Avalanche Incident 21 Feb 08
Info taken form people involved (my brother and myself).
Size 2 avalanche 50m wide by 350m long, 20cm hardslab, altitude 1600m, aspect NE, start zone 30 degrees, slide path 35 degrees, alpha angle 25 degrees, start zone on a small ridge feature rolling onto a steeper face in medium density small and large trees.
One person was caught by the slide (me) and was carried for 300m before being left half buried and head-up. No injuries sustained, despite the volume of trees.
This picture was taken 6 weeks ago when the snowpack was thinner with more unburied trees. Start zone near X, end of slide path at Y.
Everything Alright?
Hey Damian,
Your not suppose to get caught in those things... Didn't you learn anything last year on your course? So I hope everything is alright man? I guess you got bit of a scare and so did your brother? What did the ride feel like?
Ok dude... lets try to limit these things when I get there.
Hope all is well and I gots ya dat tabacco.
Cheers
Newf
Sheeez!!!
I`m stoked to be reading this story on your blog.....
Did Mio chew your ear off?
Hi surfinsmiley -- I did!!
Hi surfinsmiley -- I did!!
Fascinating
Yeah, but it is interesting being in the grip of some natural force with stuff coming down all around and wondering how it's going to end ... ne? You can chew ears all you want afterwards, but it doesn't come close to the education you get from facing obliteration (no disrepect intended).
Could you get out of the debris by yourself, or did your bro have to help you?
No ears were chewed
It was quite horrible and also the best thing that's happened in the mountain for me. I doubt people realise just how close they come to a small disaster in a fun day of backcountry skiing.
> interesting being in the grip of some natural force with stuff coming down all around and wondering how it's going to end ... ne?
Without trivialising the mistake made and the possible nasty outcome, it is an interesting feeling. I knew exactly what was happening and was all the time preparing myself for 'the hit', the pain... and the aftermath. In the end I popped out on top without any impacts at all and able to excavate myself easily. It reminded me a lot of the relatively minor car accident we had at the start of the season. Zero control and an urgent anticipation refreshed every microsecond of what comes next.
Atfer my 3 we just drank
Atfer my 3 we just drank lots and lots of beer! Then styed in the resorts to reflect on the chairs. Your heart races when you think your about to take a big knock!
Detached
In uncontrolled snow tumbles and times when I've sat helplessly watching large volumes of snow coming down towards me, I don't remember my heart racing. I do remember a rather beautiful sense of detachment, and noticing time slowing down spectacularly. I had similar experiences expecting a bad outcome during the Kanto Earthquake, and in bike crashes in traffic. In most of these cases there was abundant risk of mutilation and death, but although I don't think I was necessarily happy about it as events unfolded, I wasn't nearly as upset as I would have expected. (Actual mutilation would probably be a different matter though.)
I'm glad you didn't suffer any injury.
(Aside: If you sit still with your eyes closed for 30 minutes and watch your breath, you can sometimes achieve a mental state which reminds me of being in an avalanche. In this case, I do find my heart tends to race.)
Knee update: I had a cortizone injection yesterday (I'm not sure if it's working). I really need to get this bugger fixed so I can start hanging my hide out properly again :->
knees, fear and uncertainty
I don't enjoy being out of control, waiting in immediate suspension for what,s next. Although it is an interesting and utterly unique sensation of being alive.
When I rode today I was possessed with nerves every time some sun crust started to crack or the snow density changed. An avalanche on bigger terrain would be unimaginably nasty.
Usual offer of good luck for you knee.
Thanks for the comments.