Things that bug you.

As you do was considering what bugged me most this year whilst skiing.

Analogue only transceiver came to top of list. Some people seem genuinely proud to have an outdated piece of equipment, that worked in hand of an expert I.e. mountain guide, when nothing better was available. I even saw one with no visible indication of noise level i.e only works when wind is low enough to allow you to hear subtle change in noise.

Reality is most skiers do a quick check and maybe 15min training once per year, looking for single victim. Whilst this is wholly inadequate at least with modern digital/analogue transceiver you have a chance. Anyone who has simulated a search for 2+ victims on a slope will realize that any help is much appreciated. If you were ever to miss someone reality is on slope with debris even a 10m climb back up takes too much time. Once skiis are off everything becomes huge effort.

Fortunately am sure insurance companies will fix this one eventually and "appropriate equipment", "appropriate knowledge", will be replaced by some clearer definitions and required training.

Every training/practice of skiing in avalanche terraine is mostly focused on reducing the risk exposure. That's it if there is at least one burial mistakes have been made, if there are two burials these mistakes were huge. So I feel that while knowing your equipment is very important more time should be spend on learning how to reduce the possibility of ever having to use it. I practice searches with digital/analogue transciever maybe 2-3 times a year, for about an hour, but don't spend much time on multiple burials, 2 victims max. It bugs me far more seeing people cutting slopes above each other and skiing off-piste as if it's some sort of amusement park. I read in one blog that when a group goes off-piste it should be equiped and know their equipment but it should ski as if no-one has an ABS, transciever, shovel and probe. And I agree. Just because equipment is the lastest technology it doesn't mean it's OK to increase the exposure, and if only one person is exposed at a time analogue transciever can probably do the job just as well, particularly if no slide occured. When three skiers are searching for their three mates with "dated" euipment it's not the choice of equipment that will be questioned. Too many factors involved in succcessful rescue. Digging is very hard too. Location, depth of burial. I don't think that with a full burial unless it happened in the nearest vicinity of a busy ski area with accident clearly visible 3rd victim has any realistic chance reqardless of equipment, so this emphasis on equipment is misleading. The last avalanche victim this season actually even had an ABS and wasn't buried but he still died when his friends reached him.

I agree with VSB.

No amount of state of the art, high tech and expensive equipment, no matter how competently this can be used will do anything but slightly increase the likelihood of survival after an avalanche.

The key is without any doubt in my mind the ability to act prudently and pre-assess every off piste slope before crossing it or skiing it.

Now on a grumpy old man note ....
The accessibility of more and more off-piste to the average (ie; relatively inexperienced) skier and the improvement in kit has vastly increased the danger IMHO.

In the "old days" to get to and actually get down many of the off-piste routes and itineraries was a skill in itself. But the ease with which boarders can wander around and the decrease in skill level needed to manage these pistes with fat skis etc has not been followed with an increase in skill and judgement in assessing the situation.

I saw a very small slide last year up on the Grande Motte glacier area triggered by some skiers. No one caught, nothing but (I presume) a bit of a "thrill" and adrenaline rush for those invlved. But ......

From my position in the restaurant, in the afternoon, on a sunny day I did think - Hmmmmm, bit warm to be up there now perhaps?

I suppose I get rather annoyed at people that ignore safety warnings when they're ski-ing/boarding.

When we were ski-ing on the Grande Motte glacier in Tignes in October there were loads of warnings about not going off piste and the dangers of falling into a crevasse. And the very day we were ski-ing there (on the piste of course) somone fell into a crevasse off-piste

Luckily for them it wasn't one of those 'bottomless' ones and the rescue team got them out okay.

Narcissistic people with this years must have gadge - the GO PRO!!!!

Agree with VSB and OldAndy. Am sure both of you have also skied off-piste with say level 3 warning and thought was a reasonable risk incidents still happen. This is actually what draws people off piste, sense of freedom, responsibility, decision making and real risk even with guide that something could happen. I think is a bit naive to think that incidents can't happen, there is intrinsic danger in high mountains of avalanche from above, Serac fall.

Personally I have no ABS (I don't expect to be caught in avalanche) but still consider it my responsibility off skiing off-piste/glacier to have correct equipment. 30m rope, harness, prusiks, screws, probe, shovel, transceiver. Why because people make mistakes and I would wish to be able to assist. When you are looking at minutes in burial situation 1st person on scene has to be rescuer. Unlike crevasse etc anyway best option is nearly always to call in assistance. Avalanche is completely different, would your thinking be not to accept assistance if someone arrived where a friend or family member was buried because it was "your own mistake"? Would you be great full had they been trained and had modern equipment? I assume nobody would keep probing around alone and wave people past as "they knew risks".

My view is people always wish to push limits and sometimes this will mean incidents happen. Those people in vicinity enjoying same risks should be willing and prepared to assist. If those people who sometimes cut above you etc were encouraged to do a course and dig out a rucksack at 2m there appreciation for risk would change. I will still go for the fresh powder once it has settled and start on reasonable gradient slopes and stay off wind loaded slopes. Does that mean I have never seen a sluff where I thought was reasonable to ski on. No because whenever you're are on a slope, you are taking educated decision it is safe. If nobody ever took that, there would always be fresh tracks given no slope is 100% safe.

Brucie wrote:Narcissistic people with this years must have gadge - the GO PRO!!!!

Although as other brands are available...you could term it "wearable media"

bandit wrote:

Brucie wrote:Narcissistic people with this years must have gadge - the GO PRO!!!!

Although as other brands are available...you could term it "wearable media"

Oxymoron ??