get caught in avalanche

[carver_hk-ski]

Copy from epicski: http://forums.epicski.com/showthread.php?p=917618#post917618

a guy said to be with a degree in avalanche got killed in avalanche during back country skiing. Here is the vid.
http://revver.com/video/310519/a-dozen-more-turns/

I think what is most terrifying is that the slope doesn't look so dangerous.

[Freestylerwill]

sad story
It was a video every employee had to watch before starting their employment at Snowbird when I was there

It's necessary for everyone to know what could happen if you don't respect the mountain

[carver_hk-ski]

You got more background information about this vid?
More specifically I like to know:
1. is the guy got killed really have a degree in avalanche?
2. Did they aware of any posted avalanche warning of the day for the particular area?
3. Is the area a classified high risk area?
4. Any visual clues? even retrospective.

[Mike]

I think one ought to understand the mechanics and causes of avalanche. (You can refer to the postings in the old HKSSA site)

Avalanche can happen anywhere, it does not limit to off-piste, in-bound avalanche is not uncommon.

One ought to appreciate the force of nature, ski responsibly and safely.

[pan]

You got more background information about this vid?
More specifically I like to know:
1. is the guy got killed really have a degree in avalanche?
2. Did they aware of any posted avalanche warning of the day for the particular area?
3. Is the area a classified high risk area?
4. Any visual clues? even retrospective.


One guy got killed and one is critically injured.
They did know there was a high risk of avalanche.
yes
Yes, that's why they stayed in the tree area. However, avalanche was triggered in the open area spot within the trees.


In the video, the guy said "have to ski the powder". I always say it without inspecting the area.
Actually, last season, there was an avalanche within the inbound area in west coast.

[carver_hk-ski]

One guy got killed and one is critically injured.
They did know there was a high risk of avalanche.
yes
Yes, that's why they stayed in the tree area. However, avalanche was triggered in the open area spot within the trees.


In the video, the guy said "have to ski the powder". I always say it without inspecting the area.
Actually, last season, there was an avalanche within the inbound area in west coast.Thanks for figuring out the background information. It looks that they are just playing with their life as they fully aware of the risk.

[pan]

Here is a summary of the video for those who didn't understand completely the video.:

A group of four skiers went back country skiing during New Year Eve. In the morning, they heard the warning of high risk avalanche. Therefore, they decided to stay within the trees zone. During the day, they've been discussing high risk area and which line should take to avoid the risk. Everything went well. Therefore, they kept hiking up (red arrow in the video). After several success, Blake who was more advanced skier within the group, decided to hike up further from the group for a dozen of turns. This action triggered the lethal avalanche. Sam who was trying to hold on the tree trunk got pushed away. During the slide, Sam got hit and broke his leg (foot turned 180 degree, bone sticking out). The other two skier survived after the slide. Immediately, they spread out and used the avalanche rescue machine to search for Blake. In no time, they located where Blake was and dig him out from the snow. Once they got him out, Blake was dead already. Therefore, they decided to bring Sam back to the camp and to contact the rescue team. Due to bad weather, the rescue team arrived at the camp second day after the incident. One of the two rescue team members said Sam wont make it to the hospital. The other member, who was the avalanche guild in the video, went outside to inspect the scene. He saw Blake's body still laying outside at the scene. Just like the guild said, the ski group did everything correctly until Blake hike up to an open area with the trees. During the slide, Blake was killed due to his body hitting the tree.
Finally, Sam made it to the hospital, but he became disabled (as seen in the video). Sam kept skiing and played other sports. At the end, he became one of the cycling member in para-olympic team representing his country.

I'm not sure if I remember everything correctly from the video. If there's anything wrong, please correct me. May be someone can translate it in chinese.

[carver_hk-ski]

In the morning, they heard the warning of high risk avalanche. Therefore, they decided to stay within the trees zone. During the day, they've been discussing high risk area and which line should take to avoid the risk. Everything went well. Therefore, they kept hiking up (red arrow in the video). After several success, Blake who was more advanced skier within the group, decided to hike up further from the group for a dozen of turns. This action triggered the lethal avalanche. .Maybe keep going up is the fatal factor here when the area is already considered high risk. I learn somewhere else that cutting line across the slope is even more dangerous.