How to survive an avalanche: Experts reveal the actions that can save your life, from fighting through the snow to creating an airbag around you

According to National Geographic, an average of 150 people die from avalanches worldwide each year.

Here’s what to do to give yourself the best chance of survival if you ever get caught in one.

TARGET THE ATTENTION ON YOU

Warn others of your presence in the first few seconds after an avalanche. Bruce Goodlad, Alpine Safety Adviser for the Ski Club of Great Britain, told MailOnline Travel: “If you feel like you’re going to get caught in an avalanche, scream and shout. You want to make sure someone sees you’ve been caught and which way you’re being taken.’

Stuart Macdonald, mountain guide and director of the Avalanche Academy, an organization that offers avalanche safety courses in France, agrees. He says: “Try shouting to warn your teammates. They may not have seen you get caught.”

TRY SKIING ZIJDIJK

You must immediately do your best to slide out of the avalanche as it moves down the mountain, explains Macdonald. He says: “Try skiing to the coast. When an avalanche first begins to slide [it’s] at [its] but the slowest quickens.’

Goodlad chimes in: “You’ll never outrun it … in fact, unless you manage to pull straight out of the avalanche, you have very little control.” He adds: “The skill level of those you see skiing out of avalanches is much higher than most skiers.”

USE AN AIR BAG

An avalanche airbag (above) can prevent you from being completely buried in the snow

Off-piste skiers and snowboarders are advised to wear an avalanche airbag, a device that inflates when you pull a cord to prevent you from being completely buried in snow. Goodlad says you should inflate your airbag “immediately” when you realize you are caught in an avalanche. He explains: “Once you move, you may not be able to reach the lever. Air bags increase your chances of survival by up to 50 percent, provided you don’t die from trauma.’

However, he notes that “the statistics are not as good in North America because the tree line is much higher.” He says: “If an avalanche lands you in trees, it doesn’t matter how good your rescue equipment is – the result is unlikely to be positive.”

REMOVE YOUR SKIS

“If you get knocked off your feet, try to push your skis off, [otherwise] they act as anchors [and pull you down]’ revealed Goodlad.

However, Macdonald notes that kicking out the skis is “easier said than done.” Your chances of removing it are better if your ties are not too tight, he explains. Snowboarders are unlikely to be able to take off their snowboard because their boots are usually secured in bindings with multiple straps.

DISCOVER YOUR SKI STOKES

Ski poles also help when moving into the snow.

“If the avalanche starts to take you off the mountain, put your ski poles away,” advises Macdonald, adding, “Here’s why you shouldn’t ski off-piste with wrist straps.”

GO TO THE SURFACE

According to Goodlad, if you’re dragged under the snow, you’ll “have to fight as hard as you can to get to the surface.” He adds, “If the avalanche slows down, try to hit the surface.”

MAKE AN AIRBAG

Once the snow settles, it’s wise to create an airbag around you to give you room to breathe and conserve oxygen, explains avalanche safety equipment supplier Snow Safe. It says, “If you hold your hand over your mouth while you’re caught in an avalanche, you create an airbag.”

A 2016 study found that people buried under snow with an airbag were more likely to survive an avalanche.

USE YOUR TOOLS

Carrying an avalanche beacon allows a search team to locate your victim

There are three survival kits that Goodlad and Macdonald say every off-piste skier should carry with them at all times.

The first is an avalanche transceiver, a device that emits a signal that can be received by other avalanche receivers, enabling the search and rescue team to determine a person’s location. The other two tools are used by those trying to rescue buried skiers: an avalanche probe, a fishing pole pushed through the snow to find buried skiers, and a shovel that other skiers can use to dig people out of the snow. dig.

Goodlad says: “One must be armed with knowledge of usage [them] and exercise regularly.”

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE FIRED

If you’re lucky enough to make it out alive, Goodlad says it’s important to get to the hospital right away. He explains: “If someone has been hit by an avalanche, they should be evaluated in hospital for the risk of secondary drowning – the body can react to breathing in cold snow by producing fluid in the lungs.”

… AND FIRST HOW TO PREVENT SNOWFLAKES

Ninety percent of people who die in avalanches cause them, Goodlad reveals.

Here’s how to prevent it.

CHECK THE FORECAST

Bruce Goodlad, Alpine Safety Adviser to the Ski Club of Great Britain, reveals that 90 per cent of people who die in avalanches are caused by them

Goodlad recommends reading the avalanche forecast for the area where you will be skiing as well as the general weather forecast. However, if the weather is forecasted incorrectly, problems can arise. He explains: “The avalanche forecast is based on a weather forecast, so the two are inextricably linked: if the weather forecast is wrong, the avalanche forecast is also wrong. For example, [if] If it snows more than predicted, the avalanche danger is greater than predicted.’

UNDERSTAND THE DANGER SCALE

Goodlad reveals that the avalanche forecast uses a five-level hazard scale related to the size, extent and geographic location of the avalanche hazard. One is “low”, two is “moderate”, three is “significant”, four is “high” and five is “extreme”.

Goodland explains, “The different hazard classifications have specific meanings. A ‘significant’ (number three) prognosis is significantly more dangerous than ‘moderate’ (number two).

He says “significant” – the most common avalanche forecast – means “natural avalanches are possible” and “man-made avalanches are likely”.

Goodlad puts that danger into perspective, saying, “If I said you’d probably get stabbed walking down that dark alley, would you walk?” Skiers go off piste in these conditions all the time without really considering the conditions or understanding the terrain which would reduce their risk.”

STAY ON SAFE HANDS

Avalanches don’t typically occur on slopes less than 30 degrees, Goodlad reveals. For reference, he notes that “a red run will have sections of 30 degrees or more.” Knowing what a 30 degree slope feels like is a “powerful tool”; to stay safe,” he says.

On slopes with a slope of less than 30 degrees, the probability of being caught in an avalanche is low. For example, a red run has sections of 30 degrees or more

Goodlad continues: “Thirty-eight degrees is the most common angle to be caught in an avalanche. Thirty-eight degrees on hard snow can feel pretty steep, but it feels a lot less steep on soft snow, which is one of the factors that contributes to people getting caught in avalanches in fresh snow — it’s fun.”

He also recommends avoiding “terrain traps” that could “amplify the avalanche event” if an avalanche does occur. Common terrain pitfalls include gullies and depressions, trees, rocks, cliffs and crevasses, reveals Goodlad.

TAKE A SAFETY COURSE

Finally, Goodlad suggests taking an avalanche safety course before hitting the slopes. He says, “It will not only make you safer, it will help you ski better.” He adds that the Ski Club of Great Britain’s avalanche safety videos also have helpful tips.