By Ryan Stuart
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This article is useful for people who want to stay safe in avalanches. There are several tips and ways that are given in this article. This article talks about different safety measures that people would have to take. For example, there are Quick Slope Tests. These slope tests are used to make sure if the snow is stable or not . There are 3 ways to do this. 1. Hand Pit, with your hand, dig out a vertical column of snow about 30 centimeters square and deep. Pull from the back of the column with increasing force until the column slides or crumbles. 2. Pole Test, handle first, push a ski pole as deep into the snow as possible. Feel for the different densities of snow, especially a hard layer followed by a soft one — a sign of instability.. Ski Cut, skin or ski across a small slope and then have a second person ski a meter above your track. Watch for snow sliding between the tracks. Essential gear that you would need are, a beacon, used for locating an avalanche victim, a probe which is a lightweight multi-piece long pole used for pinpointing the location of someone buried in an avalanche, a shovel and a backpack. Here are several avalanche rules, If the terrain is as steep as a staircase, it is steep enough to slide.30 kilometer winds + 30 centimeters of new snow within 30 hours + 30 degree slope = high chance of an avalanche. Less than 15 minutes buried in an avalanche, 90 per cent chance of survival. More than 15 minutes buried in an avalanche, 50 per cent chance of survival.The greater the number of people in a group, the greater the chances of an accident.This was a good read because, if I go skiing or hiking or mountain climbing, now I know what to do whenever there is an avalanche. This article is useful because it tells you in point-form what to do whenever a problem arises.
Stuart, Ryan. "Backcountry Skiing 101: Avalanche Safety". http://www.explore-mag.com/Backcountry_Skiing_101_Avalanche_Safety. Web
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