It has been a fantastic ski season, with huge snowfalls back in November
creating a solid base for the best season for a decade across the Alps and
North America.
But if you are heading for the piste in the next two months, are you really
prepared? According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
(Rospa), more than 10,000 people visit British hospitals each year as a
result of skiing and snowboarding accidents.
The range of injuries is broad, from broken bones, concussion and torn
ligaments. What goes wrong? Most people are simply not fit enough to cope
with the demands of a week on the slopes.
Impeccable pistes and new skiing equipment have also encouraged skiers and
snowboarders of all levels to go ever faster. Studies using crash test
dummies on skis, similar to those conducted with cars, have suggested that
going faster than 30km/h (19mph) is not safe, and that going faster than
50km/h is potentially fatal.
While speed is a factor on piste, the heavy snowfalls mean increased risks
from avalanches and other hidden dangers for off piste skiers and boarders.
On Sunday, a 32-year-old snowboarder from Leeds died after falling 80ft down a
crevasse on the Valle Blanche, near Chamonix, France. It is believed the man
died after he removed his snowboard and walked across the bridge, which
collapsed under him.
A spokesman for the PGHM, the high mountain police, said: “We still do not
know exactly what happened but we do know the man had hired a guide. It is a
difficult area to ski or snowboard because it is on the glacier and there a
lot of crevasses. So far this year about 15 people have fallen down
crevasses."
Avalanches
There have been a high number of avalanche deaths this season, with heavy
snowfalls in January sliding off compacted snow and ice. Avalanches killed
26 in Europe in the first three weeks of the year.
A French ski guide, Marc Ambrault, said that British skiers frequently
overestimate their ability. “Guys come to me with all the latest kit and
tell me they’ve been skiing for 10 years,” he said.
“What they don’t seem to realise is that if they’ve been coming once a year,
it means they’ve been skiing for just 10 weeks. They think they are experts,
but the real experts round here are the ones who aren’t heading off piste.”
The Ski Club of Great Britain is recommending that skiers heed local avalanche
advice and ensure that they are properly equipped and experienced before
venturing off piste after a chilling start to the new year. “Anyone
venturing off piste should be carrying a transceiver, a shovel and a probe,
but they’ll do you no good if you don’t know how to use them.
