In the last few days several Alpine locations were affected by avalancheswhich in some cases also overwhelmed people: while a Livigno an avalanche broke off at Carosello 3000, overwhelming one snowboardera Courmayeur a block of snow broke away from the slope of Mont Blanc, descending to a ski area where several athletes were located. Looking outside Italy, an avalanche in California swept away a group of 16 skiers, with 10 of them still missing in the Sierra Nevada.
As reported by the AINEVA bulletins (the Interregional Association that produces bulletins relating to snow and avalanches), at the moment in a large part of the mountain range the avalanche risk is classified as strongwith a degree of danger 4 – on a scale ranging from 1 to 5. The Association has in fact warned that «with the snowfall and the at times stormy wind coming from the North-West, in the last three days there have been new accumulations of windy snow”: the problem is that these unstable accumulations can easily “be detached following the passage of a single winter sports enthusiast”.
Before embarking on a mountain excursion, it is good to know how to behave, what is best to avoid and above all how to act safety in case of avalanche: la prevention in fact, the knowledge of the territory and the risks involved is better.
What to do before starting a mountain excursion: prevention and safety
Before organizing a mountain excursion, it is necessary know well how to behave: prevention in the case of avalanches consists first and foremost in know which areas are most subject to this type of phenomenon. In this case, it is possible to consult the AINEVA bulletins, which classifies the risk of avalanches in the different mountainous areas day by day: the danger scale ranges from 1 (weak danger, rare and small avalanches) to 5 (very strong, large natural avalanches expected which can also threaten anthropic areas).
As the Association itself highlights, most accidents occur with a danger level of 3 (considerable), because the risk of avalanches is underestimated. If the first suggestion is to consult the snow reports, the other guidelines provided by the Civil Protection include:
- Never be alone: for self-rescue to be possible, it is essential that at least one member of the group is not overwhelmed by the avalanche.
- Respect the signs and the indications on the slopes, especially those regarding off-piste descents.
- Avoid passing through slopes with steep slopes and considerable snow cover, especially in the hottest hours, or taking unknown paths.
- Avoid crossing suspicious areas such as open slopes, gullies, leeward areas, moving instead to safer points of the terrain, such as rocks and flat sections.
- Communicate always to family or friends the place where you go.
- In case of heavy snowfall, find a safe route to reach shelter.
- During excursions in the high mountains, the Civil Protection also suggests that you carry with you the ARTVA device: it is an always active transmitter that signals the presence under snow and avalanches and which proves to be essential in the event of loss of consciousness.
What to do in case of an avalanche
Once you understand how to prepare a mountain excursion, How should we behave if an avalanche overwhelms us or someone in our group? Avalanches are nothing more than a sudden loss of stability of the snow present on a slope, with the subsequent sliding of that portion of the snowpack towards the valley. Avalanches, however, almost always occur in the same places, i.e. in high mountain areas with bare rocky terrain, between 2,000 and 3,000 metres, mostly devoid of plant cover.
In the event of an avalanche, therefore, it is necessary:
- Remember that during an avalanche snow tends to accumulate in the central area and therefore it may be easier to find a side escape route.
- Try to keep one free space in front of the chesttrying to create a “funnel” in front of the mouth and nose.
- Move arms and legs, as if you were swimming, to try to get closer to the edge of the avalanche and stay on the surface.
- If you have an airbag backpack, you should open it as soon as you realize the danger of an avalanche.
- If yes witnesses of an avalanchea, it is fundamental call the mountain rescue as soon as possible by dialing 112, single number for emergencies, providing your name and surname, telephone number and your location if you have a locator or GPS.
As with all emergencies, it is essential in this case too act as soon as possible: This is because when a person gets trapped in an avalanche, the snow covers their mouth and nose, preventing them from breathing. At the same time, the mass of snow could prevent movement, also quickly leading to hypothermia and frostbite.
