Last winter, there were
several avalanches in the Alps. Five soldiers of the “Légion étrangère” lost
their lives in a big one... The danger of avalanches, however, is not in fact as great as we
might imagine (the media tend to dramatize). In 2012, 17% of mountain deaths (36
people) were due to snowslide (compared to 82 who died because of hiking
accidents). However, avalanches obviously still are a major danger for mountain
climbers.
Avalanche meteorologists study snow and the causes of avalanches, and
thus contribute to making mountaineering safer. There are three mains types of avalanches.
The first is “powder snow
avalanches”. They occur during and just after snow fall. They are very fast (about
120km/h) and made of non-cohesive snow, creating a spectacular powder cloud.
But those avalanches are not so dangerous because they happen during bad
weather conditions, thus few people are usually out in the mountains when they happen.
The second type of snowslide,
and the most dangerous, is “slab avalanches” made of compact snow. During
snowfall, wind creates slabs which appear steady, but actually are not. Even a
little pressure can make them come down. They can happen after just a dozen
people pass over the slab, or, in a lot of cases, after another snow fall.
They’re very unpredictable.
The third type of avalanche is “spring avalanches”. As the name indicates, they happen during spring when
snow is melting. Because of rain, snow becomes more liquid and there is water
flow.
To avoid getting trapped in an
avalanche, you need to find out about the possible risks before leaving. And you
must always carry an AVD (Avalanche Victim Detector), plus a snow shovel and a probe, whatever the
conditions are.
Links:
Paul BATAILLE wants to become a professional mountain guide.
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