Accident statistics: different user groups, different avalanches

The Austrian Board of Trustees for Alpine Safety maintains a database in which key data on alpine accidents is collected. If you look at larger amounts of data over longer periods of time, patterns become visible that remain hidden when analyzing individual incidents. This is why the KURASI database is the basis for many statistical studies: Where do what kind of accidents happen? When and to whom do they happen?

Peter Höller deals with questions such as these in the Natural Hazards Department of the Federal Research Center for Forests (BFW) in Innsbruck. As the KURASI database differentiates between off-piste and touring terrain when recording avalanche accidents, the accidents can be broken down by user group. Of course, the distinction between "off-piste skiers" and "ski tourers" is rather fluid in practice and not always possible in a meaningful way. On the other hand, many of the PowderGuide readers know from personal experience that a line next to the piste is a different experience than a 1800-meter ski tour far away from the ski resort infrastructure. In terms of statistics, off-piste terrain refers to terrain close to the lift that can be reached with no or only short ascents. Touring terrain refers to ski tours in the classic sense, without lift options and at a greater distance from the ski resorts.

Strengthen prevention work in well-known freeride areas

The data set analyzed by Höller shows a strong accumulation of fatal off-piste accidents in four Austrian communities: St. Anton, Lech, Ischgl, Sölden. In other ski resort communities, such as Galtür or Neustift, on the other hand, accidents in the touring area predominate. In Galtür, there was not a single fatal avalanche in the off-piste area in the period studied, but a total of 21 fatal accidents in the touring area - mainly due to the two accidents with several fatalities in March 1988 and December 1999. In Neustift, there were 4 fatal accidents in the off-piste area in the same period, but a total of 11 in the touring area.

Of course, the Arlberg, Ischgl and Sölden are not the only areas where there is a lot going on in the area close to the lifts on powder days, but accidents seem to be particularly frequent here. Höller suggests placing a stronger focus on these regions in prevention work and targeting the public there, for example with announcements in the gondola and notices with information on the avalanche situation. He sees comparatively high potential here for reducing the number of victims by providing more specific information, as accidents in variant terrain could often be avoided by better assessment of the danger situation. This is known to be much more difficult in the case of the old snow problem, which cannot be recognized by a superficial glance at the terrain.

There are also studies by the LWD Val D'Aran in the Pyrenees, which conclude that communication of the avalanche risk should be tailored more closely to specific user groups. Accident analyses have shown, for example, that non-local freeriders sometimes cannot find the situation report at all, or do not speak the local language and cannot find an English version. In the Pyrenees, closer cooperation between the warning services and the ski resorts is also mentioned as an approach to tackling the problem.

Peter Höller presented his analyses as part of a lecture at the Austrian Society for Snow and Avalanches.