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AltaCam is a website that features information on life and powder skiing in Alta, Utah. Although a little behind on the powder, the skiing is still REAL good. We're nearing a 100-inch base and last season we saw 14 feet in 14 days during March! Don't forget to subscribe to the The Daily POW for the latest. (posted February 9, 2010)
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Skier POV avalanche burial and rescue
Alta 1971 SlideShow
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PowderHound
Management
Joined: 20 Oct 2005
Posts: 699
Location: Sandy, Utah
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 Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 6:12 pm Post subject: Skier POV avalanche burial and rescue
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If you've ever wondered what it might be like to be buried in an avalanche, you need to check out this video from Haines, Alaska: http://vimeo.com/6581009
| Quote: | The guy in the video was the first one to drop from their group and while not a guide (he was going tail-gunner style), had a lot of Utah and AK backcountry experience. He had a Black Diamond Avalung on, but as you can tell from the video while he's talking as he's dropping in, it wasn't in his mouth to start. He tried to shove it in the instant of starting to get sucked down, but it didn't stay. It was just off to the corner of his mouth he said, and he definitely got snow / ice build up as you'll see on the second sweep of the mouth by the guide after they get to him.
So as he drops in you can also see the sluff to the skier's right immediately start building....and that's actually the chute that was the intended route down. For whatever reason - well pure, unadulterated powder will do it to you - he didn't go make some strong "skier cuts" into the upper pack to do one final snow check.
Instead he just sent it. And it didnt' take more than a few turns out on this big shoulder above this cliff band to break loose.
This was a decent sized avalanche. 1,500 feet the dude fell in a little over 20 seconds. The crown was about 1 - 1.5m. The chute that he got sucked through to the skier's right was flanked on either side by cliff bands that were about 30m tall. He luckily didn't break any bones and obviously didn't hit anything on the run out.
He was only buried for 4 and a half minutes which is incredibly short. In that time, though, you can hear his breathing already accelerate. The ruffling noise back and forth is his chest rising and falling and the noise that his jacket makes. The intermittent whimpering noise you hear is him trying to swallow and get some air. Still sends chills up the back of my neck. Oh and they located him so fast because his right glove came off just before he came completley to rest and there was an excellent visual of course.
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JugheadFLA
Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Posts: 14
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| Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 9:57 am Post subject:
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| Wow....all of the comments that are listed under the video are dead on. That is probably the most scary and horrifying skiing video I have ever seen. Just reminds you of how a seemingly beautiful day can turn into a nightmare in a split second. Never take the mountain for granted, always be prepared! |
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marchizzle
Management
Joined: 28 Oct 2005
Posts: 515
Location: Wasatch Mountains of Youtaugh
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| Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 4:10 pm Post subject:
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| Holy shit that was intense! |
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TheTodd
Joined: 06 May 2009
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 9:15 pm Post subject:
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| Wholly Crap ! |
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