Avalanche safety starts with you

The factual truth

Last year, eleven people were killed in 58 avalanche accidents in Austria, according to Statista.com. That is significantly less than the year before. Awareness-raising, education and training, fast and up-to-date information transfer as well as appropriate safety equipment help to minimise the risk as best as possible. Once an avalanche starts moving, it sets off a chain reaction that cannot be stopped. The time factor plays a major role here. If buried victims are found within a quarter of an hour, 90% of them are still alive. The chances decrease with each additional minute. Ortovox has dedicated itself to the topic of safety and, in the course of this, asked Sigrun Holzer, a psychologist specialising in neuropsychology from Oberstdorf in the Oberallgäu, how the extreme situation affects rescuers.

"The less you have to think, the better".

On the question of what happens to people in an extreme stress situation - like an avalanche - the expert says: "A stress reaction leads to an improvement in our physical performance, but at the same time reduces our cognitive capacity. This is shaped by evolution. When our Stone Age ancestors saw the sabre-toothed tiger coming, it was a matter of being physically strong and being able to flee quickly. Our bodies therefore release hormones like cortisol and noradrenaline. More sugar is made available in the blood and the cells are supplied with extra energy. Now we do need strength, but actually in such a situation our head should be working. Instead, our cognitive abilities are on the back burner and goal-oriented action is difficult."

"Train and internalise action sequences"

How can you counteract this? The psychologist explains that during negative stress, the mind no longer functions properly. It then falls back on habitual patterns of action. Therefore, it is advisable to practise an automatism for an avalanche. "If you practise and internalise the procedure regularly, you are more likely to be able to recall it and fall back on a structured approach. I also advise a group to clarify at the car park who will take on which role in such an event. This saves time in an emergency and facilitates decision-making, whose rationality suffers under the influence of stress," is Sigrun Holzer's recommendation. It is therefore important to remain as calm as possible in a stressful situation and not to act hastily, even if the urge to act immediately is great. First take a few deep breaths and then get going. Holzer emphasises: "In general, it is advisable to do everything in advance that simplifies the complexity of the situation.

If it catches you - correct behaviour

In an avalanche it is a matter of life and death. With the right behaviour, you can increase your chances - be it through the optimal use of equipment, avoiding an early loss of control or protecting yourself from injury. Gerhard Vasold, Managing Director of SPORT Vasold in Liezen, has five tips on how to behave correctly in an avalanche:

• Try everything to stay on your feet and steer sideways out of the avalanche.
• If escape is no longer an option, part with your skis and ski poles in good time. These not only increase the risk of injury, but also the danger of being buried deeper. Above all, the ski poles must be removed so that your hands are free.
• Grab your equipment (pull the avalanche airbag) and try to stay on the surface of the avalanche with swimming movements.
• Before the compacted snow comes to a stop and you have no more room to move, use your hands to form a cavity in front of your mouth and nose. Then start trying to get into a crouched position: Arms in front of the chest, hands as a breathing cavity in front of the mouth and nose.

When you become a rescuer - correct behaviour

If you observe an avalanche from a distance and see people affected by it, it is important to keep a close eye on them and their final position. Knowledge of the situation is the most important prerequisite for a timely rescue. The mountain sports expert from Liezen also has some tips for avalanche helpers:

• Go to the suspected burial site and try to determine the exact position by optical or acoustic signals. But don't forget your own safety, because avalanches can always occur.
• Mark the suspected search area for permanent orientation.
• Structured, calm, but fast is the motto. If several people are present, the tasks are distributed: Inform mountain rescue, take command and coordinate situation, start search, prepare probes and shovels.
• Proper mastery of the avalanche transceiver is mandatory for all winter sports enthusiasts. The search starts by following the strongest signal and narrowing the radius more and more.
• Once the victim has been located, you immediately start digging. The most important task is to uncover the head and check that the airways are clear.
• The next steps are to initiate the necessary first aid measures and to prevent the victim from cooling down further. However, care must be taken when moving the victim. If the victim is hypothermic, movement can cause serious cardiovascular problems.
• Always stay at the scene of the accident until the rescue services arrive.

Learn from the best – the professionals when it comes to safety

Whether you are a beginner or a professional - you never stop learning about avalanche safety. Even experienced mountain experts regularly continue their education, exchange ideas, practise procedures and play out different scenarios in order to be prepared in the best possible way. Suitable equipment that is regularly checked for functionality and maintained plays just as big a role. Ortovox has made the topic of safety its mission and philosophy and, in addition to high-quality products, offers a Safety Academy with avalanche courses.

Ortovox began developing the first dual-frequency avalanche transceiver over 40 years ago. Now, with the DIRACT models, trend-setting avalanche beacons are coming onto the market once again. The DIRACT-VOICE model is the first avalanche transceiver with integrated voice navigation.

Learning risk management for more enjoyment of the sport

Whether on ski tours or freeriding: Whenever you go into unsecured terrain, you must be able to assess the avalanche risk. Careful planning, adapted behaviour in the terrain and the experience to recognise potential danger spots are the basis for your safety on tour. In order to impart this knowledge, Ortovox has been offering safety training and avalanche transceiver training for beginners and advanced skiers since 2008 in cooperation with around 30 mountain schools in the form of its own Safety Academy, the world's largest training initiative for avalanche prevention. True to the motto "Get trained and reduce the risk!"

Aims of the avalanche courses: best possible preparation to recognise dangers, assess the risk and take appropriate measures. In this way, you can carry out sensible risk management through considered action and continue to enjoy your sport for a long time to come.

Approach the preparation with understanding

When it comes to safety in touring, there are so many things to consider in order to have experienced your mountain adventure with the greatest possible enjoyment at the end. Gerhard Vasold, managing director of SPORT Vasold in Liezen, is of the opinion that everyone must concern themselves with avoiding emergencies. He answered a few questions about this.

Most common mistakes and fatal errors

• Carrying the avalanche transceiver in your backpack instead of on your body.
• Plastic shovel instead of metal
• Starting a tour without a plan and ignoring forecasts (weather, snow conditions, avalanche hazards).
• Thinking they are safe with avalanche transceivers and other safety equipmen
• False ambition
• Do NOT put your hands in the loops of the poles, otherwise you run the risk of being carried away in an avalanche..
• Forest does NOT protect you from avalanches; below the forest line it is just as dangerous.
• Ski tracks made by others do NOT guarantee avalanche safety.
• Tracks in the snow do NOT guarantee a safe route.