"With such heavy early season snow and cold temperatures there are marked avalanche risks in certain areas," cautions Nigel Shepherd, the Ski Club of Great Britain's Alpine Safety Advisor. "Skiers and boarders should check avalanche bulletins, heed local advice, travel safely when away from the pistes and carry an avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel.
"It is also key that they have some avalanche awareness training," Shepherd adds. "It is important to say, however, that there are some great snow conditions across Europe at the moment and this means there is excellent skiing and riding on offer, if done safely.”
The Ski Club of Great Britain this autumn teamed up with Henry’s Avalanche Talk (HAT) to run a U.K. Off-piste and Avalanche Awareness Tour which was aimed at educating skiers and snowboarders about how to stay safe and reduce the chance of getting caught in an avalanche before traveling to the mountains. The tour was a sell out, illustrating just how popular off-piste skiing riding has become amongst Brits. Following the success of the UK Tour, Henry’s Avalanche Talk (HAT) and the Ski Club of Great Britain in have announced an Off-piste and Avalanche Awareness Talk in Chamonix on Monday, January 19, 2009.
The Ski Club offers the following advice to those heading off-piste:
- Always check out the area you plan to ride.
- Before you decide to go off-piste, always find out the day's forecast.
- Go off-piste in a group, never alone.
- When skiing an off-piste slope, always ski one at a time.
- Never enter or traverse the slope above others.
- Assess the terrain. Most avalanches happen on slopes between 28 and 45 degrees, but they can also happen on lesser or steeper slopes.
- You'll be safer riding off-piste with a qualified mountain guide (IFMGA) or an appropriately qualified professional.
