Spring Ski Trip? Beware of Avalanches

With temperatures warming up and snow still falling in many mountains throughout the northern hemisphere, the avalanche danger is high. 

This National Geographic video provides some basic information on how avalanches occur, and the conditions which can make avalanches a disaster waiting to happen.

In France they have recently experienced so many incidents due to avalanches that the emergency services have been overloaded – to the extent they had to close a ski area for a few days.  Many areas of the Alps have been badly affected and there have been several fatalities.  In Italy they are pushing for legislation to impose prison sentences on those who trigger avalanches which lead to fatalities.

In North America the mountain resorts have also been receiving a lot of late snowfall, and with warming temperatures spring skiers should be extra cautious.

A reminder that most ski insurance policies have exclusions pertaining to potentially ‘hazardous activities’ such as skiing off piste, so it is important to check and read the relevant section of your policy before hitting the slopes.  Policies may contain wording, such as:

• ‘Excludes skiing off piste or in areas designated as unsafe by resort management’
• ‘Wilful exposure to peril: You must exercise reasonable care to prevent illness, injury or loss…as if uninsured’

However, most ski insurance policies provide cover if an avalanche results in additional accommodation or travel expenses when outbound or return journeys are delayed for a period of time (usually at least 12 hours).

Many ski resorts offer inexpensive avalanche awareness courses which provide excellent opportunities to learn about avalanche conditions, what to look for, and how to use survival equipment.  For adventurous skiers they are a worthwhile investment of time and money – and could save lives.