Skiers descend a slope despite the high risk of avalanches March 2, 2014 in the Val-d'Isere ski resort in the French Alps.Philippe Desmazes/AFP/Getty Images hide title
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Philippe Desmazes/AFP/Getty Images
Skiers descend a slope despite the high risk of avalanches March 2, 2014 in the Val-d'Isere ski resort in the French Alps.
Philippe Desmazes/AFP/Getty Images
It's April Fool's Day 2011 and acclaimed adventure photographer and filmmaker Jimmy Chin is snapping up some pro snowboarders in Wyoming's Teton Range. This is one of the first truly warm days of the spring season, so there is a lot of action going on on the snowpack. On days like this, the avalanche danger is so high that everyone has their antennae up. But all three men are experienced mountaineers who know how to interpret the conditions.
Chin, on skis, has just worked his way through a narrow strip of snow called the couloir and continues his descent across the summit. It makes one turn and then a second. And then there is a crack, and the slope is filled with a network of cracks. Snow falls below Chin and begins a 2,000-foot drop down the mountain in an avalanche later described as a Class 3 to 4 (of 5 scale), an event that can tear trees, hit cars, and destroy homes. Survival is a matter of experience, equipment and luck.
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Sherpas are the first to climb Mount Everest after 2 years of avalanches
Sherpas are the first to climb Mount Everest after 2 years of avalanches
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About 30 people die in avalanches in the US each year, and those numbers have remained fairly constant, although more adventurers explore the interior in winter, which experts attribute to avalanche awareness programs. 25 percent of people caught in an avalanche die from trauma, the rest suffocate. Jimmy Chin's April Fool's Day avalanche tried to wipe him out in any way he could.
"There's a tremendous amount of moving mass. If you can imagine being in a car wreck, then think of a train wreck," he says.
When he fell down the mountain in a blizzard, Chin says, it was as if a tidal wave had swept over him. I couldn't catch my breath. The snow got into his eyes, down his throat and shattered his face. At times he estimated it was between 30 and 50 feet deep and prayed the slide wouldn't stop because there would be no chance of rescue.
To try to get to the surface, Chin used the #1 survival technique you learn in avalanche safety courses: swimming to the surface. He fought as best he could with skis and winter gear. And with a bit of luck it worked. With a result that left everyone shaking their heads, Jimmy Chin pulled out the tip of the avalanche, which was buried up to his waist but intact except for a few bruises.
"Like a Monster in a Horror Movie"
Two months ago, Mount Everest reopened to climbers after two years in which avalanches killed at least 35 people on the mountain. They were sera avalanches, one triggered by the 2015 Nepal earthquake, which broke off large chunks of hanging ice, crushing victims.
Photographer Jimmy Chin on a mission in the Karakoram Mountains of Pakistan.Brady Robinson/Courtesy of Jimmy Chin hide title
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Brady Robinson/Courtesy of Jimmy Chin
Photographer Jimmy Chin on a mission in the Karakoram Mountains of Pakistan.
Brady Robinson/Courtesy of Jimmy Chin
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For 3 climbers, Summit Meru was an "irresistible" challenge
Jimmy Chin was caught in a stone slab avalanche, where a mountainside gives way, pushing an icy white tidal wave that's sometimes 20 to 30 feet high and reaches 80 miles per hour in seconds.
Bruce Tremper has been measuring avalanches for 40 years and recently retired from the Utah Avalanche Center.
"Avalanches are like a monster in a horror movie," he says. "They lie under the perfect facade, that pretty white snow, waiting for someone to come."
Most avalanches happen shortly after a new snowfall, says Spencer Logan of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, who estimates his state experiences around 3,000 avalanches each winter, involving about 60 people. Last January was particularly grim with an unprecedented 14 deaths in the US during a period of frequent storms.
"We need a snowpack that's a little more cohesive, that wants to hold together," Logan says. "And it has to sit on top of a layer that's less cohesive, one that doesn't want to stick together as much, and we need something to upset that balance and get the loose snow to break up and then it becomes the more cohesive one thing sliding down the hill."
What disturbs this balance is you, on your skis or a snowboard or a snowmobile.
rise above the chaos
Modern technology has helped a lot when it comes to surviving an avalanche. The Rescue Device is the transceiver worn by the most demanding backcountry skiers. Set this beacon to transmit while skiing. If there's a slide, set it up so it picks up your friend's signal under the snow. You'll also need a probe to pinpoint their location and a shovel to dig them up.
Then there is the Avalung. This is basically a tube you breathe in when you're buried, channeling your toxic carbon dioxide away from you and pulling oxygen from the surrounding snow pack, adding precious minutes to survival time.
