Day-long snowfall provides dream conditions for winter sports enthusiasts in the Alps - if it were not for the avalanche danger. In Austria, the authorities have called the highest warning level 5: In the Styrian Northern Alps, the avalanche danger is "very high" in some regions. "There are so many fresh snow fell that even on mountains that are normally considered safe, avalanche danger can prevail," says Christoph Hummel, security expert at the German Alpine Club (DAV).
Skiers should not leave the secured slopes, the Austrian authorities warn. Even entering the woods was not advisable in view of the danger of falling trees. "Disobeying the authorities now is not a trivial offense, but life-threatening," said Deputy Chief of Styria, Michael Schickhofer. He advised all citizens and tourists to stay in safe places, to take barriers seriously and to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities. Nevertheless, there have been several deaths in recent days.
What is the danger on the slopes? And how far apart from them?
Anyone who is on the groomed slopes during a winter holiday in a ski resort should not be worried about avalanches, says Thomas Bucher from the German Alpine Club (DAV) in Munich. If blasting and other measures are not enough, the ski areas also lock lifts and downhills - as in the past few days, for example on the Brauneck or in many areas in Austria.
On the slopes lurk completely different dangers - so the probability of having an accident on a prepared downhill, in general, even higher than ski tours in the area. "That's because there are more downfalls, collisions, torn ligaments and broken hocks in ski resorts," says Christoph Hummel, security expert at the German Alpine Club (DAV).
Accidents in the wild, however, would more often come to a tragic end: on such ski touring "the risk of a fatal accident is higher," says Hummel. The DAV estimates the risks based on the number of accidents and regular surveys of its members. At least deadly avalanches are rare in the comparatively low German Alps: In 2017, according to the data of the avalanche warning service Bavaria, there were two deaths in 2016, not one in 2015.
Far more avalanche accidents are to be lamented in Austria and Switzerland. In Austria, the Kuratorium Alpine Sicherheit and the Alpinpolizei (KFA) counted 65 dead winter athletes from 1 November 2017 to 1 November 2018. 17 of them died from avalanches in open terrain. On ski slopes, however, 29 people were killed. According to Bucher from the DAV, the number of accidental ski tourers over the years tends not to increase, although more and more people undertake ski tours.
What do ski tourers have to consider?
Ski tours and snowshoeing are popular sports in the Alpine countries, many summits are even more visited in winter than in summer. The avalanche danger in the terrain depends on the amount of fresh snow and many other factors such as the nature of the snowpack, direction, temperature, wind and the inclination of the slopes. Thus avalanche prone slopes are often not recognizable at first glance.
"Anyone off the slopes must know what they are doing," says Bucher from the DAV. The terrain should be able to assess tourers and know the criteria for hill climbs. Inexperienced people are best advised to join a mountain guide. In order to reduce the risk of avalanches, the tour operators must master the safety equipment well.
"When I get into an avalanche, I depend on the others digging me out," says Bucher from the DAV. In an organized mountain rescue by helicopter go to too much time. The probability of survival of a victim sinks drastically after only 15 minutes. "The group must be aware that it is responsible."
Standard features for ski touring and off-piste slopes include avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel. "The devices are not self-explanatory," says Bucher, the handling and the so-called comrade rescue must be learned. Basic knowledge is taught in courses, regular own refreshing is important. But no skier should be away from the slopes.
An avalanche airbag is in the opinion of Bucher a useful accessory. "It reduces the chance of being completely buried." However, the expert emphasizes: "This is not life insurance." First of all, the winter sportsman must trigger the airbag in case of emergency, which does not always happen.
And then there are terrain constellations in which the airbag brings nothing. For example, if an avalanche ends in front of an opposite slope in a traffic jam zone, do not use the backpack.