Many alpine resorts have enjoyed a good dump of fresh snow this week - and the prospects for the week ahead are exciting. Some areas are expecting a metre or more of snow to fall over Friday and Saturday, and yet more snow is expected for the early part of next week. Great news if you're heading out to the mountains soon!
Fresh snow brings the anticipation of powder days and off piste exploring. With fat skis and snowboards it is much easier now for the less experienced and less informed to venture into terrain that was previously reserved for mountain experts.
Have you ever been tempted to duck under the rope because you've seen others doing it? Or watched from a cable car as a small group sped through a sheer, sparkling powder field below and thought you'd like to try it? How often have you gone "just off-piste" - just a few metres beyond the boundary to see what it's like?
For many expert skiers, and snowboarders, the joy of getting first tracks is true nirvana. However the less experienced will not be aware of the risks involved - not just from injury but from the mountain itself.
The Perils of Powder:
With heavy snowfall comes increased avalanche risk. Piste safety patrols will be watching the weekend's weather very closely - the amount of snow that falls is just one of the factors they have to take into account.
Temperatures will dictate whether the snow that falls is wet and heavy or dry and light. Snowfall accompanied by strong winds will produce wind stripped and wind loaded slopes, where snow will have been blown off one to the other, transforming the ice crystals on the way. These factors and many more will determine how well the fresh snow layer will bond with what's already there. Neither does the avalanche risk disappear when the snow stops falling.
All ski resorts will publish the avalanche risk for the day - in Europe this is usually graded on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is the lowest risk and 5 the highest. Always be aware of the avalanche risk for the day if you're heading off piste.
Top Tips for the Off-Piste:
Henry's Avalanche Talk is a group of ski professionals, instructors and off-piste guides who have been helping keen skiers and boarders to discover the off-piste for over fifteen years. Based mainly in Val d'Isere during the winter season, the team gives weekly talks on avalanche awareness and how to have fun off- piste and stay safe.
As well as talks they also provide on-snow training including how to use a tranceiver, where to go, when to go, what to look out for, slope selection and loads more useful advice.
The website also provides lots of free information, including a weekly ezine which covers snow reports on off piste conditions in some key French resorts. You can also sign up for a free introductory pdf file which gives some basic pointers for safety and risk management.
"Our mission is to help all people to have fun and be safe" says Henry. Included in the top tips are some of the basic rules, such as never skiing directly above other skiers, or always skiing a slope one at a time so as not to overload it. These rules are considered common sense, but many newbies are completely ignorant of even the most fundamental precautions.
Play it Safe:
Henry's top 3 safety tips are:
1. Never go alone: If anything happens, there is a good chance no-one will discover you. Pistes are busy with people and even when they are quiet, they are patrolled. In the off-piste, there is no patrol and you might be the only person there. So this is one of the few absolutes in off-piste skiing: never means never.
2. Know what you don't know and take a guide: If you're at all unsure about how safe an area is it is it's worth booking a professional to show you the way.
3. Have the right kit - and know how to use it: The right kit includes a shovel, tranceiver and a probe. Make sure you know how they work and of course that all the people in your group have the same equipment and can use it.
The mountains provide a fantastic playground - that's why we love them. The adrenaline, the views, the great outdoors, the wilderness, the vin chaud - whatever your reasons - make sure you ski or snowboard safely, so you can get the most from one of nature's most spectacular environments.
For more information on Henry's Avalanche Talks, training, ezines and newletters please click here.
