J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by admin

Pistehors have an analysis of last season's avalanche incidents available.

The early season snow cover prevented a catastrophic situation such as that experienced in 2005/6, where a thin snow pack results in a persistent weak base, from developing. There were more fatalities involving tourers (ski and snowshoe) compared to off piste skiers. Only the Savoie saw more fatal incidents involving off pisters. The touring incidents indicate areas where skills can be improved. In two incidents victims had not switched on their beacons. There were other issues with route choice and group management as well as a lack of appreciation as to how slabs are formed and triggered.

The full report can be found here - Analysis of Avalanche Accidents in France for the 2008/2009 season

Food for thought, and recommended reading for anyone heading away from the pistes.

CairnGorm Mountain's head of ski patrol Colin Matthew says Scotland is offering great skiing at present, as he came in from checking the thigh-deep powder snow which has blanketed Scotland's premier ski resort right over the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

The centre is currently enjoying its best start to the season for 14 years with ever improving conditions since it opened in November.

Over 1000 skiers and snowboarders celebrated New Year's Day at the resort above Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands by skiing on the mountain although overhead conditions were less attractive than on some recent days with falling snow reducing visibility.

The keenest skiers even spent Hogmanay in the car park at the resort in order to be first onto the slopes; several large campervans were parked there overnight in freezing conditions and falling snow.

By New Year's Day 16000 skiers have enjoyed the early snow on CairnGorm during 29 days of skiing since the resort first opened this season on 28th November 2009. In the same period last season only 4000 skiers took to the slopes and there were only 16 days on which it was possible to ski.

Spokesman Colin Kirkwood commented: "It is unusual for us to have such deep and persistent snow this early in the season and a real bonus for both our regular skiing customers and the many who are visiting us for the first time with several saying that they have opted to ski here rather than in their usual habitat of the Alps. And with temperatures forecast to remain below freezing for the next week to ten days and more snow due to fall, we are building an excellent base which we should be able to hold onto for some considerable time. This all serves to increase awareness of and interest in skiing in Scotland –and of its rewards and challenges."

Courtesy of and © Snow24 plc

The number of ski areas in the world may be increasing rather than decreasing with hundreds of new centres having opened in Eastern Europe and in Asia over the past decade.

The latest country to announce a big increase in their ski area count is Turkey, where government ministers announced plans to open up to 40 small ski centres across the mountainous east and south east of the country over the next two years.

Sports Minister Faruk Nafiz Özak announced that the Turkish government plans to promote winter sports for children and to boost socio-economic development in rural areas as part of its democratic initiatives in the region, which borders Iraq and includes areas with a Kurdish majority where sometimes violent conflict has occurred.

Sports Minister Faruk Nafiz Özak is considering projects for encouraging winter sports for kids in eastern and southeastern provinces including Hakkari, Van and Tunceli. He said the projects could contribute to the government's pursuit of social and legislative reforms as part of its initiative to end the decades-old conflict with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.

The first of the 40 planned centres are due to be built on the slopes of the Sümbül Mountain in Hakkari and on Harsi (Ovac?k) Mountain in Tunceli. They are expected to be complete by the end of the year and open for the 2010/11 season. More ski areas are reported to be under construction in Turkey's Ardahan, Van and A?r? provinces, too. Existing ski centers in Siirt, Mu? and Bitlis are being upgraded as part of the programme.

"I find this project very important. The ski centers will boost socio-economic activities fueled by winter tourism in the region," said Özak told local media

"Skiing is not only a sporting activity, but also affects social and economic life. Skiing is the best option for eastern and southeastern Anatolian provinces that are covered in snow for more than six months a year."

Despite its reputation with Western European tourists as a sunshine destination, Turkey is one of the world's most mountainous countries and is home to some of the highest peaks in the region.

