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| Avalanche - Judging Risk |
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| The more you understand about avalanches and their causes, the better you will be able to avoid risky situations. Knowledge is safety. |
| Safety |
A number of methods have been developed to ascertain the safety of a slope. The most thorough involve digging a hole in a similar (but safe) slope to check if the layers of snow are stable.
If you plan to do a lot of off piste skiing, take a course in snow safety, organised by the local guides' associations or ski club.
Even with a guide, it pays to be aware at all times of the level of avalanche danger. Keep a constant check on the slopes around, noting where there has been recent avalanche activity.
If a nearby pitch like the one you are about to ski has slid - chances are yours will too the moment you put your weight on it. |
| What To Look Out For |
- Steep, open slopes, especially if convex.
- Large amounts of new snow (anything over 20 cm).
- High winds, particularly overnight.
- Cornices or other evidence of recent wind activity.
- Explosions or other signs of avalanche clearing on nearby pistes.
- Cracks in the snow.
- Creaking noises, hollow sounding snow surface.
- Sounds of dripping water or balls of wet snow running down the slope.
If in doubt, don't ski or ride it. No run is worth dying for.
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