avalanche avoidance and rescue
DESCRIPTION
Avalanche Avoidance and Rescue. Outline. Who’s at risk. Types of avalanches. • What causes avalanches. Avalanche avoidance. • Companion/beacon rescue. • Details about the Unit’s DTS Tracker and its use. Winter mountain recreation has exploded in recent years. New user groups - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Avalanche Avoidance and RescueAvalanche Avoidance and Rescue
Outline
• Who’s at risk
• What causes avalanches
• Companion/beacon rescue
• Avalanche avoidance
• Types of avalanches
• Details about the Unit’s DTS Tracker and its use
• New user groups– Snowboarders – Snowmobilers
• Open gate policies• Media• New technologies
– Snowboards/splitboards– Alpine touring gear– Telemark gear (plastic and fat)– Snow safety equipment– Powerful snowmobiles
Winter mountain recreation hasexploded in recent years
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
snowmobilers
b.c. skiers
climbers
lift skiers (o.b.)
b.c. snowboarders
misc. recreation
snowboarders (o.b.)
hikers
snowshoers
lift skiers (l.a.)
ski patrolers
motorists/hwy workers
residents
others at work
Source: AAAU.S. Avalanche fatalities by activity, 1990 to 2002
About 97% of people killed inavalanches die while playing
Recreationists are at risk because they don’t understand the causes of avalanches
Almost all fatal avalanchesare slab avalanches
Point release (loose snow) avalanches are more easily predicted and usually less dangerous
If you understand the cause ofavalanches you can avoid them
• Human Factors
• Weather
• Snowpack
• Terrain
• New snow adds weight (stress) to the snowpack• New snow takes time to bond to layer underneath
Most avalanches occur during and immediately after storms...
Temperature, elevation and aspect (orientation) all affect snow stability
• You can have stability at one elevation but as you climb or descend the snow profile can change
• Similarly, a slope at one aspect can be safe but at a slightly different aspect can be very unstable
• Rapidly warming temperatures can weaken the snowpack
60˚
45˚
30˚
15˚
0˚
The majority of avalanches occuron slopes between 30˚ and 45˚
28˚
33˚
The majority of avalanches occuron slopes between 30˚and 45˚
• Most slabs release on the bulge of convex slopes
• Slabs can be triggered from above and below the slope
Concavity
Convexity
Slope shape also needs to be considered
Dense trees can act as “anchors”and points of safety
A weak snowpack usually consists of a strong layer overlying a weak layer
• Learn to evaluate the snowpack
• There’s no substitute for on-snow avalanche instruction
• Take a Level I avalanche course
• Practice
Some slab avalanches are huge
Most killer avalanches aresmall and human triggered
1. Skier
2. Slope convexity
3. Roughly 30 degrees
4. Debris slid into concavity
Know before you go!
• Call local avalanche forecast center
• Know the snowpack history
• Talk to others who have been out
• Talk to ski patrol
Human factors
• Attitude : people sometimes ignore danger signs due to pride, ego and ambition
• Time : weekend warrior syndrome
• Blue Sky : sunny weather sometimes draws people too soon after a storm
• Herding Instinct : people think less in large groups
With good back country habits, youcan avoid avalanche danger
1. Expose only one person at a time 1. Expose only one person at a time
2. Get out of the way at the bottom2. Get out of the way at the bottom
3. Never cross above your partner3. Never cross above your partner
4. Have an escape route planned4. Have an escape route planned
5. Remove pole straps and safety straps5. Remove pole straps and safety straps
6. Travel in the same route when possible6. Travel in the same route when possible
7. Keep your partner in sight7. Keep your partner in sight
8. Travel to points of safety8. Travel to points of safety
Consider the terrainconsequences in route selection
Will I go over a cliff?Will I go over a cliff?Will I get crushed by trees?Will I get crushed by trees?Will I get cut by sharp rocks?Will I get cut by sharp rocks?Will I be buried?Will I be buried?
Good route selection can limit exposure to hazardous terrain
Is there a better alternative?
Without exposure to the steep slopes
Good route selection can limit exposure to hazardous terrain
Asphyxiation is the causeof most avalanche fatalities
Asphyxiation75%
Trauma25%
Source: AAA
0
10
2030
40
50
60
7080
90
100
0 15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150
Time in minutes
RecoveredAlive (%)
Source: AAA(422 completely buried victims)
If recovered within 15 minutes,chances of survival are almost 92%
At 35 minutes, survival rate drops to 37%
After that, the success rate is extremely low.1
…but if you get to them fastenough, you can save them
Source: CAIC
Only a member of your party or a companion will likely save your life
white(68%) cover(15%)
Search Method Search Time Success Rate
Beacon <15 min 98% 1 Person
Search Dog
30 min 90% 1 Trained Dog
Coarse Probe
4 hours 70% 20 Person Probe Line
Fine Probe
16-20 hours 100% 20 Person Probe Line
Source: AAASearch times in 100mx100m area
…and most likely only if youhave an avalanche transceiver
If an avalanche occurs
Victim
• If caught, yell so other people see you. Then close your mouth.• If you can grab a tree or dig into the slope, do it.• Discard gear like skis and poles.• Fight with all of your effort, try to stay on the surface.• As the snow slows, try to thrust a hand upward above the snow surface.• Before the snow stops, try to clear an air space in front of your face.• If buried, do not panic! Stay calm and try to relax.