The latest safety device, which has been popular in Europe for some time and is also gaining ground in this country, is the avalanche airbag. It's attached to a small backpack behind you and when you pull the cord, the bag inflates, increasing its volume and helping you stay on the avalanche over shattered debris, rocks and trees swept away by the slide Elyse Saugstad had her tied up during the Tunnel Creek avalanche in Washington state. And it saved his life.
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Remains of climbers found on the Himalayan glacier after a 1999 avalanche
Remains of climbers found on the Himalayan glacier after a 1999 avalanche
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Saugstad is a professional skier and she and a large group of athletes enjoyed the fresh out of bounds snow near Steven's Pass ski area on February 19, 2012. Again, everyone was experienced, knew how to read the conditions and knew there was avalanche danger that day. She and four others were coming down the mountain when a skier overhead caused the avalanche. One member of the group was able to save himself by getting between two trees as the slide passed. Saugstad and three others were swept down the mountain. Only she was equipped with an airbag.
Everything was fine, he says, until he heard someone yell: "Elyse, avalanche!" He immediately tried to drive out, but couldn't.
Elyse Saugstad is a professional skier and avalanche survivor.Greg Martin/Courtesy of Elyse Saugstad hide title
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Greg Martin/Courtesy of Elyse Saugstad
Elyse Saugstad is a professional skier and avalanche survivor.
Greg Martin/Courtesy of Elyse Saugstad
"As they started to come after me, I pulled the trigger on my ... avalanche airbag pack and immediately started spinning upside down," says Saugstad. "You can't tell where it's up, you can't tell where it's down. If I hadn't pulled the trigger when I did, I don't know if I would have been able to get my arm back up. "Trigger point because the forces were so strong you just completely lost control."
She stopped 2,500 feet down the mountain. These are two Empire State Buildings stacked on top of each other, he emphasizes. The snow at the bottom of an avalanche collects like cement, leaving a completely immobile body. You can't move your fingers. You can't expand your chest enough to take a full breath. Saugstad was frozen. But the Saugstad airbag had stopped them. He lay on his back and looked at the sky. His face was clear and he could breathe. His three companions were not so lucky. They all died. One was buried just a meter away from her.
"I just think if they were using avalanche airbag backpacks, they would still be alive," says Saugstad. "Actually, they didn't die of asphyxiation. They died from trauma. They had compressed lungs and broken ribs and just generally broken limbs. Because they weren't on top of the avalanche and being pulled down, they all hit the debris."
"15 golden minutes"
What could be worse? The avalanche stops. You survived the trauma, but you're cemented under the snow. Everything is pitch black. Your body is on your stomach, legs twisted behind and above you in a scorpion-like position. This is where professional skier JT Holmes found himself near Donner Peak in the mountains of California's Sierra Nevada last January. His CO2 was building and the clock was ticking.
"You have a golden 15 minutes, so to speak, and after that the numbers go down very quickly," says avalanche forecaster Bruce Tremper. "After the first 15 minutes, 93 percent of those completely buried are still alive. After about 45 minutes, only about 10 to 20 percent are alive.”
the bidirectional
11 dead, 8 missing after mountain avalanche in Borneo
When he stopped, Holmes was initially able to move his head from side to side under the snow to try to create an air pocket. He could even see wisps of light shining through. But soon the snow filled and sealed every crack. There was zero mobility and zero light.
"If you were claustrophobic, this would be your absolute nightmare," says Holmes. “What I was trying to do then was slow my breathing. I remembered that I was with professional mountain guides and they came to get me. And I knew my beacon was on. So I gave myself up for a pep talk."
He thought about how big wave surfers are trained to hold their breath for three or four minutes, how the mind thinks it needs oxygen long before it actually does.
"I never thought I would die," says Holmes. "I focused on what I could control, kept my head cool and held my breath."
At one point he wondered how deep it was, six inches, four feet, 10 feet. Ultimately, Holmes lost the battle between his brain and lungs, and after about four or five minutes, he estimates, passed out. A few minutes later it was dug up.
JT Holmes competes at the Xtreme Freeride Contest 2009 in Verbier, Switzerland.Jean-Christophe Bott, Keystone/AP hide title
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Jean-Christophe Bott, Keystone/AP
JT Holmes competes at the Xtreme Freeride Contest 2009 in Verbier, Switzerland.
Jean-Christophe Bott, Keystone/AP
The next thing Holmes remembers is walking up to him and seeing the faces of his rescuers. He says that everything was very brilliant and for the first time during the experience he was really scared. But like Jimmy Chin and Elyse Saugstad, he wasn't seriously injured.
