I made a mistake and I had a narrow escape! “
Valais. While skiing in Lauchernalp in Lötschental, a resort described as a “paradise for freeride, he was caught in an avalanche. At 3000 m altitude, Nicolas Falquet was swept several hundred meters and 300 meters high! He stopped at the surface of the slide. Without his airbag, he would have probably been buried under several feet of snow. The professional freerider escaped “just” a deep wound in his right knee. Nicolas Falquet Snowpulse ensures that the system developed by a small company Valais has certainly saved his life. This “snow airbag, which cost about 1,100 francs each, can be deployed in an avalanche. He then offers additional protection and can be vital to the backcountry enthusiast.
“Our product can significantly increase the chance of surviving an avalanche. Since 2007, we were 27 reported cases of people who have used this product in a positive way. It covers only those cases for which we received a report. There must be many more, “said Pierre-Yves Guernier, technical director of the Valais Snowpulse SA, whose headquarters is based in Verbier and that as ambassadors Falquet brothers Jeremiah and Heitz.
“We emphasize, however, that the Life Bag is not infallible and should be considered an additional element of the array that should have any fan of off-piste. Being equipped with an airbag system like ours should not be considered to be a blank check to go off piste without risk “
How does it work?
Technically, its creators explain that the bags contain Snowpulse an airbag built into the straps, and a cartridge of compressed air located in the backpack. In case of avalanche, the airbag inflates in 3 seconds by pulling an ergonomic handle. Once inflated, it helps protect the user against impact and through the physical phenomenon of reverse segregation, he brings the victim to the surface of the avalanche. The physical principle of “inverse segregation” demonstrates that in a moving fluid, large particles, at equivalent density, are found on the surface of it after awhile.
The airbag increases the volume of the victim while decreasing its density, which has the effect to improve its buoyancy. Avalanche tests performed with dummies 90Kg have also demonstrated the role played by the airbag position relative to the body of the victim. It was found that air bags located around the head and thorax promotes a head position at the surface and back, seriously limiting the burial of the victim’s face.
“After consulting with weather maps, we decided to go on the field Lauchernalp in Lötschental. We skied for us, just for fun. No camera, no pressure. We just wanted to have fun and make the gradient. We do not know the station and found a really cool place, all went well until early afternoon ... “says professional freerider.
Drama at 3000m
“Having skied for several hours, we were on top of a corridor at about 3000 meters above sea level. It was difficult to estimate the quality of the snowpack and may be involved. The avalanche danger was 3 and had been aware that he had therefore to be cautious, “says Nicolas Falquet.
“I decided to rush first into the corridor until spotless. I did the first track without dwelling, skiing super fast, a way to limit risk. Loris and “Kid” (the nickname of Jeremiah Heitz) followed. Two other local freeriders also down the corridor after us at a pace less intense than ours, by linking short turns, “said the amateur sports.
“At this moment, I told myself I was going to pay dearly!”
“With Loris and” Kid “, we went back a second time at the top of this corridor we liked well. This time I’m in third party after my two friends. That’s when the tragedy occurred. I had just hired me because I felt that it was leaving. After a first turn left, everything started to shake like taking a carpet under my feet! I immediately raised my airbag. It swelled in seconds. But, I typed, however violently rocks with his knees and then I told myself that I pay dearly ... “
“Then I was swept away, kept the surface of the avalanche airbag. This has not been provided a moment of pleasure. It was not as quiet as a descent on a buoy Aquaparc but rather an endless fall as in a washing machine! With the added feeling didn’t know when it would stop! In particular, I passed a bar of rocks from 5-10 meters tall. I finally stopped his head on the surface of an avalanche of 5 meters thick. “
“I was lying on its side. I had just buried an arm because of my stick blocked by snow. I shook my head, threw some snow and I found that I had gone out without too much trouble! In the end, I just felt pain in his right knee which had morflé well during my fall. It was cut deep enough, the skin was torn off. You could see the joint ... “says the Vaudois.
“I do not really know what started casting me away but it’s clear that I did something stupid and I escaped. The airbag system that I take during my trips saved my life! It was a beautiful demonstration of the effectiveness of this security feature! “
...
