Dramas follow one another in the high mountains. A 13-year-old boy died in an avalanche on Wednesday while skiing off-piste in the Les Arcs area. Two days earlier, Swiss snowboarder Sophie Hediger, two World Cup podium finishers, died in an avalanche while going off-piste with her companion in the Swiss Alps.
Also on Monday, two teenagers aged 12 and 17 who were skiing off-piste with their father in Val d'Isère were swept away and injured by an avalanche. Each time, the conditions were difficult with a lot of snow and wind and a “high risk” (4 out of 5) of avalanche in Haute-Tarentaise and in most of the other massifs of the Northern Alps following a “Remarkable” snow episode, observed Météo France.
During this school holiday period, when winter sports are widely popular, the meteorological organization warned on Monday against skiing off-piste, warning that the situation is dangerous “apart from marked and open slopes” because the snow is much more unstable.
In a press release published Wednesday, the prefect of Haut-Rhin recalls that “good knowledge of the sites does not in any way protect mountain climbers”. Before venturing off-piste, there are a few safety rules to follow.
Be well equipped
“This practice requires a good technical level, good knowledge of the mountains and suitable equipment,” recalls the Ministry of Sports. Before planning such an outing, whether hiking, snowshoeing or downhill skiing, it is essential to find out about the weather conditions and the risks of avalanches. These can be consulted on the Avalanche Risk Estimation Bulletin (BRA), published daily at 4 p.m.
Risk levels, from 1 to 5, are represented by pictograms and colors, and can be observed at the station every day. They indicate in particular the nature and intensity of the avalanche risk, its evolution over the next 24 hours and the altitude and orientation of the most dangerous slopes. During this period of heavy snow, the prefect of Haut-Rhin asks “everyone to respect the signs put in place”.
If in doubt, do not hesitate to seek advice from ski patrollers and mountain professionals, insists the Ministry of Sports, which also strongly advises against leaving alone, and invites you to first inform a loved one of your route and your estimated return time.
Although it is not mandatory, be equipped with an avalanche victim detector (AVD), a box emitting a radio signal that allows you to locate a person trapped under an avalanche, or an avalanche victim search device. Avalanche (ARVA) is imperative when venturing off-piste. Firefighters explain that it is also important to have a shovel, a probe and a charged phone.
Avoid sudden turns
Once on the track, the authorities remind you that it is better to space yourself out from each other, so as not to overload the patches of snow, to favor the less steep slopes and to avoid sudden turns. “Never stop downstream (below) the tracks of others: the risk of avalanche is increased tenfold,” the firefighters also insist.
In the event that the hiker or skier is surprised by an avalanche, one should not try to descend faster but rather try to escape laterally. Among the other reflexes communicated by the firefighters, it is important to “protect your airways by placing your hands in front of your nose and mouth and trying to stay on the surface with large swimming movements”.
Despite all these precautions, “only open slopes are secure and controlled”, insists the prefect of Haut-Rhin in his press release. “A closed track should not be used. Off-piste practices are therefore strongly discouraged. »
