Safety when skiing off-piste: big mistakes to be avoided!

It is not always easy to judge the conditions and assess the level of risk when you are on the slopes. But there are some important things to keep in mind, to stay safe and, above all,... have fun!

Error no. 1: forgetting to switch on your avalanche transceiver

The avalanche transceiver should be switched on in the morning before you put your skis on!
You must check the battery life, change the batteries if necessary and conduct an avalanche transceiver check. One of the members of the group goes into search mode and makes sure that they are receiving the signals sent from all the transceivers in the group.
The purpose of this is to:
1/ make sure that everyone has remembered to switch on their transceiver
2/ verify that all the transceivers are correctly emitting a signal

Error no. 2: follow the tracks!

We've all done it... we notice a track in the powder snow that leads into the forest. Let's follow it, this skier must know the way, it should lead us to the bottom of the ski lift... Well, yes... in the best case scenario!
But the person we're following could be lost, maybe they are ski touring and have gone up the slope on the other side, maybe they are on a very technical and exposed route that requires a very good skiing technique.
Basic rule:Do not blindly follow a track!Find out about the route before committing to it!

Error no. 3: herd mentality!

This is a classic mistake!In the excitement of being part of a group, you start to get a little careless. You want to have fun, impress your friends and the skiers who are going back up on the chairlift, and you forget the basic rules!
> Keep a safe distance apart, so as not to overload the covering of snow
> Be careful when the gradient exceeds 30° and when there is a change in gradient
> Keep an eye on your friends
> To make sure that no one is missing, stop regularly in a safe place, i.e. under a rock, on a ridge or under a large tree, etc.
Finally, make sure you communicate between you!if you feel you are in above your head or if you feel tired, say it!

Error no. 4: it's risk level iii, everything's fine

It's not! risk level III corresponds to a clear risk "the covering of snow is only moderately to slightly stabilised, on many relatively steep slopes". The statistics show that this is where most avalanche-related accidents occur.
It does not mean that you cannot go off-piste, quite the reverse. It simply means that you must remain in a suitable state of vigilance, always respecting the basic rules that we mentioned earlier.

Error no. 5: never ride alone

Do not ski alone off-piste!The reason is simple: in the event of the slightest mishap, who will come to your aid if no-one has seen you? A bad fall, a problem with your gear, a localised snowslide… it can quickly happen, even to the best.
If you are alone, stick to the marked off-piste areas or the edges of the pistes, where you can be seen.

Coraline

Wedze communication team

Wintersports lover