Avalanche basics: what you need to know off-piste

On average, 100 people die in avalanches in the Alps every year. The sad truth is that most of these accidents could have been avoided. Expensive gear and years of experience are not what makes the difference. Solid basic knowledge is.

This guide gives you the avalanche basics that everyone who leaves the marked pistes in winter should know: avalanche types, the avalanche forecast, emergency gear and how to behave in the terrain.

Avalanches differ. The type determines speed, destructive force and how likely it is to be triggered. For ski tourers, three types matter most:

Slab avalanche: the most dangerous type

A cohesive layer of snow breaks away on a weak layer and slides off as a slab. You can recognise it by the typical fracture line at the top.

• Speed: 80–300 km/h
• Trigger: usually people
• Danger: 90% of all fatal avalanche accidents
• Typical terrain: slopes of 30–45 degrees, wind-packed snow

Loose-snow avalanche

Individual snow crystals release at a single point and pull more snow with them, like an hourglass tipped over. It is pear-shaped and starts small. Usually it stays small, but it can grow large, typically in very steep terrain after fresh snow.

Wet-snow avalanche

Soaked snow loses its bond and slides. It tends to happen during the day as temperatures rise, especially in spring. It moves more slowly but carries an enormous mass and a lot of destructive force.

The avalanche forecast is your most important planning tool. Avalanche warning services publish it every day, and it describes the current danger.

The five danger levels:

• Level 1 (low): snowpack well bonded
• Level 2 (moderate): snowpack weakly bonded on some steep slopes
• Level 3 (considerable): snowpack weakly bonded on many steep slopes
• Level 4 (high): snowpack weakly bonded on most steep slopes
• Level 5 (very high): unstable snowpack, large spontaneous avalanches likely

What you must check:

• A danger level is no guarantee of safety: most accidents happen at level 2
• Elevation bands: different altitudes often have different levels
• Aspect: which slope directions carry the main danger?
• Avalanche problem: wind slab, persistent weak layers, wet snow
• Trend: is it getting better or worse?

Key avalanche warning services:

• Austria: lawinen.report
• Switzerland: slf.ch/lawinenbulletin
• Germany/Bavaria: lawinenwarndienst-bayern.de
• South Tyrol: lawinen.report
• France: meteofrance.com/meteo-montagne

Standard emergency gear for ski touring has three parts. All three are mandatory, without exception. But be aware: the gear alone saves nobody. You only stand a chance in an emergency if you know how to use it.

Avalanche transceiver

It sends and receives electromagnetic signals at 457 kHz. Everyone wears one on their body in send mode. After an avalanche, the searchers switch to receive.

• Range: 40–60 metres on modern devices
• Three antennas have been standard since 2000
• Have it function-checked once a year
• Change the batteries regularly

Avalanche probe

A collapsible pole used to pinpoint the exact position once the transceiver has located someone. Without a probe, you're digging blind.

• Length: at least 2.40 m, better 2.80 m
• Material: aluminium or carbon
• Diameter: at least 11 mm for stability
• Markings: depth scale every 10 cm

Avalanche shovel

A sturdy shovel with a metal blade. A buried person lies under an average of one tonne of snow. Without a proper shovel, you have no chance.

• Blade: aluminium or stainless steel, never plastic
• Volume: blade of at least 2.5 litres
• Shaft: telescopic or detachable
• Weight: 600–800 g as a compromise

Training is mandatory

Owning the gear doesn't mean you can use it. In an avalanche accident, every second counts:

• After 15 minutes, the chance of survival drops below 50%
• After 35 minutes, it is below 20%
• Professional rescue often takes 30–60 minutes to arrive

You and your group are the first responders. An avalanche course takes two days and is the most important investment you can make. On it you'll learn:

• Fast, structured transceiver searches
• Efficient digging with a strategy instead of brute force
• Probing without losing time
• Teamwork and communication
• First aid for buried victims

Before the tour:

• Read and understand the avalanche forecast
• Plan your route, with alternatives
• Watch the weather and how temperatures develop
• Check your gear, including a transceiver test
• Brief the group: who leads? Where are the critical sections?

During the tour:

• Keep your distance: at critical points, only one person on the slope at a time
• Watch the slope angle: danger starts at 30 degrees, and 35–40 degrees is the critical range
• Spot wind slab: wind-packed snow sounds hollow and breaks off in slabs
• Whumpf sounds and cracks: turn back immediately, the snowpack is unstable
• Spacing to reduce load: 10 m apart uphill, 30–50 m downhill
• Regroup at safe spots after key sections

Take warning signs seriously:

• Recent avalanches, even small ones
• Whumpf sounds as you walk
• Cracks shooting through the snowpack
• Snow plumes blowing off ridges
• A rapid rise in temperature

If you are caught in an avalanche:

1. Shout loudly so others know your last position
2. Get rid of skis or board if you can, to avoid leverage injuries
3. Make swimming movements to try to stay on the surface
4. Create an air pocket: as the avalanche slows, put your hands in front of your face to keep space to breathe
5. Stay calm, because panic uses up oxygen

If someone is buried:

1. Remember the point where you last saw them, and watch closely where they disappeared
2. Call 112 while you search, not before
3. Start the transceiver search: everyone switches to receive, then a systematic coarse search, fine search and pinpoint search, and probe once the signal is clear
4. Dig strategically: in a V shape from below, not straight down from above
5. First aid: clear the airway, keep them warm, prepare for rescue

The first 15 minutes decide everything:

• 0–15 min: 90% chance of survival
• 15–35 min: 30% chance of survival
• 35+ min: below 20% chance of survival

You are the only realistic rescue. Professionals arrive too late.

This guide is a start, but no substitute for practical training. An avalanche course teaches you the skills that save lives when it really matters.

What you learn on a basic course:

• Interpreting the avalanche forecast
• Assessing terrain: slope angle, aspect, warning signs
• Understanding how the snowpack is built up
• Transceiver searches in realistic conditions
• Shovel and probe technique
• Strategic digging
• Group management and communication

Course providers:

• German Alpine Club (DAV)
• Austrian Alpine Club (ÖAV)
• Swiss Alpine Club (SAC)
• Private mountain schools and mountain guides
• Ski touring operators

A two-day course is the most important investment you can make.