The most dangerous period of avalanches is considered. Definition of an avalanche: varieties, safety. Avalanche situation and types of snow avalanches

Many dangers lie in wait for climbers, snowboarders and skiers. But the most inexorable and unpredictable of them is snow avalanches. What are they like? Below is a detailed classification of avalanches.

According to Tushinsky

Back in 1949, Professor Georgy Tushinsky proposed a typology of snow avalanches based on differences in the specifics of the movement paths.

The geographer divided the types of snow masses descending from the mountains into:

1. Tray. They move along a strictly fixed vector from glacial troughs, as well as from funnels formed as a result of the destruction of rocks.
2. Basics. When a gap forms in the layer of snow and part of the mass slides down a flat slope, on which there are no erosion cuts or furrows.
3. Jumping. There are sheer cliffs on the way of the site, from which the snow slides into free fall.

By the nature of the movement and the structure of the mass

A dust avalanche is formed from dry snow. In the process of movement, the structure of the mass is destroyed and creates a cloud of snow dust. The speed of snow avalanches of this type can reach 250 km/h. It is the most dangerous and destructive.

The same classification of avalanches established the presence of so-called "snow slabs". They are formed from a layer of fine-grained dry snow with a density of up to 400 kg per cubic meter, under which there is a less dense snow mass. Hollow areas are formed under the plates, which destroy the top layer and provoke its subsidence.

When the imbalance reaches a critical point, a stepped separation line is formed, perpendicular to the surface of the mass, and collapse occurs over a large area, the speed of which can reach 200 km / h.

There is also an "avalanche from a point." It is formed from wet snow in the form of a huge drop coming off a rocky ledge. This is due to the heating of the rocks, as a result of which the lower layer of the mass is fed with moisture, becomes heavier and begins to shift. Most snow avalanches of this type can be observed in spring. The speed of their movement does not exceed 120 km / h.

In the summer season, hydro-driven avalanches often appear, in which masses move that resemble mudflows in composition: they contain a mixture of stones, water, soil and snow.

Due to the occurrence

According to this criterion, in 1984 V. Akkuratova proposed the following typology:

• snow avalanches

They are formed from the redistribution of the upper layer due to mass transfer during a snowstorm. Accumulations of snow grains carried by the wind are deposited in the depressions of the relief. The rate of formation of a snowstorm layer depends on the structure of the relief, as well as on the speed of the snowstorm.

• advection

They are formed as a result of water infiltration into a layer of snow, due to which its structure is destroyed and the lower layer thaws and the bonds between dense accumulations of snowflakes break.

• Avalanches from dry "young" snow

In the process of intense snowfall, a fresh layer is formed on the surface of the mass, consisting of crystals with a density of not more than 200 kg per 1 cubic meter.

The stability of this structure depends on the strength of adhesion, as well as on the area of ​​contact with the "old" layer and on the rate of accumulation of dry crystals.

• Avalanches due to metamorphism

Due to the deformation of the structure of ice particles and the bonds between them, snow recrystallization occurs, as a result of which loose layers appear in the upper cover. This leads to an avalanche.

• Insolation

Snow absorbs solar energy, under the influence of which it begins to move. The movement speed is relatively low.

• mixed

The movement of snow masses occurs due to an increase in air temperature with the simultaneous accumulation of solar energy in the thickness of the snow.

• Avalanches triggered by snow compression

They are formed as a result of overvoltages arising from an increase in the density of snow masses caused by a strong decrease in air temperature.

Classifications by strength and level of danger

According to the volume and approximate weight of the moving layer, avalanches can be divided into five varieties:

1. A catastrophe capable of destroying a settlement or having a destructive effect on a vast forest area (more than 4,000 km²);
2. Sliding of minor accumulations of snow that are not capable of harming a person;
3. An avalanche that can destroy an area of ​​forest up to 4,000 km², as well as cause damage to buildings, vehicles and equipment;
4. A slight shift in the snow mass that can harm a person;
5. A medium-sized avalanche capable of breaking trees, damaging vehicles and buildings.

If we talk directly about the danger of an avalanche for a person, then it is customary to evaluate it on a 5-point scale:

The danger is minor. There is a minimal chance of snowfall, but in general the surface is dense and stable. Conditions for holding events are quite reliable.

The formation of an avalanche is possible only in critical areas of the relief, subject to additional pressure on the slope by the movement of several athletes along it. In quiet areas, slopes up to 50 degrees can be loaded. It is advisable not to lay routes through problem areas with an inclination angle of more than 45 degrees.

