Avalanche safety course on an actual avalanche in the Alps

Winter in the Alps can be dangerous. There's always the risk of avalanches. So I booked a course to learn more about search and rescue and about how to judge if a range is rather safe or dangerous.

Our state proven instructor Max lead us to an actual avalanche that had descended some days ago. Here you see him using his avalanche probe. We were near the popular skiing area Sudelfeld in Bavaria.

We were equipped with avalanche transceivers, called Pieps (peep). One should carry them when skiing or snowshoeing off prepared slopes. Once buried by an avalanche the device leads your companions to your position.

When the probable spot is located, the probe is used to feel if there's actually somebody under the masses of snow. And then you start digging. Time is running. After 10 minutes the chances for survival are low. The victims usually suffocate.

We built this snow cave to practice the use of the probe. This is my friend Florian playing the victim. The difference between body, rock, snow or rucksack is very easily to distinguish from above.

This is my gear. A folded probe, hiking poles and snowshoes, all attached to my rucksack, and a shovel. Do you really need to carry a shovel? Couldn't you just dig with your hands? Forget about it. It's far too slow. And time is crucial for the victim.

We spent the lunch break in a nice mountain inn. And Max taught us more about avalanches, how to read the official situation report and theoretical knowledge about the slope inclination, the weather, snow layers etc.

In the afternoon we did a short tour with our snowshoes. We practiced to assess
different hills and avalanche-prone areas.

Now I know more about the possible dangers. It gives me a safer feeling in the mountains. But I hope that I never have to make use of the rescue knowledge.

While we were practicing, we suddenly heard the sound of a helicopter approaching. It flew to an official skiing slope nearby. A sportsperson had an accident and urgently needed help. The Alps can be really dangerous.