La Chamoniarde

Basic questions
before skiing off-piste
OFF-PISTE& SKIING
SAFETY
ABOUT
WHAT
YOU SHOULD KNOW
WARNING
Conception / réalisation : La Chamoniarde - Pôle Montagne Risk
Impression : Ville de Chamonix
avec le soutien financier du Ministère de la Ville, de la Jeunesse et des Sports
Traduction by : Claire Taillard
©Tous droits réservés - 2016
photo de couverture : Julia Roger-veyer
Skiing off-piste requires a lot of knowledge and practice. Yet it involves some
serious hazards. Reading these lines entail the sole responsibility of the reader. La Chamoniarde will not be held responsible for any accident occurring
after reading this booklet.
BASICS
OFF-PISTE SKIING
Avalanche beacon, shovel, probe and an ABS avalanche pack
will not STOP AN AVALANCHE from occurring.
First you must check conditions (see ” what you should know” ). If you chose to ride
off-piste, prepare yourself and be properly equipped …
photo : Julia Roger-veyer
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT snow and avalanches
Tip: Pole test
SNOW COVER
Consecutive snowfalls
forming packed snow
layers are subject to
change during winter.
(evaluating slope angle)
Place your pole horizontally on
the snow, keeping to the downhill angle of the slope. Then
plant each pole exactly at each
end of the track left by the pole.
Connect both pole straps.
Pole leaning uphill
On slopes angled over 30°, avalanches can be
naturally triggered (due to rain, snowfall, temperature rising), or accidentally triggered by skiers
(one or more), or when both situations occur.
Wet snow
(during spring
time or rainfall)
pole in a straight up position
Pole leaning downhill
• Wind and temperature variations
can directly effect snow cover stability.
• Note that recent weather conditions (last hour, day or week) basically affect snow cover overall, and
therefore have an impact on avalanche hazard!
CLUES !
3 types of avalanches
Wind slabs
(most frequent
and most dangerous)
= 30°
> 30°
Super tip: download the inclinometer app on
your telephone
Powder snow
avalanches
(may occur
during snowfall)
< 30°
WIND ? RAIN ? SNOW ?
RECENT AVALANCHES ?
Temperature rising ?
• It is hard, almost impossible for ALL OF US to daily keep a close eye on snow
cover above valley ground. METEO FRANCE solves the problem with a DAILY
snow report.
BERA
(Avalanche hazard assessment report)
An absolute must for all riders!
It evaluates the risk
- 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5
- elevation ?
- slope aspect ?
It analyses
snow cover stability
((It sees everything
one can’t see from above)
(Turn to see example)
It is available each night.
Go online and freely access the METEO FRANCE website.
(www.meteo.fr)
Avalanche hazard flags
• Each day the flag is a brief indicator of the situation. One needs more to
choose a riding line accordingly.
1 2
3
Snow stability is OK but I should avoid some specific areas.
Because the risk is quite high on some of the slope aspects, I will have to
chose my lines carefully if I don’t want to get caught in an avalanche.
(Level 3 must be considered as high, in other words the hazard is “SIGNIFICANT” or even “CONSIDERABLE” )
4
Chances that I trigger an avalanche myself are very high everywhere.
5
What’s up on TV?
Flag warning doesn’t provide information about slope aspects, snow quality
and type of avalanche expected. Avalanche hazard grade and flag indicate
several possible triggering sources! Reading the avalanche hazard assessment report (BERA) is the only reliable source of information that will help
you select the right riding line and minimize risk.
05/01/2016 13:24:48
BULLETIN D'ESTIMATION
DU RISQUE D'AVALANCHE
MASSIF DU MONT-BLANC
(Valable en dehors des pistes balisées et ouvertes)
ESTIMATION DU RISQUE JUSQU'AU MERCREDI 06 JANVIER 2016 AU SOIR
: pentes plus dangereuses
Au-dessus de 2200 m : Risque fort. En-dessous : Risque marqué.