Average level of danger. At some points on the slope, there is a decrease in density and slight destabilization. On steep terrain, the risk of an avalanche is increased. Spontaneous shift of snow masses is unlikely.

Events are allowed if the organizers take into account the structure of the relief and the peculiarities of the conditions at the sites. It is allowed to stress normal slopes with an angle of up to 40 degrees. On areas with problematic relief, loads at an angle of up to 35 degrees are permissible.

Increased danger. On most slopes, snow masses are unstable and have a loose structure. The probability of an avalanche formation is high. The most dangerous points are steep slopes. Spontaneous descent of several avalanches of medium strength and single descents of large volumes of snow are expected. Events are allowed, but only if their participants are only experienced athletes with sufficient knowledge of avalanche science, familiar with the geography of the region, and not planning to go to high-risk areas. On most routes, the movement of groups of athletes is prohibited. Permissible load on slopes forming an angle of up to 35° in normal areas and up to 30° in hazardous areas.

The snow cover is not compacted and unstable in the vast majority of areas. The probability of an avalanche coming down is high even with a slight load on the slope surface. The movement of groups of athletes is prohibited. Only single events are allowed.

Access to the route is allowed only for professional athletes who are well acquainted with the geography of the area, who have impeccable knowledge of avalanche science and good intuition, who are ready to return to the base at the slightest suspicion. Loading in normal and potentially hazardous areas is allowed on slopes up to 25° and 20° respectively.

catastrophic danger. Snow masses are mobile and unpredictable. Events are strictly prohibited. Avalanches of large volumes are coming down on all slopes, regardless of the degree of inclination.

An avalanche is one of the most dangerous natural phenomena, which is typical for mountainous areas. From the name itself it is clear that snow is involved in this process.

Definition of an avalanche. This is a kind of landslide, when a large amount of snow and ice slides or falls down from steep mountain slopes. The speed depends on the steepness of the slope, the volume and severity of the snow. On average, this 20-30 meters per second.

Avalanche in the mountains

Along the way, the weight of the snow mass increases because it captures new volumes. And the weight of some of them can reach tens, hundreds of tons. In rare cases, not only snow melts, but also a glacier. Then the weight of the entire mass can reach tens and hundreds of thousands of tons.

Causes

In mountainous areas, especially if these are high peaks, there is almost always snow, including in summer. In winter, the layer of snow cover becomes larger. This increases the load, as a result of which, due to the steepness of the slope, a certain mass begins to roll down, gradually increasing. An avalanche is a natural process.

Avalanche: photo

They have always been and will be in the mountains. But, if people live in these areas, the avalanche becomes dangerous. In the mountains, they try to build houses in safe places where avalanches do not reach. Therefore, residential buildings and other structures rarely suffer from such natural phenomena, but such cases sometimes occur.

In most cases, the victims are people who, for one reason or another, ended up in this place. These are athletes involved in skiing sports, climbers conquering peaks. Ski slopes are also at risk of avalanches. In these places, avalanches are provoked in advance and artificially with the help of special equipment to ensure safety.

In most cases, the reason is natural. But, an avalanche can also be triggered by people if they decide to go to the mountains, when the rescue services informed in advance that it was dangerous. Any, the slightest mechanical impact can be the beginning of the snow mass.

The most common causes of avalanches include:

• heavy snowfalls, increasing the amount of snow mass on the slopes
• human factor (mechanical impact, loud sound, shot, etc.)
• an increase in the level of humidity in the air, which also makes the snow heavier
• earthquakes (mountains are usually located in seismic zones)

According to the nature of the movement, they are divided into:

• wasps - descend over the entire surface and are more reminiscent of a landslide
• Jumping - fall off ledges
• Tray - pass in the form of furrows along the zones of weathering of rocks, natural gutters

By movement they are divided into:

• Streaming
• Cloud
• Complex

Why is an avalanche dangerous?

Large snowfalls can destroy entire settlements located at the foot of the mountains. Fortunately, this happens extremely rarely, because people try not to settle in dangerous areas. Mostly people suffer. There is very little chance of survival. The snow mass is very heavy and can immediately break bones, which deprives a person of the chance to get out. And then there are high risks of remaining disabled, even if they find him and dig him out from under the snow.

Even if the bones are intact, the snow can clog the airways. Or simply, under a huge layer of snow, a person simply does not have enough oxygen left, and he dies from suffocation. Some are lucky, and they manage to be saved. And it’s good if there are no negative consequences, because frostbitten limbs are amputated for many.

