Marmolada Avalanche

[PwdrHound]

Just came across this recount of a large avalanche that was triggered this spring in the Dolomites. Large not only because of the length of the slide path but, the number of victims. The author's account is breathtaking! Especially because through his words we can easily understand how helpless it all was. How quickly things change from rescue to recovery. I really can't imagine....I just can't imagine what it takes to stay calm in the situation, to make clear decisions, to get people organized and working together, to get people to switch there beacons to receive from 2 kilometers away as to not complicate a desperate search. It just seems all so helpless. In the moment, it seems, we are left to do the best we can. Skill and Luck seem to be unfairly related in this type of emergency.

Where the hell do you get the experience to respond appropriately? Why would you want such experience?? It seems all so hellish.....

Please give it a read!

Marmolada Avalanche (http://blog.patitucciphoto.com/2009/05/01/marmolada-avalanche/)

[icelanticskier]

Where the hell do you get the experience to respond appropriately? Why would you want such experience??


you get the experience from being in the right place at the wrong time, well for me, the right place at an ok time for me, but unfortunately not for others.

you just have to deal. i can remember my 1st avi recovery when the 2 dudes perished at GOS in 96' from the massive slide in gully #2. after that day, the other times i've dealt with avy/mountain accidents have been easier and easier to deal with. no reason to get worked up when the $hit has already happened.

why would i want such experience? my comfort level in the mountains, often times solo in the prezzies and places out west during the winter is at a point of complete contentment and easefullness and tragedy is just something that goes with the territory as hard as that is. it's a nice place to be. you can never be too careful in the mountains and if you work with them on their terms as best you can and make sure every step you make is a good solid one as well as every turn you make being a calculated safe one and always look above, below, and do things as a group, one person at a time at all times, and know when to hold em and fold em, you will hopefully last a long time.

be safe

rog

[bristlecone]

A sobering account, with an ominous start -

"The day started perfectly, May 1 and nearly a meter of winter powder. We arrived to the Marmolada (the Dolomites highest peak) and found literally a hundred or more skiers already skinning up to the east summit."

Do read down through the comments at the end.

[icelanticskier]

ready to take place, hanging over ones head.

the day started out with a meter (that's a heck of a lot and probably followed a long period of high pressure) over 100 skiers up above (hangfire). text book imminent doom situation. the deaths from this accident will hopefully save lives in the future. checks and balances in the mountains. RIP.

rog

[surfinsafari]

Where the hell do you get the experience to respond appropriately? Why would you want such experience?? It seems all so hellish.....

Please give it a read!

Marmolada Avalanche (http://blog.patitucciphoto.com/2009/05/01/marmolada-avalanche/)

obviously no one wants to go through something like that. the only way you can truly have that kind of experience is to be on or adjacent to a slope that fractures. and since no one in their right mind wants that to happen, its the kind of experience you get in a matter of seconds when you hear that dreaded sound of the settling snow pack, and watch the snow spiderweb then take you for one hell of a ride. you either get a hell of a lot of experience, or you die. thats about it