N
4
O
2200m
3
E
S
AVIS DE FORT RISQUE D'AVALANCHE
Départs spontanés : quelques ruptures de
plaques possibles
Déclenchements skieurs : possibles
même à distance
neige instable
5 très fort, 4 fort, 3 marqué, 2 limité, 1 faible
STABILITE DU MANTEAU NEIGEUX
Mercredi, les nouvelles chutes de neige attendues pourront provoquer naturellement quelques ruptures de plaques ,
localement un départ d'avalanche dans un couloir encore très chargé (moyenne/haute montagne)
Vu l'empilement des couches de neige récentes non stabilisées, régulièrement ventées , de nombreuses pentes sont
sensibles au moindre passage (une seule personne), parfois même en passant au pied de la pente. Plus haut que
2200 m environ , une cassure de plaque peut emporter toute l'épaisseur de neige présente.
NEIGE FRAICHE à 1800 m
(cm)
passée prévue
APERCU
METEO
nuit
pluie-neige
iso 0°C
vent 2000 m
vent 4000 m
700 m
1000 m
10 km/h
30 km/h
mercredi 6 janv.
matin
après-midi
50
40
30
30
20
20
10
0
20
2
ven. 1
sam. 2
dim. 3
lun. 4
(journée + nuit suivante)
15
1
mar. 5
mer. 6
EPAISSEUR DE NEIGE HORS-PISTE
700 m
1000 m
10 km/h
40 km/h
1000 m
10 km/h
30 km/h
QUALITE DE LA NEIGE
Mercredi, les nouvelles chutes de neige, peu ventées ,
apporteront de la poudreuse, reposant sur de la neige plus ou
moins ventée.
Si les départs skis ou raquettes aux pieds peuvent s'effectuer
dès 1000/1200 m , le manque de sous-couche demande
encore une grande prudence lors des descentes à skis.
De plus, les glaciers sont toujours peu enneigés.
TENDANCE ULTERIEURE DU RISQUE
jeudi 07
vendredi 08
BULLETIN NEIGE ET AVALANCHES
08 92 68 10 20
Service 0,35€/min + prix appel
Centre météorologique de Chamonix
Elaboré le
05-01-2016 à 16h leg.
WWW.METEO.FR
08 92 68 10 20
134 avenue de Courmayeur 74403 CHAMONIX
Courriel : chamonix@meteo.fr / Tel : 04 50 53 63 04 / Fax : 04 50 53 63 09
WHAT YOU SHOULD
NOT BELIEVE
photo : Gianvi Galtarossa
• It is safe because there are tracks!
• Hard Snow is stable!
• Great weather conditions are safe!
• We are safe because marked ski runs are close!
• That if you know this place well nothing can happen!
• Lot’s of trees can hold snowload !
... Situation
to prove you
wrong
!
Well, yeah…..slopes above the trees could still break loose !
• Yellow flag means no worries!
No way, Jose! … Yellow flag means that a lot of slopes are prone to see a slide occur. Only
few lines are safely ridable… or not! like a south aspect slope at 2 pm on a sunny spring
day… you ‘ll get the ride of your life … to hell!
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT skiing off piste as a group
• ALWAYS SKI ONE AFTER THE OTHER:
Riders should always keep their distances
from one another.
• YOU MUST STOP IN A “SAFE “PLACE
…just below a large rock or a huge tree…
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT EQUIPMENT
HORS-PISTE
Skiing equipment is different
from the one used on the groomed.
UNGROOMED (can go from powder to barely ridable to unri-
dable)
UNMARKED (no sign, no pole numbers, no map, no colours. No
way to know where you are)
NO SIGNS (avalanche risk on unmarked terrain with cliffs, rocks,
roots, ice patches, crevasses etc)
NOT PATROLLED (no one around to see or hear something in case
of a problem)
COMFORT KIT
SAFEY KIT
ORIENTATION KIT
Compass
Altimeter
UVA
UVB
map or topo
Always Keep beacon away from all electronic device!
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT searching for a single victim
AVALANCHE DEPOSIT
Victim search starts where
victim was last seen:
NO signal
20 m/60ft
Searching for a first signal
- Skiing down across avalanche
deposit in long zig zag turns gets
done quickly.
20 m
BEEP !