The harbingers of an avalanche

The main harbinger is weather conditions. Heavy snowfall, rain, wind create dangerous conditions, so it is better not to go anywhere on this day. You can also look at the general condition of the area as a whole. Even small landslides of snow indicate that it is loose, the humidity is high. Better to be safe.

The most dangerous period of an avalanche is considered to be winter, in the moments after precipitation.

If you notice an avalanche at 200-300 meters, there is a small chance to run away from it. You need to run not down, but to the side. If this fails, you must perform the following steps:

• cover your nose and mouth with gloves to keep snow out
• clear snow in front of the face, as well as in the chest area, so that you can breathe normally
• you can’t scream, because it takes strength, and anyway, due to the high sound-absorbing properties of snow, no one will hear anything
• you need to try to get out, trying to remove the snow on the way, ram it
• you can’t fall asleep to be alert and give a sign if the rescuers are close

How to survive an avalanche

Compliance with these rules increases the chances of survival in such an extreme situation.

Avalanche equipment

Today, many manufacturers of sports and outdoor products offer special avalanche equipment. It includes the following devices and equipment:

• Avalanche beacon- it must be turned on immediately, as soon as the athlete went to the mountains. In the event of an avalanche, other members of the group who managed to escape from it, as well as rescuers, will be able to record the signal from this sensor, quickly find and rescue the person.

• Shovel. It is more needed by those in the group who managed to escape from the avalanche in order to dig out those who fell under it.

• avalanche probe. Such an adaptation is necessary in order to quickly find a person. With it, you can determine the exact depth of the snow under which a person is located in order to calculate the forces and dig it out.

• Avalung system from Black Diamond- a special device that takes the exhaled air to the back. This is necessary so that the exhaled warm air does not form a snow crust in front of the face, completely blocking the access of oxygen.

We talk more about avalanche equipment in our separate article.

Avalanche places in Russia

Avalanches in Russia are not uncommon. These are the mountainous regions of our country:

• Khibiny on the Kola Peninsula
• Kamchatka
• Caucasian mountains
• ridges and highlands of the Magadan region and Yakutia
• Ural mountains
• Sayans
• Altai mountains
• ridges of the Baikal region

The most destructive avalanches in history

Destructive, terrible avalanches are mentioned in many ancient chronicles. In the 19th and 20th centuries, information about avalanches is already more detailed and reliable.

The most famous snow avalanches:

• 1951 Alps (Switzerland, Italy, Austria). This winter there was a whole series of avalanches due to heavy snowfalls and bad weather. 245 people died. Several villages were wiped off the face of the earth, and almost 50,000 people lost contact with the outside world for a long time until rescuers came to their aid.

• 1954 Austria, Blons village. On January 11, 2 avalanches descended at once, which claimed the lives of several hundred inhabitants. More than 20 people are still missing.

• 1980 France. The avalanche claimed the lives of about 280 tourists at the ski resort.

• 1910 USA, Washington State. A huge avalanche in an area where they had never been before hit the railway station and claimed more than 10 lives.

A lot of avalanches come down in Asia: in Pakistan, Nepal, China. But, there are no exact statistics on the dead and destruction.

We also suggest you watch the video of the largest snow avalanches:

Also interesting

One of the most terrible avalanches in the history of mankind descended from Mount Huascaran (Peru) about half a century ago: after an earthquake, a huge mass of snow broke off its slopes and rushed down at a speed exceeding three hundred kilometers per hour. On the way, she broke off part of the underlying glacier, and also carried away sand, rubble, and blocks.

A lake also appeared on the path of the snow stream, the water from which, after a huge impact force, splashed out and, adding water to the rushing mass, formed a mudflow. The avalanche stopped only after it covered a distance of seventeen kilometers and completely demolished the village of Ranairka and the city of Yungay, killing about twenty thousand people: only a few hundred local residents managed to escape.

An avalanche is formed by snow, ice and rocks after they begin to slide down steep mountain slopes at an ever-increasing speed (from 20 to 1000 m/s), capturing new portions of snow and ice, increasing their volume. Given that the force of the impact of the elements is often estimated at tens of tons per square meter, an avalanche sweeps everything in its path. It stops only at the bottom, reaching the gentle sections of the slope or being at the bottom of the valley.

Avalanches form only in those parts of the mountain where forests do not grow, the trees of which could slow down and prevent the snow from gaining the required speed.

