Ortovox S1 hits the streets running Series of accidents in the Alps French ski resorts saved by artificial snow Sun and clear skies bring icy conditions Multivictim searches with the Tracker Ski Peru Avalanche close to the col d’Izoard New Tracker finds avalanche victims in real time Vanoise Online Climbers injured by avalanche in the Belledonne

Monday, 30 April, 2007

Ortovox S1 hits the streets running

It has been a long wait for the Ortovox S1 but it seems to have been worth it. Supplies of this revolutionary avalanche transceiver are slowly making it into the shops. Original slated for the start of the 2005/2006 season the S1 is 18 months late. Development beset by a number of problems and Ortovox’ desire to get things right. When we tested a sample of the S1 in January 2006 it seemed to live up to its promise of simplifying the search process, especially when there is more than one victim.

Ortovox S1

Posted by davidof at 10:01 AM
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Sunday, 29 April, 2007

Series of accidents in the Alps

Despite snow cover resembling the end of May the conditions remain dangerous. The principal risk is from falls on hard snow but a Finnish ski mountaineer was caught by a slab avalanche today while skiing below les Bosses (4513 m) on the north face of Mont-Blanc. The incident occurred at 9h30 at around 4500 meters altitude. The man was carried 150 meters down the slope and was found by rescue workers from the PGHM from Chamonix buried under a meter of snow in a rimaye. Eye witnesses told us that he was the first of a group tackling the north face and the slab ruptured beneath his skis.

Posted by redac at 05:25 PM
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Tuesday, 24 April, 2007

French ski resorts saved by artificial snow

Last year French turnover for French ski lifts passed the billion euro milestone for the first time. It is estimated that the industry as a whole (equipment, accommodation, après-ski, travel) is worth around 6 billion euros for the French economy. Those Halcyon days are but a dim memory as industry profits have suffered a meltdown after a winter of above average temperatures and bad press reports.

snow making

Posted by davidof at 03:12 PM
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Tuesday, 17 April, 2007

Sun and clear skies bring icy conditions

A number of serious falls over the past week are a reminder that we are well into the spring skiing period. Clear skies and low overnight temperatures make the snow glass hard in the morning and standard equipment for ski tourers should include ski crampons (harscheisen), ice ax and crampons with a climbing helmet for steeper routes where there is a risk of stonefall. Yesterday our good friend Marco was helping skiers at the Col des Ecrins when one of them slid and fell over a 30 meter cliff face.

Posted by davidof at 09:12 AM
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Wednesday, 11 April, 2007

Multivictim searches with the Tracker

We took a short look at the multi-victim search strategy with Gregory, who represents Salewa which imports the avalanche beacon in France. When the Tracker is first switched to search mode it locks onto the strongest signal in its search strip (you may have to cross the search area to pick up a signal if the avalanche zone is large). Using the five direction arrows and distance indicator you can follow the flux line to the first victim.

Click on the [CC] button for English subtitles

Posted by davidof at 08:39 PM
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Monday, 09 April, 2007

Ski Peru

Ski Peru is the story of two skiers’ dream of descending the untamed slopes of Huascaran, although maybe “Ski Peru and die” would be a more appropriate title given the tragic climax to Peter Chrzanowski’s Peruvian odyssey. Filmed long before today’s adrenalin charged ski videos on heavy 16mm movie cameras there is no heavy rock soundtrack, no helicopters, no roboskiers mainlining powder at Mach 5.0. It is a slow moving film that explores man’s relationship with the mountain and what it is to ski into the unknown.

ski peru

Posted by davidof at 04:44 PM
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Sunday, 08 April, 2007

Avalanche close to the col d’Izoard

A women in her forties, resident of the Alpes de Haute-Provence, has been seriously injured by an avalanche in the Haute-Alpes. The slide carried the woman some 300 meters down the slope. The accident occured yesterday morning at 10h30 around 2500 meters altitude above the col d’Izoard close to Briancon.

Posted by redac at 04:26 AM
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Thursday, 05 April, 2007

New Tracker finds avalanche victims in real time

After a decade of loyal service Backcountry Access are updating their Tracker beacon for the 2007/08 season. The new Tracker 2 beacon is gaining a small third antenna and getting a processor upgrade. The third antenna gives the beacon a 3D view of the search area. Some manufacturers have used this extra information to provide a more advanced user interface. Backcountry Access are sticking with their tried and trusted direction arrows and distance design. Instead the upgrade will allow real time searching (see video) and a multi-victim indicator has been added.

Tracker 2 Avalanche Beacon

Posted by davidof at 08:42 PM
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Wednesday, 04 April, 2007

Vanoise Online

How much would you pay for high speed Internet access? 25 bucks? Not if you are one of the nine refuges currently going online in the Vanoise National Park in the Savoie. The project has so far cost a whopping 350,000 euros, paid for by the European Union and the Regional Government.

Refuge Felix Faure, Vanoise National Park

Posted by davidof at 08:17 AM
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Sunday, 01 April, 2007

Climbers injured by avalanche in the Belledonne

Four climbers from Lyon have been caught by an avalanche just before midday in the Belledonne mountains in the French Alps. They were climbing a couloir located on the north face of the Grande Lance de Domène. The first climber was just exiting the top of the couloir when he triggered a small slab avalanche. The snow slide caught two of the climbers and carried them over 300 meters down the slope.

grande lance
Image: camp2camp.com