Avalanche safety for skiers
Avalanches terrify me! I’ve been skiing for over 50 years, skied over 360 ski resorts around the world… thankfully always safely.
I love skiing off-piste in The Alps. Its better than being “piste-off” – ski joke. It’s the most rewarding but risky activity I’ve ever participated in. But… my ski buddy/husband and I mitigate our risks, we know before we go, and we typically hire a guide to ski safely, especially in terrain we’ve not skied before.
More and more skier and snowboarders all around the world are “Freeriding,” getting off the prepared/groomed slopes and trails, and venturing off-piste, into side-country and backcountry, in the past decade. We’ve witnessed a HUGE shift, particularly in the Alps where 10 years ago – the vast majority remained on the “prepared” slopes. Today (too) many are venturing into terrain that is not avalanche controlled, not patrolled. Consequently, we see the news of more and more skier-triggered avalanches, more people being buried, and more rescue missions – some successful, many not… Again, being buried in an avalanche is terrifying to me…
Snow avalanches claim an average of 100 lives a year in Europe,. The avi death toll this season, 2026 is much higher in the Alps, over 120, according to SnowChasers.com. This 2026 season’s snowpack was “not normal” from beginning to end. A huge early season November storm, followed by weeks of no snow, left a very unstable weak layer, then heavy snowfall fell on top, particularly in the Pyrenees, Italy, France and Switzerland. It’s akin to a layer cake that’s top heavy, too much dense frosting, over a slippery bottom cake layer below… extremely slide prone.
We skied a Swiss resort in January the day after an experienced Olympic pro snowboarder, Ueli Kestenholz, died, buried in an avalanche in sight of the ski lifts! It rocked my world! You could see the deep fracture-line of the summit cornice, and the chunky slabby snow slide debris at the base while riding the chairlift as a heady reminder. In Italy, a record 13 backcountry skiers died in the South Tyrol early February! Same month, in Tahoe California, 8 experienced skiers died in a backcountry avalanche, with four expert guides.
I am an expert skier, my husband and I love skiing outside of the groomed ski area, freeriding – it’s amazing, floating on fresh untracked powder snow, away from the lifts, the prepared trails, the hustle and bustle of the populated ski resort, but it requires skill, an understanding of the mountain terrain, the ever-changing snow pack. It’s high risk and we take it incredibly seriously, with attention, intention and preparation!
When we do freeride (venture off-piste), we prefer to hire a ski guide who provides us inherent safety, extensive local knowledge of the wind, weather, aspects, snow load & avi risks of that day and the slopes we’ll ski specifically. Bergfuhrers, ski mountain guides, train for years to be fully certified in all aspects, from snow safety to rescue. This experience is invaluable…priceless… for the price of the guide $’s. Ski Guides’ hard-earned credentials, their lives and yours, depend upon their decisions of where to go, and where not to. As a bonus, Ski Guides cater our day perfectly, getting us fresh snow, a little local history and lore, and likely the best seat at lunch in a spectacular chalet. We have had better Ski Guide powder days in the Alps than heli-skiing for a week in Canada!
Back to safety, you must know the snow, and carry a full avalanche backpack, but you must also know how to utilize the tools in it! Do you know how to use your peeps, aka transceiver or beacon, switching from send to search, setting up a prompt pattern and plan to find someone buried alive in snow? Then how to use your extendable probe to search in the snow quickly, strategically? How to dig and shovel effectively from below the victim with your compact extendible shovel in your pack? Do you have the ECHO SOS app on your cellphone? Mind you, you can’t rely on cell service when skiing high-altitude, remote mountain terrain! But all these protocols together can improve your safety.
We see too many skiers, actually more snowboarders, sorry dudes, going off-piste, skiing side-country untouched, unpatrolled terrain, without a clue, without a backpack, or perhaps worse – with an Avi backpack strapped to them with no idea how to utilize the gear inside! They put themselves, me, others, ski patrol and rescue at risk. So, know before you go, the conditions & Avi risk 1-5 posted and updated daily. 4-5 is no bueno, but most people actually die in Level 3 Avalanche Risk conditions, thinking they are safe!
So, if you don’t know, don’t go! There’s no shame in backing out of a backcountry adventure if the snow or you don’t feel 100% ok. Live to ski another day.
Ski safe.. it’s a privilege. Know and live by the Ski Code in bounds as well
Do what you love, love what you do, know the Avi risks, know how to use your Avi equipment, hire a guide, and don’t take unnecessary risks that endanger yourself and others…
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