40
BEEp : signal
4
25
Approximate search
2,5
1,6
1, 1
- Operate slowly
- signal distance decreases
- Follow the arrow
Close-up search
- Move very slowly
- Take your skis off
- keep the beacon close to snow
- Search for shortest distance from
signal
Pay attention to where signal
weakens exactly
2,6
Get as close as possible to the victim
and
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT probing and shovelling
90°
The probe should be planted at a 90 degree
angle with the snow, and as deep as possible into snow cover. Leave probe in place if in
doubt or feeling resistance. As soon as you
enter close-up search, start probing just behind
the person who is searching for signal.
Probe again just at signal marking flag.
Hold shovel like a rowing paddle
Always start shovelling at least 2 meters below
signal flag and probe in place. For best results
group members should take turns at first signs
of fatigue. In order to free victim rapidly, make
sure you shovel and throw snow downhill and
to the sides, and proceed to very first aid assistance (clear airways first).
To release a victim buried under 1 meter ( 3 feet) of snow it takes:
• 15 minutes with an avalanche beacon/ a shovel/a probe,
• 30 minutes without a probe, (after 15 min chances of survival are getting low),
• around 1h30 with a beacon only!!!
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT TRAINING
TRAIN YOURSELF
to save life!
photo : Eric Courcier
• 2 groups, one person timing
• Equipment: >Beacon, shovel and probe
• Group A picks a slope and buries a transmitting back pack 80 cm ( 2,5 ft) deep
into the snow. The timer starts and group B starts the search. Only one person
searches for signal with the beacon.
• In the meantime, group A carries on with probing and shovelling practice exercises.
Keep in mind that after 15 min chances of survival are very low. A successful
operation highly depends on efficient probing and shovelling in order to gain
time.
•
A and B switch training exercise.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT DECISION MAKING
Who would want to go freeriding when the risk for avalanche is at its HIGHEST,
in a bad storm allowing poor or no visibility, in too steep and exposed terrain, or with
lots of rocks and ice around?
NOBODY!
This is why the night before you ride, you should check:
weather report
The Avalanche risk assessment report (BERA)
your skiing level
the line
conditions at the time
WEATHER REPORT
MAISON DE LA MONTAGNE
First reading = CLUES FOR AVALANCHES BUT ALSO :
• Visibility• In thick cloud conditions or fog, you can’t see cliff bands, rocks,
terrain variations, riding buddies …
• Windchill rating • wind increases sensation of cold and resulting damages :
40km/h ( 65 miles) wind will affect temperatures: -10 C° drops to -20C°.
• Temperatures • Cold can cause finger and toe numbness leading to frost bite
• Rain/ snow • poor visibility
BERA
Just in case you skipped the first pages of our booklet, please go back and read
the BERA section !
LEVEL
Don’t just blindly follow a group down a 45 ° slope or a narrow, steep couloir, or
you may regret it and wish you were on your coach watching TV. Get informed
first!
THE LINE
- Are there any sheltered spots for stopping safely while skiing ?
- Is it exposed (cliff bands, crevasses, seracs) ?
- Does it get skied or not ?
- Does the slope angle exceed 30°?
- Are there any steep slopes above?
Prepare for situations like:
- weather changes ( ie. Fog),
- Sending an alert ( assuming you know where you are)
- or any other potential problem,
KNOW YOUR ACCESS ROUTE AND LINE!
CONDITIONS AT THE TIME
Terrain and snow conditions can change constantly. It can
change from skiable to absolutely unskiable or deadly overnight (for example due to a sudden wind gust during the night)?
So get informed!
If your check list is complete, tell friends about your
plan and choice of line.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT YOUR SKI BUDDIES
PARTY FRIENDS/BIG TALKERS/ WITH LOTS OF GREAT LOOKING GEAR/
WITH A GOPRO
ARE NOT ALWAYS THE ONES WHO KNOW
?
THE MOST.
?
?
?
T?H
E B OS S
?
Nor your personal ego,
nor your desire to impress the girls,
nor your amazing riding skills
make a good GROUP LEADER of you.
The group leader should have great leadership skills: he should be able to
safely lead the group down the run, paying attention to all group members.
Personality, skills, motivation and group profile are also important to
select group leader.
LISTEN TO YOUR MOOD AND BODY CONDITION
here we are!
