Lawinenunfall

An analysis of the data on avalanche victims in Switzerland shows: The number of victims in secured terrain has decreased significantly over the last 80 years. In open terrain, it fell after a peak in the 1980s and has remained relatively constant since then - despite more snow sports enthusiasts off-piste.

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.

Whether it's an avalanche or a fall into a crevasse: For many mountain rescuers, the most strenuous time of the year is about to begin again. We explain who the people are who risk a lot for others on the mountain and why they sometimes cross the line.

On February 19, 1916, the largest avalanche accident in the Eastern Alps to date occurred on the Mitterbergsattel between the Mandlwand (Hochkönig) and the Hochkeil, with over 200 people buried and 58 dead. Gerd Frühwirth has compiled some interesting records from contemporary witnesses to mark the hundredth anniversary.

The winter of 2014/15 was characterized by an exceptionally snow-poor early winter with correspondingly below-average snow depths. Over the entire winter, snow depths were only just above average above 2200 m and above average on the southern slopes of the Alps. These marked differences in snow depth depending on altitude were caused by above-average temperatures, which repeatedly melted away the snow at medium and low altitudes. With the exception of February, the months of November to March were all too warm, and early winter was record warm in some cases. Despite the excessively warm winter, large parts of the Central Plateau and Jura experienced an average number of snow days thanks to a favorable combination of cold and precipitation. The snow cover build-up was weak in the inner Alps, but also at times on the northern slopes of the Alps, whereas it was much more stable on the southern slopes of the Alps. Compared to the long-term average, last winter was more dangerous. Danger level 3 (considerable) was forecast more than normal, level 2 (moderate) less. Two major avalanche accidents led to an above-average number of avalanche fatalities overall. By April 15, 32 people had died in avalanches.

A look at the map of fatal avalanche accidents in the Swiss Alps over the last 20 years shows that a particularly high number of fatal accidents occurred in Valais and Graubünden (Fig. 1). What is the reason for this increase in accidents? Is touring activity higher in these areas, resulting in more avalanche accidents? Or are there other reasons for the increased risk of avalanche accidents in these regions?

Avalanche accidents with injuries or even fatalities are rarely solely due to snowpack structure, terrain and weather. Rather, one particular element often plays the most important role: when people are traveling in groups, decisions are made that are not always the best ones and can end tragically in the worst case.

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.

In early summer 2015, the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF hosted an international seminar on avalanche (accidents) and legal issues in Davos.

Can anyone remember today's avalanche report? Was it hazard pattern 3: rain - below 2,000 meters; or was it hazard pattern 4, cold to warm / warm to cold - on all slopes; plus hazard pattern 1: weak layer close to the ground above 2,300 meters, especially on the northern main ridge of the Alps; in addition, cold, loose fresh snow that had fallen under the influence of strong winds.

Due to an avalanche after a fall of the second starter Julien Lopez, the competition in Kappl (replacement for the competition in Fieberbrunn, which was canceled on Saturday) was also canceled on Tuesday. But the most important thing: Julien is fine.

Mountain guide Stefan Neuhauser experienced an unusual avalanche phenomenon during a freeride tour with a group in the Aosta Valley on March 21, 2014: despite a hard-frozen blanket of snow, with only the top few centimetres of the snow having melted, he and his group triggered an avalanche. The avalanche was triggered in the Val di Rhemes, on the Cima le l'Entrelor in the Aosta Valley (Italy). The avalanche was a mixture of a snow slab and a uniform snow avalanche.