Monday 11 February 2013

Windslab Ignorance - The Bad Old Days


In the bad old days we didn't wear helmets, carry transceivers shovels and probes, and avalanches happened to other silly people. Well, not quite, but on reflection the general awareness was poor and even a small slide like this would have been discussed over the wine in the chalet with the 4 course meal and probably just dismissed as one of those odd things.  I have been at these types of meal - but on the working side as a ski instructor with Fiona when we worked in the business. And I admitt to doing some off piste stuff with her and groups which now fill me with the heebe geebees that I did it! Really though, going back 20+ years ago we all were a lot less avalanche aware - all of us!

Anyway have a chuckle at this near miss in Verbier from an unknown chalet party. What is interesting and lucky for this geezer is that it popped (the slab dropped, propogated and released) after he was into safer ground and it didnt bring in anything from the sides so was localised.  It could easilly have hung until the next person was just onto it then dropped.  Big enough to kill you!


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