And the three survivors say that despite their slim prospects, they are not ready to live a tamer life.
"It probably reinforced that what I was doing is what I should be doing," says Chin. "I can't help but think, well, apparently it wasn't my time because if there was a time, that would have been the time."
FAQs
What does it feel like to get hit by an avalanche? ›
Many survivors describe the terrifying experience as similar to getting hit by a truck, being tumbled inside of a washing machine and then not being able to move at all once the snow settles, said Paige Pagnucco, avalanche education and outreach specialist with the Utah Avalanche Center.
What happens to the human body in an avalanche? ›People die because their carbon dioxide builds up in the snow around their mouth and they quickly die from carbon dioxide poisoning. Statistics show that 93 percent of avalanche victims can be recovered alive if they are dug out within the first 15 minutes, but then the numbers drop catastrophically.
How long can you breathe in an avalanche? ›Have the Appropriate Gear and Training. “Emergency services are usually too far away from the scene of an avalanche, and time is important,” said Trautman. "A person trapped under the snow may not have more than 20 or 30 minutes.
How do you know when an avalanche is coming? ›+Avalanche Warning Signs
The ground feels hollow underfoot. You hear a "whumping" sound as you walk, which indicates that the snow is settling and a slab might release. Heavy snowfall or rain in the past 24 hours. Significant warming or rapidly increasing temperatures.
"Statistics show that 93 percent of avalanche victims survive if dug out within 15 minutes. Then the survival rates drop fast. After 45 minutes, only 20 to 30 percent of victims are alive. After two hours, very few people survive."
What happens right before an avalanche? ›A snow avalanche begins when an unstable mass of snow breaks away from a slope. The snow picks up speed as it moves downhill, producing a river of snow and a cloud of icy particles that rises high into the air. The moving mass picks up even more snow as it rushes downhill.
Can you breathe when buried in an avalanche? ›Abstract. Breathing under snow, e.g. while buried by a snow avalanche, is possible in the presence of an air pocket, but limited in time as hypoxia and hypercapnia rapidly develop.
What is the common cause of death in avalanche? ›Avalanche victims die from carbon dioxide poisoning as carbon dioxide builds up in the snow around their mouth. Here are survival rate statistics if buried by an avalanche, according to a Canadian study: 90% if buried 10 minutes or less.
Do avalanches hurt? ›The force from an avalanche can easily break and crush bones causing serious injury. Asphyxiation is the most common cause of death, followed by death from injury and lastly by hypothermia.
What is the longest someone has survived an avalanche? ›Wilderness Environ Med. 2023 Mar;34(1):113-119.
How deep can an avalanche bury you? ›
The average burial depth in an avalanche is around 1.3 meters, which equates to about 1-1.5 tons of snow to move in order to extricate someone from avalanche debris. That's just on average, in reality, someone could be buried much deeper.
Can you hear an avalanche coming? ›The "whumph" noise is a warning sound that an avalanche may be imminent. It occurs when a deep layer of light, fresh powder piles high atop a dense layer of frozen ice beneath it. The whumph noise is the sound of that powder compressing, shifting or sliding a bit downhill. That's how avalanches get started.
What not to do during an avalanche? ›Push machinery, equipment or heavy objects away from you to avoid injury. Grab onto anything solid (trees, rocks, etc.) to avoid being swept away. Keep your mouth closed and your teeth clenched. If you start moving downward with the avalanche, stay on the surface using a swimming motion.
What triggers most avalanches? ›Avalanches can be triggered by wind, rain, warming temperatures, snow and earthquakes. They can also be triggered by skiers, snowmobiles, hikers, vibrations from machinery or construction.
What was the worst avalanche in history? ›According to Guinness World Records, the deadliest avalanche on record took place on 13 December 1916, near the Gran Poz summit of Monte Marmolada, Italy. That day became known as White Friday after thousands of soldiers from Austria-Hungary and Italy were killed by a number of avalanches in the Dolomites.
Can you outrun avalanche? ›An average-sized dry avalanche travels around 80 mph and it's nearly impossible for someone to outrun an avalanche or even have time to get out of the way. A fast snowmobile has some chance but everyone else has a slim chance at best. Also, avalanches that descend from above kill very few people.
Is it easy to get out of an avalanche? ›If you don't die from the blunt force of hitting a tree or a rock, and your fellow skiers can dig you out in under 10 minutes, you have about a 90 percent chance of surviving an avalanche.