The snow cover begins to move after the thickness of freshly fallen snow begins to be at least thirty centimeters (or the old layer exceeds seventy), and the steepness of the mountain slope ranges from fifteen to forty-five degrees. If the layer of fresh snow is about half a meter, the probability of snow melting in 10-12 hours is incredibly high.

It is impossible not to mention the role of old snow in the formation of avalanches in the mountains. It forms an underlying surface, which allows freshly fallen precipitation to glide over it unhindered: old snow fills all the unevenness of the soil, bends the bushes to the ground, forming a perfectly smooth surface (the larger its layer, the less rough obstacles that can stop snow from falling).

The most dangerous periods when snow falls are considered winter and spring (about 95% of cases are recorded at this time). Snowfall is possible at any time of the day, but more often this event occurs during the day. The occurrence of landslides and snow avalanches is primarily influenced by:

• Snowfall or the concentration of a huge amount of snow on mountain slopes;
• Weak cohesive force between new snow and underlying surface;
• Warming and rain, resulting in a slippery layer between the snowfall and the underlying surface;
• Earthquakes;
• Sudden change in temperature regime (a sharp cold snap after an unexpected warming, which makes it possible for fresh snow to slide comfortably over the formed ice);
• Acoustic, mechanical and wind effects (sometimes a scream or a pop is enough to set the snow in motion).

Sweeping everything out of the way

Freshly fallen snow precipitation is held on the slope due to the friction force, the magnitude of which depends primarily on the angle of the slope and the moisture content of the snow. The collapse begins after the pressure of the snow mass begins to exceed the force of friction, as a result of which the snow comes into a state of unstable equilibrium.

As soon as the avalanche begins its movement, an air pre-avalanche wave is formed, which clears the way for the avalanche, destroying buildings, filling up roads and paths.

Before the snow falls, a dull sound is heard high in the mountains, after which a huge cloud of snow rushes down from the top at high speed, taking with it everything that comes in its way. It rushes without stopping, gradually gaining momentum, and stops no sooner than it reaches the bottom of the valley. After that, a huge layer of snow dust rises high into the sky, forming a continuous fog. When the snow dust descends, dense piles of snow open before your eyes, in the middle of which you can see branches, the remains of trees, and stone blocks.

Why are avalanches dangerous?

According to statistics, it is snowfall that causes fifty percent of accidents in the mountains, and often causes the death of climbers, snowboarders, skiers. An avalanche going down can simply throw a person off the slope, because of which he can break during the fall, or fall asleep with such a thick layer of snow and cause death from cold and lack of oxygen.

A snow fall is dangerous because of its mass, often several hundred tons, and therefore, covering a person, often leads to his suffocation or death from pain shock caused by a broken bone. In order to warn people about the approaching danger, a special commission developed a system for classifying the risks of avalanches, the levels of which are indicated by flags and hung out at ski resorts and resorts:

• The first level (minimum) - the snow is stable, so a collapse is possible only as a result of a strong impact on the snow masses on very steep slopes.
• The second level (limited) - the snow on most slopes is stable, but in some places it is a little unstable, but, as in the first case, large avalanches will occur only due to a strong impact on the snow masses;
• The third level (middle) - on steep slopes, the snow layer is weakly or moderately stable, and therefore an avalanche can form with a slight impact (sometimes an unexpected large snowfall is possible);
• Fourth (high) - the snow is unstable on almost all slopes and the avalanche descends even with a very weak impact on the snow masses, while a large number of medium and large unexpected avalanches may occur.
• Fifth level (very high) - the probability of a huge number of large collapses and snow avalanches, even on non-steep slopes, is extremely high.

Safety

In order to avoid death and not be buried under a thick layer of snow, every person who is going to the mountains to rest while there is snow there must learn the basic rules of behavior when a deadly stream descends.

If during your stay at the base an avalanche warning was announced, it is advisable to refrain from hiking in the mountains. If there was no warning, then before leaving the base and hitting the road, you need to take into account the forecast of the risk of the probability of snow melting, and also find out as much as possible about the mountains in which the risk of avalanches is maximum and avoid dangerous slopes (this simple rule of behavior is quite capable of saving a life).

If heavy snowfalls were recorded before going out into the mountains, it is better to postpone the trip for two or three days and wait for the snow to fall, and in the absence of avalanches, wait until it settles. It is also very important not to go to the mountains alone or together: it is advisable to stay in a group. This will always provide insurance for an avalanche, for example, if the group members are tied with an avalanche tape, this will make it possible to detect a satellite covered with snow.