There is a long skiing history in the country and around 20 ski areas currently operational. A new cable car built by Doppelmayr opened recently to link an Anatolian beach resort with a ski area above. It provides the possibility for a combined ski and sun holiday with the 4/.3km long lift Europe's longest cable car and the world's second longest.
Courtesy of and © Snow24 plc

From this BBC Report :-

A double avalanche has killed three people, including at least one rescuer, in the Diemtigtal valley about 40km (25 miles) south of the Swiss capital Bern.

The dead rescuer was a doctor who had been trying with others to help a group of skiers hit by the first avalanche when the second occurred, police say.

and

A separate avalanche on Sunday killed a man in Switzerland's Valais canton.

Other sources indicate that the second tragedy was "near Verbier".

Pistehors report a New Years Day tragedy in the Combe des Lanchettes, Les Arcs - a gully with something of a reputation for producing large (and deadly) avalanches.

The full report may be found here.

Three skiers, including a high mountain guide, have been killed by an avalanche in the notorious North East facing Combe des Lanchettes at les Arcs around midday today. The guide, 35 year old Benjamin Gaimard, was accompanied by a season worker and a tourist, both French nationals. Benjamin is the son of local guide Alain Gaimard owner of the ski school Arc Adventures and grand-son of former Bourg St Maurice mayor. Needless to say the whole community is in shock at the news.

All were equipped with avalanche beacons and ABS Airbags. The bodies of two of the skiers have been found under 6 meters of snow. Another skier has been located under 9 meters of snow but the rescue services were not able to recover his body. The avalanche was over 1000m long and broke on two sides of the combe. The debris was spread over a 100x50 meter zone and was 12 meters deep in places. The snow was extremely heavy and wet.

The avalanche risk was 3/5 (Considerable) above 2100 meters. Meteo France noted that the snowpack was slowly stabilizing with the freeze/thaw cycle but above 2100 meters there was up to 70cm of fresh snow in the sector that had been accompanied by west to south-west winds. Wet snow had fallen to 2500 meters adding to the instability. The avalanche bulletin warned against west to north to east slopes where a weak layer of facetted snow is present with the possilbility of triggering avalaches of considerable volume.

Once again we're reminded that avalanches are no respecters of either experience or equipment.

ise wrote:Mike Langran has a balanced view I think if you read his comments about Natasha Richardson.

Indeed, and I think the majority of your other observations are spot on... except for...

ise wrote:The problem here is you've got one group of people who are convinced wearing a helmet prevents a likely fatal injury and another group who've correctly assessed that sort of accident is unlikely.

It's clearly possible for intelligent, experienced skiers to do their own risk assessment and come to a decision that's right for them on either side of the debate. What's important is that they have that debate and make their decision based on a sound understanding of the risks.

A skier unaware of the risks of skiing is going to be a danger to themselves and others; regardless of whether they're wearing a helmet or not.

I skied for nearly 20 years without a helmet; I now choose to wear one.

I view it in a similar light to an avalanche transceiver :- if my risk assessment and situational awareness are up to scratch then I'll hopefully never need it.

The probability of an individual skier suffering a head injury (or being buried under an avalanche) is extremely small. But it's not zero, and never can be. So if you bang your head (glancing blow on an icy piste, or a short slip in a rocky couloir)... would you rather be wearing a helmet or not? It's not going to save you from a high-speed impact but it might one day mean you walk away from a minor tumble that could have gone very badly.

How about turning the debate the other way - why wouldn't you wear a helmet?

Modern helmets are almost as light as hats, don't impinge on your peripheral vision or your hearing, are adjustably warm, less sweaty, less itchy and you can park your goggles without them steaming up... really, what's not to like? 8)

But that's all just IMHO - it's personal choice and I hope it remains so; I'd far rather share the piste with a hat-man who's thought about it than a helmet-wearer who hasn't.

freezywater wrote:okay, so assuming that I decided to look seriously at helmets, what should I be looking for in terms of safety level as I assume that like motorbike helmets or cycle helmets the more you pay the better you get?

N.B. This is NOT the "should I wear a helmet" debate. Please constrain replies to answering freezy's question. 8)

Yes, one of our data sources is down - they're working on it now; should be back in action shortly. Apologies for any withdrawal symptoms...