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ParnterNews | Arc'teryx Freeride Academy 2024: IT'S A WRAP!

Arc'teryx Freeride Academy: Avalanche rescue training and Recco

by Antonia Paulus 02/07/2024
More than 40 different courses were on the programme at the Arc'teryx Freeride Academy from 1 to 4 February 2024. PowderGuide was able to attend the Avalanche Awareness & Mountain Safety Clinic with Recco at the Arc'teryx Freeride Academy on a sunny and cloudless day. The avalanche course took place in a group of six participants plus two mountain guides in the terrain of the St. Anton am Arlberg ski resort. The course was designed for all levels of skiers/snowboarders and yet each person was able to expand their knowledge and skills individually. The exact daily programme of the Arc'teryx Clinic and the most important aspects and procedures of an avalanche search can be found here.

Like all other freeride clinics, the avalanche course starts at 8.30 am in the Arc'teryx Village in the heart of St. Anton. The Village is already a hive of activity early in the morning, with excited, motivated and grinning faces from snowboarders to skiers, guides, athletes and participants. The participants slowly come together as a group at the course signposts and after a short round of getting to know each other and a presentation of the guides' plan for the day, it's off towards the mountain.  

We are a group of six international participants and have Chris and Axel with us as our local mountain guides. After the first lift ride, at an altitude of 1850 metres, the personal experiences, the level of knowledge about avalanche safety and the expectations of the course participants for the day's course are shared and discussed in plenary. The most important thing first: the avalanche transceiver check: have all members switched on their avalanche transceivers? Is the mobile phone at least 20 cm away from the avalanche transceiver? Do you have your shovel, probe, first aid kit and snacks with you? YES, let's go!

After two warm-up runs, we set up camp in the terrain next to the Arlenmähderbahn piste and put our skis and snowboards to one side for the time being. The first topic of the day is the function and importance of a 3-antenna avalanche transceiver. On some avalanche transceivers, the antennas are visible through the housing: two slightly larger antennas on the x- and y-axis and a smaller one for the z-axis. In transmit mode, there is no difference between the 2- and 3-antenna devices, as only the longest antenna transmits on the x-axis. In search mode, however, there is: the two horizontal antennas search for the signal in the respective direction and the third antenna determines the exact point location. This means that the third antenna is essential for exact localisation, regardless of the depth of the transmitter and the position of the buried person. This saves crucial time in the detailed search (probing and shovelling). This means, as soon as you go into the terrain: ONLY with a 3-antenna avalanche transceiver.

After the short theory input, the course gets active again: teams search for three buried avalanche transceivers (transmitters). First a signal is searched for, then the rough search begins, at a distance of approx. 50 metres you follow the arrows on the screen of the avalanche transceiver in quick steps and get closer and closer to the buried transmitter along the frequency lines. As soon as the number on the screen increases, turn 180 degrees and try the other direction, then the number should decrease again and at a distance of 10 metres from the buried transmitter the steps should slow down. At a distance of around two to three metres, the avalanche transceiver is placed on the snow surface and the fine search begins: as soon as the smallest signal has been located, the point is marked using a shovel or similar. After three signals have been found, there is internal feedback: what is working well, where are there difficulties, what should be done faster?

It is important that the probe is plunged into the snow DIRECTLY next to the shovel at a 90 degree angle to the slope. At a distance of 20 to 25 cm, probe in the shape of a snail shell - use the metre markings on the probe for this - and the body follows the probe. There are different types of probe: It doesn't matter which one you choose, the main thing is that you have a system! By probing different objects such as skis, backpacks or snow, we get a feel for how to probe correctly and the homework for this is also: practise, practise, practise. As soon as the probe encounters resistance, which is clearly a person/equipment, we start shovelling.

When shovelling, it is not speed that is decisive, but technique: as soon as there are several searchers, one person on the probe shovels vertically towards the ground, the second and third person either shovel the snow away as in a triangle, or the people form a chain one behind the other. However, the shovel position at the tip of the triangle, directly by the probe, must be alternated in all variations in order to save time and energy.

Rough search, fine search, marking, probing, shovelling and then?

Once the buried person has been dug out, however, the next challenge is how to touch, communicate with and move the person who has been found. It is important that the person is moved as carefully and slowly as possible and must never be allowed to stand up or make rapid movements. The problem is the blood flow: if the buried person has been buried in one position for too long, the cold blood can build up in the feet, for example, and if it flows to the heart as a result of rapid movements, cardiac arrest can occur. Another important point is to keep an eye out for injuries or, if possible, ask directly and do not leave the person you have found alone. All utensils such as the backpack, skis etc. should not be left lying around in the field, as anything unsecured will be stirred up during a helicopter landing and either cause more injuries or be blown away by the wind. Above all, the backpack with the first aid kit should be kept close by.

After a short lunch break, the programme continues straight away. After slowly going through the fine search procedure in the group step by step with input from the mountain guides, we search for deeper buried transmitters on our own in teams, apply the theoretical knowledge in practice and give each other feedback with Chris and Axel at our side. As teamwork is the most important thing in an avalanche scenario, this is also tried out directly. If several people are searching, the first thing to do is to look out for buried victims or entry/exit tracks. One person takes command and assigns another person to make the rescue call. TIP: The SOS-EU-alp App simplifies this procedure and works throughout the EU. The person with the command does NOT search themselves (if there are enough people on site), but keeps an overview of the situation. Only as many avalanche transceivers/persons should search as there are people buried (if this is obvious/clear) and the other devices are switched off to prevent interference signals (prerequisite: the search field is safe from further avalanches).

The signal search, coarse search, fine search and companion rescue begin. In theory: sure, makes sense! In practice: practise, reflect, practise, feedback, practise...

At the end of the day, the RECCO system will be demonstrated and tried out. Did you know that RECCO is also important for summer adventures in the mountains? Localisation during an organised rescue can save vital time thanks to the reflectors. The camp is packed up at 2 p.m. and after a round of feedback, we head down the Mugelpiste towards the valley in what feels like 20 degrees. The Arc'teryx Freeride Village is already waiting for us with goodies, drinks and food. What an exciting and successful day!

Of course, we hope that we will never find ourselves in such a situation, but we should be aware of the dangers in the terrain and always inform ourselves, for example on www.Lawinen.report, repeat what we have learnt every season and an avalanche course is always exciting, whether for mountain experts or beginners, and every course contains a new "aha" experience. The step-by-step approach, the small group size, the knowledge of the mountain guides and the mix of theory and practice of the Arc'teryx Freeride Academy Clinic for avalanche awareness and safety is a wonderful option for refreshing your knowledge - so next season is a must!

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This article has been automatically translated by DeepL with subsequent editing. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors or if the translation has lost its meaning, please write an e-mail to the editors.

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