Safely through the winter season | Our tips

We have already covered dangers such as crevasses, stones (aka sharks), the special snow conditions and other influencing factors in early winter in these two articles. Highly recommended and amusing articles at the same time!

Early winter is a dog

Early Season Bingo

This time, we want to focus on the equipment that contributes significantly to safety when skiing/snowboarding, and not just in early winter.

Here are our tips for a safe season

Skis - Rusty edges, coreshots and co.

Took a rock at the end of the season or didn't take "summering in" too seriously? It's better to take it in for a service or treat it yourself to avoid any unpleasant surprises in the gondola!

Binding - taken on, taken off or taken apart?

A check of all moving parts and a little oil or grease never hurt. The same goes for adjusting the binding to the skier in a specialist store - new ski touring boots or changed body dimensions (yes, it does happen) are good reasons for an adjustment.

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Changing the batteries in your avalanche transceiver is mandatory before every season!

Boots - old buckles, new fit

When it comes to ski boots, we recommend that you try them on briefly and check the buckles, pulls, straps and so on. A visual check of the shell and the attachment points of the binding also helps to detect any damage.

Skins - new glue works wonders

Your skins should ideally be stored in a cool, dry place over the summer. Nevertheless, it can happen, especially with older models, that the skin adhesive has given up its function. It's unpleasant to only notice this on tour! So check the adhesive and, if in doubt, replace it.

Emergency equipment - avalanche transceiver still on "send" from the last tour?!

You should remove the batteries from the avalanche transceiver at the end of the season as standard and replace them before each winter. Of course, you should also keep an eye on the battery status during the season. A quick self-test of the device (= switching it on) at home is a much smarter idea than switching on the avalanche transceiver for the first time when you set off on a ski tour.

Assembling your avalanche shovel once and checking it for damage reveals any material damage and also teaches you the sequence of movements that you need to perform as quickly as possible in an emergency. A win-win situation!

The same applies to the probe. A test run of the assembly including checking the tensioning system and for other damage is highly recommended.

First aid kit - sterile does not always mean complete

In addition to the expiration date, you should also keep an eye on completeness: If, for example, the rescue blanket was used last season, you should definitely make sure to pack another one in your first aid kit. The same applies to the rest of the contents, of course.

Airbag backpack - give the release handle a good tug, please!

If you have an airbag backpack, it's worth doing a function check and a visual inspection for any damage. The attachment points for skis and snowboards in particular are hot candidates for problems due to the heavy use of the sharp edges. A test deployment of the airbag not only trains handling and helps to internalize the movement sequence, but also provides information about the functionality of the product. If you are unsure or are planning to use the backpack in an "emergency", make sure you have it checked by a specialist dealer! You can also change your cartridge(s) there after a test release for a small handling fee. Some manufacturers, such as our partner Mammut, even offer this service completely free of charge, or replace the amount with a shopping voucher in the store. Mammut also only charges postage costs for postal deliveries.

The most important component - yourself

Checking your equipment is an important step towards a safe season, but regular training with your own equipment and further training or refreshing your knowledge are the basis for all alpine activities. Therefore: Practice using shovel, probe, avalanche transceiver, airbag and co., attend lectures and practical training courses, exchange ideas with like-minded people, read a book on avalanche safety and take it easy, especially in difficult conditions. A few turns on the piste and not on the snow-covered crevasses never hurt anyone ...

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