Tips for Surviving Avalanches

Surviving in the mountains can be tough. It's even tougher if there's snow. You'll likely be cold as temperature falls about 33 degrees Fahrenheit for each 328 feet you climb.

When preparing for your mountain adventure, layering clothes is ideal. The base layer should be a thin synthetic material. This should help keep you dry. Your insulating layer should be fleece. Trousers will be easy to walk in and will dry easily. Your shell layer should be breathable fabric like Gore-Tex. If you're doing heavy mountaineering, you may want overtrousers and a helmet. Good boots are essential.

Avalanches are a danger but you can try to avoid them. If you dig a little in a safe area, then prod the snow and notice sudden changes in the snow's resistance, it's a good sign the area is avalanche prone. Hard smooth ground allows snow to slide easily. Powder snow, ice masses, and a rise in temperature where wet snow is present are also risk factors.

If you are in an avalanche prone area, certain precautions can be taken. Cross a slope at the highest point possible. Cross a danger zone one person at a time, with each of you connected by rope. If an avalanche catches you by surprise, try to maintain your position. If you have an axe in hand, dig it in.

If you are falling when an avalanche comes, roll sideways and use swimming motions to stay near the surface. If you are buried, conserving oxygen is key. Try to clear a space in front of your face, and don't yell (others probably can't hear you through several feet of snow). If you are able to clear a breathing space, spit into it. The direction the spit rolls in will tell you whether you are facing up or downhill.

Conversely, if you see someone swept up by an avalanche, there are things you can do as well. Take note of two spots: where the individual was before, and where they were when the avalanche hit the person. Imagine a line between these two points and follow it down slope for where the person is most likely buried.

Definitely call for help. Don't go more than 15 minutes away. Look for any personal items, and systematically probe the area with an axe shaft or other tool.

If you find the victim, clear their mouth and airways right away. Then remove the weight from their chest so that they can breathe. If they are not breathing, do CPR immediately. Don't unbury the rest of them first.

Avalanche victims actually have a high survival rate - 86 percent survive entombment. A third of victims die from something other than asphyxiation. Most of these fatalities are male (a whopping 90%) and many are 25 to 29 years old.

Sources:
Come Back Alive; Pelton, Robert Young; Broadway Books, 2000.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Surviving Anything; Sauer, Patrick and Zimmerman, Michael; BookEnds, LLC, 2001.
The Encyclopedia of Survival Techniques; Stilwell, Alexander; The Lyons Press, 2000.