Kameradenrettung

Before coronavirus, the monthly "SchneeSemmelnare" events organized by the Austrian Society for Snow and Avalanches (ÖGSL) were small lunchtime events in a seminar room in Innsbruck, usually with speakers from Tyrol. Since the switch to a digital format due to the pandemic, it has been possible to watch from anywhere and the speakers have also become more international: Manuel Genswein recently gave an update on companion rescue.

How did the stable lateral position work again? What about the 2020/21 PowderGuide season? Will our tent stay waterproof even in heavy rain? These were the central topics of this year's PG core team meeting.

When it comes to safety equipment, not only the avalanche transceiver is important, but also the probe and shovel. Good equipment is available from many suppliers. The important thing is that you like the way it handles and that you get on well with it. As we all know, rescuing your comrades in an emergency is crucial for survival and every second counts.

The Snow&Safety Conference on the Arlberg is entering its 8th season this year and is a good opportunity to practice with the avalanche transceiver, exchange ideas with like-minded people or simply listen to an instructive lecture. It will take place next weekend, 13.12.2019 - 14.12.2019 (Friday and Saturday) in Lech am Arlberg.

Anyone who spends any time in the snowy mountains and therefore in potentially dangerous terrain should regularly deal with the topic of rescue and recovery. I myself pack my backpack before the start of winter, check the equipment for wear/function and fit the avalanche transceiver with new batteries (lithium ions). Then I meet up with friends to practise, exchange ideas and learn new things.

An avalanche probe is actually nothing more than a "stick" made of several parts that you ram into the snow to locate the buried victim as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, there are differences that you should be aware of when buying one. I took the opportunity to get to the bottom of the avalanche probe.

If you are traveling in glaciated areas, you will inevitably have to deal with the topic of crevasse rescue. The Mammut RescYou offers a complete solution that is quick to set up and easy to use. The RescYou is primarily aimed at freeriders and ski tourers who are not yet very familiar with crevasse rescue and are looking for a compact device for emergencies.

Avalanche rescue has made great progress in recent decades because new rescue and communication technologies are being used more and more frequently by off-piste skiers, ski tourers and rescuers.

I have a cell phone with me when I'm skiing, if only for safety reasons. Of course, taking pictures and listening to music on your smartphone isn't bad either. Sometimes I take a helmet camera with me, or maybe a real camera, or both, or an MP3 player, or a GPS, or a radio, or something else from the electronic fleet that many of us have at home. Unfortunately, none of this really works well with the avalanche transceiver. Why is that and what should I look out for?

Lukas Ruetz, born in 1993, from St. Sigmund in the Tyrolean Sellraintal, collects a good 200,000 meters of ascent altitude per season, almost exclusively in his immediate home mountains. On his blog, Lukas reports eloquently and informatively about his tours, be it typical Sellrain standard routes or steep first ascents, to the delight of his considerable readership. The young and tradition-conscious ski tourer is an active member of the mountain rescue service and an observer for the Tyrolean avalanche warning service. He is usually only accompanied on tour by his dog.

As every year, the Austrian Avalanche Warning Services have made last winter's report available for free download (pdf) just in time for the start of the new season. It's worth a look, if only for the many sobering pictures and accident reports. The report contains guest contributions from avalanche wardens from Bavaria, Slovenia and South Tyrol. We have summarized a few key facts.