive but worth it if you ride avalanche terrain.
