106 replies to this topic

[Kraut_in_HongKong]

I just had a look at "Hakuba Now", there is said today:

******Pay extreme caution - person buried in avalanche yesterday. Yesterday a rider was completely buried after a friend above him set of a slab avalanche and was found by a beacon search 5 minutes later. This avalanche triggered on a south facing ridge. Not a bowl, not a face, a ridge. Without beacons, gear, knowledge and experience this would be a much sadder story. Pay extreme caution!*********

I got 2 questions about it:

1. Where did/does it happen? On the slopes or somewhere remote in areas were you are not supposed to go in the first place? I will stick to slopes and seldom go to very nearby ungroomed ares, but wouldn't move far off or into mountain areas.

2. What's a beacon? Sounds like a transmitter or transponder device.

PS: I am glad there was a happy end.

[ger]

Glad everyone is OK. I don't know much, but my understanding is that even with beacons, it's still often difficult to find the victim on time. Good thing things worked. The rider must be pretty shaken up.

[Fattwins]

This did not happen inbounds it happened in the Back Country. If I can find out more details I will post it.

[contender]

To me, triggering an avalanche from above on your friend doesn't sound very experienced...

[Fattwins]

Wait till you have the details and then make a judgement.

[contender]

Maybe, but from the information in the snow report it doesn't sound very clever. But you are right, the report isn't very detailed and there could be other factors as well.

[Fattwins]

The details are very slim. They will however become more clear with time.

[samurai]

Ironically, the most experienced people in the world are the most likely to get caught in a slide.

Experience comes from exposure.

And exposure is not the scientific part of avi-science.

[Go Native]

 Originally Posted By: Kraut_in_HongKong

1. Where did/does it happen? On the slopes or somewhere remote in areas were you are not supposed to go in the first place?

We are not supposed to go to remote areas? So much for adventure in our lives....

[Kraut_in_HongKong]

Let me rephrase from "were you are not supposed to go" to "offside the groomed piste".

What I really meant was: "is there any risk in normal Happo, Goryu areas?"

[contender]

I wouldn't duck ropes at happo without avalanche gear, but thats maybe just me.

[Fattwins]

The report on this will come out soon.

[TJ OZ]

Just spoke to one of the guys. Freaky situation on a ridge line within the trees on the south face of Goryu. Experience of the crew got the guy out alive. They are all pretty shaken by it.
Lots of small cracks showing up over the last couple of weeks within treed areas and slides under the quad at 47 showed the instability. I haven't ventured out into any open faces for a few weeks and don't intend to until some bonding occurs. Be careful out there.

[SG]

"south face of Goryu" last time I was there there were the remnants of a huge slide piled up in the valley at the bottom of that area. Scary stuff. Glad to hear that everyone is still breathing, take care fellas.

[Kraut_in_HongKong]

There is another report today in "Hakuba Now"

You may have already heard of the avalanche that happened at Tsugaike Ski area. This was a slide on the resort that slid from permanently closed terrain and ran across the cat track that was also closed do to avalanche hazard. There was a group of beginner snow boarders that ducked the rope into the cat track and was struck by the size 2.5 slide on the cat track. All people were found however 2 of the victims were taken off the mountain yesterday in comas and all reports state that they are still in coma.

The lesson to be learned here is that signs posting avalanche danger mean it! Stay out of these areas as it is not just yourselves that you are putting at risk it is others on slopes below as well.

I will not enter closed ares!
I will not enter closed ares!
I will not enter closed ares!

I wish all a fast recovery!

Thanks to SJF to remind us that winter sport has its dangers too. It's good to keep that awareness alive and still have fun.

[Mamabear]

 Originally Posted By: Kraut_in_HongKong

..... group of beginner snow boarders that ducked the rope into the cat track and was struck by the size 2.5 slide on the cat track....

Aye Carumba!
What were they thinking!!??
This has been exactly my point in previous threads about beginners and BC Beginners who ride in area's of greater risk than a groomer without LEARNING about the stuff they are riding on. Being of minimal knowledge they make decisions that someone with vast knowledge of the risks of that day would never make.
They are LUCKY - is all I can say. They are not dead.

[Mamabear]

 Originally Posted By: Samui Kitsune

OTARI, Nagano -- A female university student who had been in a coma after being hit by an avalanche at a ski field here died on Monday morning, while another female student remains in a coma, police said.

Investigators are questioning two ski instructors who held a lesson for seven students including the two in an off-piste zone at the Tsugaike Kogen ski ground in Otari, Nagano Prefecture, on Sunday afternoon, on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death and injury.

Aki Ogi, 20, a sophomore student at Aichi University from Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, died on Monday morning, while another sophomore, Mayu Otake, 20, from Chiryu, Aichi Prefecture, remains in a coma.

The two fell unconscious after being trapped in an avalanche while taking a ski lesson at the Tsugaike Kogen ski field at around 2 p.m. on Sunday. The group was part of 79 students who were to take part in the university's ski lessons slated to be held between Thursday last week and Monday.

Rescue officials said the off-piste zone where the two instructors held the lesson was prone to avalanches. On Sunday, approximately 20 centimeters of snow fell in the area.

OK I take it all back! Just read this from Samui over in the Avie/BC forum!!
You would presume that you were safe in a lesson - they were doing the right thing having a lesson.
And the girl is now dead.
Terribly sad!
Sometimes it is safer to take a harder route down than take the beginners trail into harms way huh? Nothing wrong with making your way down safe on your heels as opposed to linking beautful turns into a wipeout!

[Samui Kitsune]

My news article was about a different avalanche. It is really big news in Japan today. It is hard for me to tell whether the instructors were University Ski Instructors or Resort Instructors.

[Mamabear]

Whaaaa....???
You guys getting hit big time by avies lately!
This would be the time I was very thankful that Niseko gradient was not too steep, huh? At least you get to go home!

[tripitaka]

 Originally Posted By: Samui Kitsune

My news article was about a different avalanche. It is really big news in Japan today. It is hard for me to tell whether the instructors were University Ski Instructors or Resort Instructors.

I think you're talking about the Hiroshima avi.