Where are the most avalanche prone areas in the US? ›Thousands of avalanches occur each winter in the mountains of Colorado. With the enormous popularity of winter sports in Colorado, this poses a risk to skiers, snowboarders, hikers and snowmobilers. On average, 6 people die in avalanches in the state of Colorado every year.
What time of year do most avalanches occur? ›January and February are typically peak months for avalanches—more skiers, snowmobilers, and other winter enthusiasts die in slides during those months than any other time of the season.
Where do you hide during an avalanche? ›If you are near any rocks, attempt to seek shelter from the snow juggernaut behind them. Beware, however, that large avalanches will pick up big rocks and carry them down slope. If there's no object to hide behind, crouch low, turn away from the avalanche, and brace for impact.
What type of avalanche kills the most people? ›
Slab avalanches are the most dangerous avalanche type, accounting for over 90% of avalanche fatalities.
Who has the most avalanche deaths? ›By the numbers: The most deadly avalanche years came in 1993 and 2021, when 12 people died. This season's number ties the 1983 and 2013 death totals.
What country has the most deaths to avalanches? ›Switzerland
The most well-known country to receive avalanches is probably Switzerland, not only because of many disasters but also because of the extensive snow avalanche research that has been performed for more than 60 years.
Glide avalanches can be composed of wet, moist, or almost entirely dry snow. They typically occur in very specific paths, where the slope is steep enough and the ground surface is relatively smooth.
Can avalanche break bones? ›The force from an avalanche can easily break and crush bones, causing serious injury. Asphyxiation is the most common cause of death, followed by death from injury and lastly, by hypothermia—people buried in the avalanche if found within 15 minutes have more than a 90 percent survival rate.
What is the fastest avalanche in history? ›Helens volcano triggered the fastest debris avalanche ever recorded, clocking in at 402.3 kilometers (250 miles) per hour, according to Guinness World Records.
How do you survive being buried in an avalanche? ›Dig a pocket around your face.
If you're buried deeper than a foot or so when it sets, it will be impossible to get out on your own. Your only hope then is to ward off asphyxiation long enough for people to dig you out. Use either your free hand or an avalanche shovel to dig an air pocket near your nose and mouth.
Simply put, the longer you are buried, the more likely you will die. The American Avalanche Association (AAA) published a graph that states chances of survival are 92% if you are extricated within 15 minutes. And chances go down to 37% after 35 minutes of burial time.
Can you swim in an avalanche? ›2. Stay On Top. “Swimming” to the top of the avalanche will help avoid being trapped under debris, which is solid advice.
Why can't people dig out of an avalanche? ›An avalanche is a large amount of snow moving quickly down a mountain, typically on slopes of 30 to 45 degrees. When an avalanche stops, the snow becomes solid like concrete and people are unable to dig out.
Can animals sense avalanches? ›
Their sense of smell is estimated to be 10,000 to 100,000 times stronger than humans. So, if someone is buried under snow after an avalanche, an individual trained dog, with its sophisticated olfactory receptors, will cover the ground much more quickly and efficiently than a team of humans will.
Can animals trigger an avalanche? ›High alpine animals, such as mountain goats, could trigger avalanches and are susceptible to being caught in them. Avalanches are a naturally occurring event in the wild and can happen without human interference.
What are the 3 things for avalanche? ›Avalanches are caused by four factors: a steep slope, snow cover, a weak layer in the snow cover, and a trigger.
Is it hard to survive an avalanche? ›The whole key to surviving an avalanche is not to get caught. Every accident I've seen has had a number of clues pointing to the instability. Most people who are completely buried, there's less than a 50 percent chance of survival within about 25 minutes. Within 45 minutes, three-quarters of all victims are dead.
How deep do avalanches bury you? ›The average burial depth in an avalanche is around 1.3 meters, which equates to about 1-1.5 tons of snow to move in order to extricate someone from avalanche debris. That's just on average, in reality, someone could be buried much deeper.
Can you outrun an avalanche? ›An average-sized dry avalanche travels around 80 mph and it's nearly impossible for someone to outrun an avalanche or even have time to get out of the way. A fast snowmobile has some chance but everyone else has a slim chance at best. Also, avalanches that descend from above kill very few people.
Has anyone ever survived an avalanche? ›You might have heard over the weekend; a man survived an avalanche after falling off a 50-foot cliff while skiing in Colorado. Yes, you read that correctly. The sad truth of the matter is surviving an avalanche burial is rare.
What causes death in avalanche? ›Thereafter, chance of survival is extremely low as death occurs from asphyxiation or hypothermia. Asphyxiation during ava- lanche burial occurs because expired gases (containing approximately 5% carbon dioxide and 16% oxygen) are rebreathed.