If an avalanche occurs
Rescuer(s)
• Watch the victim(s) as they are carried down the slope. Look for “last seen point.”• Make sure it is safe to begin a search.• Organize the search party.• Mark the area where the victim was last seen and begin search here. Look for any clues.• Begin beacon search• When victim is located, confirm depth and location with probe dig fast but carefully.
1. Avalanche beacon follows electronic signal to buried victim
2. Probe verifies depth and location of buried victim
3. Shovel removes snow
What do you need for a rescue?
distance
sending unit
receiving unit
Signal strength depends upon distance
Colorado Avalanche Information Center
volume
Signal strength depends upon orientation
Maximum
Colorado Avalanche Information Center
Minimum
Signal strength depends upon orientation
Colorado Avalanche Information Center
Coarse Search>40m
Fine Search40-3m
Pinpoint Search
<3m
Objective: Detectstrong signal
Objective: Get close to buried transmitter(about 3 meters)
Objective: Locate strongest signal, minimize probe and digging area
There are three phases of a transceiver search
Standard coarse search strip is 20 meters
• Effective range for most modern transceivers: 10-15 meters
• This translates to a strip width of 20-30 meters
Grid Tangent Flux
Fine search techniques
Pinpoint search – bracket or line
Coarse search
Signal picked up here, fine search
begins
Pinpoint search
The three search phases would looksomething like this for a single searcher:
1. Coarse search
2. Fine search
3. Pinpoint search
What about two searchers?
1. Coarse
2. Fine
3. Pinpoint
Probe and shovel!
What about a last seen point?
Last seen point
Search begins at star
Eliminates this areafor searching
Fracture
Debris area
Victims
Six people skiing
Last seen point, search begins here
Four rescuers and two victims
The four searchers will begin their search at the last seen point. Two will pinpoint while the other two probe and
prepare to shovel.
Basics Specifications of DTS Tracker Beacon• Frequency 457 kHz• Three AAA batteries• 250 hours in transmit, 50 hours in
search• Receive range up to 50 meters• Normal effective range is 10 meter
radius• Normal search mode window is 180°• Special search mode widow is 75°• Minimum temperature range at 66%
battery is -10° C (14° F) for transmit and -20° C(-4° F) for search
Basics of Operating DTS Tracker Beacon• Black strap is the waist strap, red is
shoulder• Can unbuckle beacon to extend it without
removing waist strap• During start up, should have 95 to 99%
battery display• After start up, enters transmit (tr) mode
and side light flashes• To enter search mode, hold
Search/Transmit Button down until display changes to “SE” and beacon beeps three times
• Directional LED points along the flux line• Distance along flux line is in meters• To go back to transmit mode, push the
Search/Transmit Button
Options for DTS Tracker Beacon
• Auto-Revert System– Hold down Options Button while
starting– “Ar” will be shown in display– After 5 minutes in search mode,
beacon will sound 10 second alarm then switch to transmit mode unless Search/Transmit Button is pushed
Options for DTS Tracker Beacon
• Special Mode– While in search mode, hold down
Options Button until “SP” is displayed– Normal search only indicates the
strongest signal within about 10 meters.
– Special search indicates all signals within search window no matter what strength
– Search window is reduced from 180° to 75°
Options for DTS Tracker Beacon
• Turning Off The Vastly Annoying Beep– To stop the beeping sounds in search
mode, push the Options Button until “L0” is displayed
– To turn the sound back on, push the Options Button until “L1” is displayed
Single Victim Search With DTS Tracker
• Turn all beacons to search• Start at last seen location and use
coarse search pattern to find a signal• Look for surface clues while moving• Move beacon in slow horizontal and
vertical pattern to help find a signal• Once a signal is located, mark the
location and follow the flux line indicated with the top LED and decreasing distance
• Move rapidly to 10 meters then start moving slowly to around 3 meters
• Once at about 3 meters, start to move very slowly and use pinpoint bracket or line method to locate closest point for probing
• Hold beacon right on snow surface• Ignore spike readings and LED
fluctuation when this close
Multiple Victims Using Normal Search Mode• The search is the same up to locating the
first signal• Follow the LED towards the closest
beacon and when significantly closer to one beacon and within 10 meters, the Tracker will lock onto one beacon and mask out the others
• When dug out, turn off the first beacon• If first beacon can’t be turned off but you
have an idea where the next beacon is, head towards it until signal is isolated
• If no idea where next beacon is, step back three paces and slowly walk a circle around the first beacon. If required, step back two more times and repeat the circle, then return to first signal location if required.
• Once a signal is acquired when walking the circle, start towards it to isolate it
Multiple Victims Using Special Search Mode• The search is the same up to locating the
first beacon and beacon can’t be turned off
• With Tracker at lowest distance reading and center LED on, switch to special mode
• Rotate the DTS Tracker – do not sweep it – slowly to find other signals
• If no signal is detected, try standing up and rotating the DTS Tracker at chest height
• If no signal is detected, step back three paces and try rotating the Tracker again
• Once a signal is isolated note the distance and move rapidly about ¾ of the distance then switch back to normal search mode
• Finish covering the entire avalanche area using a coarse search pattern to make sure all beacons are located
Tips for Three or More Victims
• Three or more beacons, especially if close together, are very hard to separate out
• Try decreasing coarse search overlap to 5 meters instead of 20
• It is especially important to enter special search mode as close as possible to a beacon to help distinguish the distance to other beacons
• Avoid going into special search mode over a beacon’s spike area
• Pinpointing on a line can be very difficult if many beacon’s flux lines are all converging in one area, try the bracket method instead