...well just about
Once at the meeting point, we check weather report and skiing
conditions again.
- Have weather and snow conditions changed overnight ( check wind,
temperatures and weather)?
- If you are close to a groomed run, talk with a ski patroller about snow
conditions and your choice of run.
The group proceeds to avalanche beacon tests
- batteries should show 50% charge minimum
- test your beacon in receiving AND transmitting position !
Beacons in receiving mode
Group leader in receiving mode
His beacon
works in
receiving
mode but not
in transmitting
position
2,6
1,1
1,1
- groomed
runs
- go home
x
1,1
2,6
One by one each group member walks
past the group leader checking changes
in distance scale on beacon.
Note:
The group leader must remember to switch
position on his beacon at the end of the test.
Now the group leader walks up to and
past each group member in order to
test transmission for each beacon
individually.
ALONG THE ENTIRE RUN,
from the beginning to the end :
observe, listen,
stay aware, ask yourself about conditions
and in doubt KNOW TO TURN AROUND
or CHANGE plan
- Can you see signs of recent avalanches (spontaneously triggered or not)?
Snow cracks forming while you are traversing across a slope?
- Can you hear a hollow sound under your skis?
- Can you feel strange and sudden movements under your feet?
- Can you see signs of snow blown away and forming accumulation (windblown
slopes, cornices, wind slabs) ?
- Take your skis off and see how deep your foot goes into the snow: up to your
boot, knee or higher?
- Use your ski pole, hold it upside down. Plant and push it down into the snow,
trying to feel resistance due to varying quality of snow layers under you.
- You can also dig a 1 m ( 3 feet) deep hole, and look for flimsy snow layers, or
layers showing a potential for slides.
These features are warnings that indicate that you have all the reasons to
stay alert and stay alort and be extra careful.
BEWARE OF THE DEADLY TRIO !
• knee deep powder
• flimsy buried snow layer
• steep slope above and down your ski line (>30 °)
Plan A Run
Plan B Run
Plan C : turn around
IN CASE
OF AVALANCHE
Keep an eye on the victim until he disappears or gets buried
1
Keep calm – Call for rescue
On site . call for help out loud: another group may be close and able to
help, (you can whistle, move your arms up and down, use your poles,
use your headlamp for signals in the dark).
On the phone
In France dial 112
In Switzerland dial (Wallis region) 144
In Italy dial (Aosta valley ) 118
Before calling take a couple of seconds to gather necessary information and inform about your location (map of ski area, phone
GPS …).
WHO?
WHERE? GPS RECORDS
WHAT?
WEATHER CONDITIONS?
Your name
Your phone number
Size of avalanche
Number of buried victims
Be as precise as possible. Inform about
location, the route, elevation, slope orientation...
Advise on visibility, wind?
Possible Drop zone?
(helicopter landing area)
If there is no mobile phone service, chose 2 reliable people in the group and
send them down to find phone reception, to reach the closest hut or to the
nearest ski lifts, where he is able to access the nearest emergency station.
If there is no service and you are alone,
proceed to SEARCHING!
3
You are looking for the victim
- Look for signs on the surface
- Start searching using your avalanche beacon
- probe and clear snow above the victim
- proceed to first aid gestures
- comfort and keep the victim warm.
- Prepare terrain nearby for drop zone.
-You can call rescue again
One person stands with arms up, to signal location to helicopter.
NEED RESCUE?
YES
NO
Rescue team are coming…. Who are they?
Ski patrols operate in and nearby ski areas. In France National Rescue “Gendarmes” ( the blue helicopter) or Civil Security ( it is yellow and red). Rescue
officers (PGHM (national mountain rescue team), CRS ( special police force)
, Civil Security , rescue organisations, detector dog-handlers)…and the mountain medical team specialist if necessary.
It is so easy
to join and follow a bunch of friends
and tracks just like that…
It is hard to resist
because the weather is beautiful,
the mountain looks great,
it feels good
and it is so much fun…
But life is all about staying ALIVE!
Maison de la Montagne, 190 place de l’église-74400 Chamonix
Tel : 04 50 53 22 08 / www.chamoniarde.com
La Chamoniarde