Before going out into the mountains, it is advisable to take an avalanche transceiver with you, which will make it possible to find the person caught in the avalanche.

It is very important not to forget to take a mobile phone with you (it has already saved the life of more than one person). It’s also a good idea to take special avalanche backpacks, which provide a system of inflatable pillows that make it possible for a person caught in an avalanche to “surface”.

In the mountains, you need to move only along the roads and paved paths of the valleys and along the ridges of the mountains, while it is very important to remember that you cannot go onto steep snow-covered slopes, cross them across or move in a zigzag. It is also forbidden to step on snow ledges, which are accumulations of dense snow in the form of a canopy on the leeward side of a sharp ridge (they may well suddenly collapse and cause an avalanche).

If it is not possible to get around a steep slope, before you overcome it, you need to make sure that the snow cover is stable. If he begins to sag under his feet and at the same time begins to make a hissing sound, you need to go back and look for another way: the likelihood of an avalanche is high.

Trapped in snow

If the avalanche breaks high and there is time to do something, it is very important to remember one of the basic rules of behavior when an avalanche rushes at you: to leave the path of the rushing stream to a safe place, you need to move not down, but horizontally. You can also hide behind a ledge, preferably in a cave, or climb onto a rise, a stable rock, or a sturdy tree.

In no case should you hide behind young trees, as the snow can break them.

If it so happened that you couldn’t get away from the avalanche, one of the rules of conduct says that you need to immediately get rid of all the things that will drag you into the rushing stream and hinder movement: from a backpack, skis, sticks, ice ax. It is necessary to immediately begin to sharply make your way to the edge of the stream, doing everything possible to stay at the top, and if possible, catch on a tree, stone, bush.

If the snow is still covered with the head, then the nose and mouth must be covered with a scarf or hat so that snow does not get there. Then you need to group: turning in the direction of the snow flow, take a horizontal position and pull your knees to your stomach. After that, with circular rotations of the head, do not forget to form as much free space as possible in front of the face.

As soon as the avalanche stops, you need to try to get out on your own or at least push your hand up so that the rescuers notice it. It is useless to scream, being under the snow cover, since the sound is transmitted very weakly, therefore, such efforts only weaken the forces (it is necessary to give sound signals only when the steps of the rescuers are heard).

It is important not to forget the rules of behavior under the snow: you need to remain calm and in no case panic (screams and senseless movements will deprive you of strength, heat and oxygen). Do not forget to move, otherwise a person sandwiched in the thickness of the snow will simply freeze, for the same reason you need to do everything not to fall asleep. The main thing is to believe: there are cases when living people were found under the snow cover even on the thirteenth day.

An avalanche is a huge amount of snow that rapidly falls or descends from the mountain slopes into the valleys. The power of this phenomenon is determined by the height and steepness of the mountain range. When a dry avalanche comes down, an air wave of enormous destructive power moves ahead, and once inside, you can suffocate from snow dust. In turn, wet avalanches have a colossal weight and cover everything that is on the way.

Characteristics of snow avalanches

Before the snow falls, a dull sound is heard high in the mountains, and then a huge mass of snow moves at high speed from the top, sweeping away everything in its path. After stopping, a cloud of dust from the snow rises into the sky, forming a kind of fog.

The occurrence of an avalanche is most often possible on slopes with an angle of 25-45º. In such conditions, the accumulated snow (its weight) exceeds the friction force, as a result of which the movement of snow masses occurs. A slope of less than 15º is considered safe.

The causes of avalanches are often thaws, rains, heavy snowfalls. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the climatic conditions of the region in order not to fall into the risk zone. You should also be wary of an earthquake and rockfall, and sometimes even a loud sound and strong wind.

In ski resorts, it is customary to put flags indicating risk level avalanches.

1. Minimum- the snow is stable, a strong impact is required for a collapse.
2. Limited- snow is also stable, in rare places it is unstable.
3. Average– snow is not stable on steep slopes, a dangerous avalanche may require little impact (unexpected large collapse).
4. Tall- snow is unstable on almost all slopes, collapse is possible with a weak impact.
5. Very tall- snow avalanches in the mountains can occur even on gentle slopes.

Fact: in some places (eg Switzerland) deaths occur already at levels 2 and 3.

The consequences of avalanches can be extremely dangerous. There were cases when the convergence of snow destroyed the entire infrastructure and entire settlements. And about the many deaths of skiers, snowboarders and other athletes and amateurs, it’s clear.

