| Summer has gone, Autumn is drawing to a close and | | | | the most popular slopes for skiing. Avalanches can be |
| winter is preparing itself to envelope us all. The snow | | | | triggered by numerous factors including recent |
| junkies are beginning to stir out of hibernation.. The | | | | snowfall, wind and sunlight. As new snow falls the |
| skiing season is soon to be upon us. Perhaps one of | | | | layers of snow may be of different consistencies and |
| the most exhilarating of all outdoor activities, skiing | | | | not bond together making the snow highly unstable. |
| offers a huge amount of enjoyment and scalability. | | | | Loud noises, contrary to belief, do not cause |
| However there can be an element of risk for serious | | | | avalanches unless they cause significant vibrations in |
| injury. Safe skiing and the use of just general | | | | the snow or ground. The snow activity with the |
| common sense will insure a memorable and highly | | | | most avalanche risk is that of snowmobiling. These |
| pleasant experience. | | | | machines are light and powerful allowing them to be |
| It goes without doubt that an avalanche is the most | | | | easily ridden high into mountainous terrain where the |
| scary and potentially lethal of all unforeseen mishaps | | | | avalanches begin and occur. |
| that can occur on the skiing slopes. Prevention is | | | | If you do find yourself caught up in an avalanche do |
| better than cure and with just a little awareness you | | | | all you can to try and stay on top of the snow by |
| may never encounter an avalanche. Never go hiking | | | | using a freestyle swimming motion. If you are buried |
| or skiing alone in avalanche territory alone. This is just | | | | under the snow your best chance of survival is if |
| asking for trouble. Always carry an avalanche probe | | | | someone saw you get covered and the location you |
| which is an aluminium pole that fits together creating | | | | are in. Snow in an avalanche is like a wet snowball. It |
| a probe of six to eight feet in length. Some ski poles | | | | is not light and powdery and hence extremely difficult |
| are actually threaded and can thus then be screwed | | | | to dig you way out from. But if you are completely |
| together to form an avalanche pole. These ski poles | | | | buried the chances are that you will be too injured to |
| are a much more convenient option. And finally on | | | | help yourself out. However if you are not too injured |
| the equipment front always carry a beacon or GPS. | | | | and still retain body functions then dig a small hole |
| This beacon will broadcast your location by setting up | | | | around you and spit in it. The saliva will head downhill |
| a magnetic field that can be picked up by other | | | | showing you which direction is up. On establishing this, |
| beacons in your skiing group or by the rescue | | | | dig up and dig as quickly as you can. |
| services. | | | | But don't let the risk of an avalanche ruin or put you |
| Avalanches occur in areas with new snow, on the | | | | off a skiing trip. Just equip yourself correctly and |
| mountain side facing away from the wind and | | | | apply common sense and the chances of you actually |
| generally in the afternoons of sunny days. They | | | | being confronted with an avalanche are extremely |
| occur most often on mountainsides with angles of | | | | remote. |
| thirty to forty-five degrees which do happen to be | | | | |