Despite clear warnings, 4/5 and 40cm in the village overnight folk still headed for the back bowls when the Tete du Balme lift opened at 11am. I saw at least five avalanches triggered by skiers/boarders. The largest was triggered by a boarder who was carried into the Catogne stream way below les Bonhommes the victim was buried at least 2m despite triggering an ABS bag and appeared lifeless when dug out. There has been no official comment yet. Conditions in Vallorcine are very tricky at the moment. There is some great snow but still lots of slabs waiting to go. Be careful out there!
Not sure whether to post photos or not.
[ Edited: 19 March 2013 07:58 PM by Alan Scowcroft]
Someone mentioned skitour in the Courchevel Avals thread. Compared to 5 or 6 years ago it is interesting to note how the Skitour members are much more cautious on these kinds of days. Lots of people heading to low angled stuff like the Grand Rocher, or well travelled routes such as Chamchaude (and that’s with risk 2 to 3 locally).
But looking out the window at the clear blue skies the fresh powder is going to be really tempting to people up in resort. We had some wild winds before the snowfall, first a mistral, then a foehn then a big dump. It has really complicated things.
Probably for the best that I had to work today then. We hit up GM ysterday, and whilst ok mid-high, the lower was definitely soft-ness on top of a good hard sliding surface. However when we did out last lap or Herse mid afternoon the snow had become very wind compacted and transported. Yesterday I had ruled Le Tour out before I even knew the lift situation just because I knew we’d had a good few days of strong Foehn up and down the valley. Lets hope most people were ok and may have learnt a lesson. I guess Pas de Chevre will also be iffy when the top of GM opens.
I hear Courmayeur was awesome today though, and I wonder how the big boys got on up the Midi today?
I was at Le Tour today and there was a lot of high risk skiing going on. As well as people dropping into the back bowls, I watched a pair of boarders drop into one of the steep gullies above Vormaine, I was convinced they would set off a slide, fortunately for them and maybe the people on the nursery slopes below they got away with it!
I am unsure if it’s ignorance, or an acceptance of the high risk, plus an element of reliance on gear.
Despite clear warnings, 4/5 and 40cm in the village overnight folk still headed for the back bowls when the Tete du Balme lift opened at 11am. I saw at least five avalanches triggered by skiers/boarders. The largest was triggered by a boarder who was carried into the Catogne stream way below les Bonhommes the victim was buried at least 2m despite triggering an ABS bag and appeared lifeless when dug out. There has been no official comment yet. Conditions in Vallorcine are very tricky at the moment. There is some great snow but still lots of slabs waiting to go. Be careful out there!
Not sure whether to post photos or not.
La Tour is such an under estimated spot for both its backcountry skiing potential and it’s potentially extremely hazardous terrain. It’s a heuristic issue for sure and one which is linked to changing attitudes, equipment and the blue bird powder day effect! It’s been a shocking week and the toll keeps on rising!
It would help if the local avalanche forecast was either posted in English or in a format which was easy to translate.
There is some acceptance of risk by more experienced skiers. Whether we humans are fully capable of analysing risk to a sufficient degree is another question. My neighbour is in the Pyrenees this week which was on risk 4 alert. He said the 5 hour drive was more dangerous. I suppose that depends what kind of terrain he’s skiing. I also sense some tiredness setting in with skiers given the emphasis on avalanche accidents in the general press when 600 people die in drownings in France per year, 4,000 on the roads and 65,000 from smoking related incidents.
There is some acceptance of risk by more experienced skiers. Whether we humans are fully capable of analysing risk to a sufficient degree is another question. My neighbour is in the Pyrenees this week which was on risk 4 alert. He said the 5 hour drive was more dangerous. I suppose that depends what kind of terrain he’s skiing. I also sense some tiredness setting in with skiers given the emphasis on avalanche accidents in the general press when 600 people die in drownings in France per year, 4,000 on the roads and 65,000 from smoking related incidents.
Another perspective is always good!
If only everyone had a better understanding of the risk and how to manage it.
This is one reason why I like the Kiwi avalanche danger scale, the graphics they use and the terminology. The emphasis is on the individuals avi skills and although
a little broad it does make a lot of sense.
I don’t think its the avalanche bulletin or always experienced skieers causing the trouble. Its people who think 3 means average safeness, not reasonable danger. I heard someone only last week say, “oh it was only level 3, fairly safe when i lost my ski in a small avilanche”. fool.
Its also people (mostly snowboarders that i know) who ski with either no gear, and very little respect for the mountain. I know of people who don’t even look at the bulletin. People also don’t think about the recent weather conditions, such as recent strong valley wind and that fact that Col de Balme is always windy come summer or winter. That’s a good starting point for collecting data on where to ski.
Perhaps here in Cham there are experienced skiers who rush up the Midi at any chance, level 4 or not like yesterday who are exposing themselves to extra danger. I always think the likes of Andreas Fransson must be some of the best at reading terrain & weather to hit up the lines they do.
5/5. Heli skiing or powder day tomorrow
4/5. Powder day
3/5. Might be some powder
2/5 Rubbish riding
1/5. Home time
Free-rider avalanche scale.
I wasn’t really intending this to be a joke, especially given the context. A few years back what would have been considered the first safe day to get out on fresh snow would now get get you a ski down a mougle field.