Avalanche factors:

• composition (only snow, ice, or snow with ice);
• density and connectivity (dense, loose, monolithic, reservoir);
• layer thickness (thin, medium, thick);
• temperature (low, medium, high).

The avalanche remains one of the main hazards, which, with a certain attitude, can be, if not eliminated, then reduced in order to avoid unreasonable risk.

Classes of avalanches by types and types

1. Avalanches of freshly fallen snow.

They begin during snowfalls or immediately after them. Looseness and steepness of the slope accelerate the separation of the snow mass. These fresh snow mountain avalanches reach speeds of up to 300 km/h and have the effect of a devastating blast wave. With a 20-30 cm snowfall, the security services on the highway begin the preventive descent of snow avalanches.

1. Snow avalanches.

Some time after snowfalls, the snow cakes and layers form. The most common type are strata formed by the action of the wind by the accumulation of snow behind a ridge (ledge). Often a ledge (cornice) at the top of a slope is an indication of a possible wind formation. The danger of snow avalanches in this case is very close. Hidden by new snowfalls, these “crusts” can lie motionless for weeks, but the overload that a skier creates can immediately budge them. During avalanches from packed snow, sometimes some layers go down without even cracking.

1. Snow avalanches.

Avalanches consisting of wet snow contain huge masses (700 kg / m³). Most often they disappear in the spring, when the temperature of the snow cover approaches 0º; but they are also dangerous in winter during periods of warming (rain). In this type of avalanches, the surface snow is absolutely not suitable for skiing, but pleasant for snowboarding and monoskiing.

Types of mountain avalanches mass movement:

• streaming;
• cloudy;
• complex.

Snow avalanches in the mountains divide and the nature of the movement:

• wasps (or snow landslides) - occupy the entire surface of the slope outside the channels;
• tray - do not move in a straight line, occupying hollows, erosive furrows;
• jumping - the movement occurs on the lips.

Dangerous avalanches: how to behave?

In an avalanche area, you need to reduce the possibility of risk. It must be remembered that: the steepness of the slope, heavy snowfalls, rain, warming are factors that increase the risk of an avalanche.

Some false ideas become dogmas. Intense frost is not a stabilizing factor for snow. If the cold was preceded by warming, there is no stabilization effect. Professionals (in particular, rescuers) are always ready to give the necessary information. Constantly observing the snow cover, they will talk about the stability of the snow.

1. You can not rush headlong down, jumping from ridges and cornices. If there is doubt in the snow, it is better to make an extra loop and settle for a less interesting descent to avoid the danger of an avalanche.
2. You should never rush to an unknown track, even if it seems to inspire confidence. In fact, when trying a new route, you can find yourself under an avalanche.
3. Do not ride on slopes with hanging snow ledges.
4. You never need to ride alone on the virgin lands, to return along the road already passed.
5. Do not save on the purchase of a transmitter-receiver. It will help you quickly find yourself and survive in an avalanche.
6. In a group: never ride in a crowd and never stop on the way of those following.
7. Do not shout loudly in case of a possible danger of avalanches. Even such a small negligence can lead to undesirable consequences.

The chances of a person under an avalanche decrease rapidly over time. The statistics are cruel: only 80% can survive when an avalanche stops. Then every hour the odds are halved. So the time factor is paramount. Classic search tools - probing, bloodhounds - are used if the victim does not have a detection system. Dogs do the same job as 30 rescuers, it is indispensable in terms of speed of implementation. To date, the market offers electronic devices that help find people caught under an avalanche.

On a note: snow has low sound conductivity, so rescuers are unlikely to hear cries for help. It is necessary to remember about psychological balance and not to panic. There were cases when a person was found under an avalanche on the thirteenth day!

Instructions on how to survive in an avalanche

If a person finds himself in a "lateral current", then there is a chance to move away from the trajectory of an avalanche. The most dangerous is the "central current": 300 km / h - the speed of an avalanche from freshly fallen snow. Necessary:

• keep calm, do not call for help, thereby risking swallowing snow;
• protect the respiratory tract with your hands, covering your mouth and nose with a handkerchief, a raised collar, a hat removed;
• being caught in an avalanche in the mountains, fighting to stay on the surface;
• try to get rid of everything that can drag you deep (skis, sticks, try to unfasten your snowboard);
• if possible, stay on the surface, try to find support (catch on the formation, for example), so as not to go into the depths.