Poster: A snowHead
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The Association National for the Study of Snow and Avalanches, French Guides Assocations and Local Prefectures have issued a number of avalanche warnings for this weekend.
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Since the beginning of winter 18 people have died in avalanches in the French Mountains. On Wednesday there was another dramatic avalanche which occured at risk 2 in the Vercors range which has saddened the whole mountain community. All of our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victims this winter.
These accidents need to be put into the perspective of a particuarly delicate and complicated snow and avalanche situation:
- fragile sub layers in all mountain ranges, at all altitudes and slope aspects
- periods of strong winds which have created accumulates of snow. The danger concerns in particular slopes of more than 30°.
There is currently a storm cycle that is bringing 1 to 1.5 meters of fresh snow to the French mountains. All mountain users, be they professional or amateur, need to use their discretion and prudence and need to adapt their trips to the current condtions.
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I imagine the current situation extends beyond the French borders. A 17 year old French girl was killed at Verbier yesterday skiing off piste without a beacon. This warning and the current HIGH risk over all French ranges may invalidate your insurance. Some sunny spells are expected over the weekend.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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This warning and the current HIGH risk over all French ranges may invalidate your insurance.
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I bet it will. "Skiing against local advice".
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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How about CAF ?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Weathercam wrote: |
How about CAF ? |
insurance? I don't think it has any disclaimers.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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If your head goes under the last thing you will be thinking about is insurance.
I'm interested in the technical side, we have been here before, early snow, significant deep buried hoar layer. I seem to remember that when it had been buried deep enough it stopped being a problem until the spring. Is something different this year?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@davidof, what do you and your famille use then ? Me and the OH are CAF with insurance and along with E-1 Eleven hopefully that covers most potential catostrephe?
Saw few example of avalanche poodles (probably Scandis) today, doing a slope that I decided against.............
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Vid link not working?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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uhhhh thanks
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Weathercam wrote: |
@davidof, what do you and your famille use then ? Me and the OH are CAF with insurance and along with E-1 Eleven hopefully that covers most potential catostrephe?
Saw few example of avalanche poodles (probably Scandis) today, doing a slope that I decided against............. |
CAF should be good for you.
erm me just French NHS.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Most travel insurance policies (the kind British holidaymakers generally have) have all kinds of small print about not putting yourself at risk etc. Most people never read it, of course.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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pam w wrote: |
Most travel insurance policies (the kind British holidaymakers generally have) have all kinds of small print about not putting yourself at risk etc. Most people never read it, of course. |
and vague small print that changes from one year to another
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@davidof, thanks.
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You know it makes sense.
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Warning from the Haute-Savoie prefecture
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Massive avalanche in one of of the couloirs off Double M in Tignes yesterday. No one involved but they spent a long time looking with dogs etc. An instructor was injured in La Tania off piste in a slip (broken leg) - no ARVA or Air Bag
CRS highlighted both in Le Dauphine to underline the dangers.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Is Austria having the same conditions/ problems?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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The Salzburg region does have some instability in the higher mountains, below 1800m - 2000m it is much safer. We had some decent new falls over the past week and the reported risk soon went down to 2 for most areas with it increasing to 3 over the last couple of days.
This site is very good for information... http://www.lawine.salzburg.at/lageberichte/lb_2015-02-02.html?lang=en_UK
It gives fairly detailed reports:
"Avalanche Danger
The peril of slab avalanches continues to increase with ascending altitude, reaching LEVEL 3 (CONSIDERABLE) in high ridgeline zones, particularly in Northern Alps and Hohe Tauern. Elsewhere the danger level is often MODERATE (2). The primary peril in high alpine regions lurks on wind-loaded north and east facing slopes, where slab avalanches (esp. in steep ridgeline gullies and bowls) can easily trigger. In isolated cases avalanches can sweep away deeper-down levels of the snowpack. Transitions from shallow to deep snow are also delicate. Isolated naturally triggered loose sluffs tend to remain small-sized. Favourable conditions prevail in lower-altitude, formerly wind-protected inneralpine regions. In addition, the snowdrift proneness to trigger is subsiding, especially on south facing slopes where the drifts have settled somewhat. Drifted zones near ridgelines on north and east facing slopes need to be assessed highly critically.
Snow Layering
At lower altitudes protected from wind impact there is often loose powder. On sunny slopes the snowpack often has a melt-freeze crust, the snow has settled noticeably. Due to recent strong winds, however, the snowpack at high altitudes is highly irregular. Adjacent to windblown slopes with little snow are often deeply drifted zones, especially on north and east facing slopes above the treeline. They have settled somewhat but are still trigger-sensitive on steep, high altitude slopes. Inside the snowpack lurk several weak layers (depth hoar) or soft layers containing faceted crystals."
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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ozbozz123 wrote: |
Is Austria having the same conditions/ problems? |
Yes. 16 deaths so far this season (compared to 14 last season).
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