an average of 27 people in the US die
every year from avalanches the saddest
part is that the victims are actually
the ones triggering the avalanches in
the first place
avalanches are one of the most powerful
forces of nature humans ever come across
in seconds they can sweep trains off
their tracks uproot trees and collapse
entire buildings they can also bury
unsuspecting backcountry travelers under
feet of snow but there are some tricks
you can learn to make sure that slope
won't be your last the number one way to
avoid getting caught in an avalanche
it's pretty obvious steer clear of
places where avalanches happen namely
snow-capped mountains with steep slopes
specifically slopes between 30 and 45
degrees but if you insist on climbing
Everest or skiing in Aspen then your
first rule of thumb should always be to
check the daily avalanche forecasts most
avalanches happen right after a heavy
snow storm especially a windy one winds
can pack the snow in more tightly
creating a strong dense layer of snow on
top but you can't predict an avalanche
by this layer alone the real threat is
what lies underneath if the underlying
layer of snow is weaker than the top all
it takes is the right amount of pressure
that's the first thing you'll hear it's
the weak layer collapsing under your
added weight like a house of cards may
even see cracks form in the slab of snow
around you if you can try to get off the
slab since that's what will be tumbling
downhill in a few milliseconds but if
you're unable to escape try grabbing on
to a nearby tree
no trees then you're going to go for a
ride but don't lose hope immediately
cover your mouth to prevent snow from
getting into it and hope you don't crash
into anything
being in an avalanche is like being
caught in a violent ocean wave over 70%
of deaths occur because the person can't
breathe that's why it's imperative that
you try to keep your head above the
swelling cloud of snow around you this
moment right here could make the
difference between life and death don't
worry too much about form thrashing
kicking breast stroke whatever keeps you
near the surface and contrary to popular
belief if you're wearing a backpack hold
on to it the second highest risk of
death is trauma from hitting a tree
boulder or other stationary object at a
high speed
keep your backpack on and you have an
extra cushion behind you for protection
after the snow settles there's not much
you can do but wait for rescue this
isn't like the snow you're used to once
it stops consistency will feel like
cement it's nearly impossible to dig out
up your biggest concern now is breathing
it will not be easy and could even
backfire on you while snow is often
porous your warm breath can temporarily
melt the snow that's in front of your
face and under the cold conditions the
water will likely refreeze into ice
which is not good what you're left with
is a layer of ice that basically seals
you in with the co2 you're exhaling you
might as well tape a plastic bag over
your head to avoid suffocating try to
punch your hand to the surface this
offers a clear signal to rescuers and if
you can wiggle it around creates an air
shaft for you to breathe statistics show
that you have the best chance of
survival if you're rescued within about
15 minutes after 20 minutes your chances
drop to about 30% thanks to advanced
technology there are ways you can
drastically improve your odds attach an
avalanche beacon to yourself before you
even go into the backcountry rescuers
can use it to track you down also
consider wearing an airbag pack
can keep you buoyant in an avalanche
even with these tools safety isn't
guaranteed so be smart about when and
where you choose to climb