Avalanche | 9.1.2024 Chopok 

Not so epic for an avalanche safety video though. This gentleman could have easily been broken himself on the rocks and while seemingly riding alone. And even with an airbag and no injuries , self rescue isn’t always possible. Glad he lived and hope he learned.

Because dying alone sucks 😂

@@OnceABustAlwaysABust to dig you out 😅

Yah just watching this and seeing all the wind deposits with the main issue being wind slabs is not a good sign.

Yes, I saw wind drifted snow. At this location there is wind drifted snow most of the time so I didn't pay too much attention to it.

@@freeriderxfd6827bet you will next time. Any time you see wind deposited snow, that’s a sign of possible instability…and also a good reminder to us all that just because a slope has been skied prior, doesn’t indicate stability. I’ve seen an entire side country bowl rip 8 feet deep with about 200 tracks down the face. Glad you’re safe

Thank's for your comment, really appreciate it. I obviously saw the wind drifted snow, like 90% of time there's wind drifted snow here, so I didn't see it as anything out of ordinary, to be honest it was part of reason why I chose that line, everywhere else was hard and icy and here there usually is softer snow (but it comes with a risk). The pressing/stepping on snow pack is technique I frequently use.

That's the exact spot at least Swiss and Tyrolian avalanche reports point out in their avalanche reports "in the transition from ... to ... weak layers, single skier can trigger avalanche" or "close to ridge lines where snow depth changes". Looking at the steepness of the terrain you are probably right at the edge for "too steep for moderate"

@@maxnawrocki7956 This thread along with the video is actually so helpful to know what they're talking about in these avy reports. As a ski beginner still quite a bit away from freeriding (but drawn to it), this is amazing content.

@@maxnawrocki7956 yep, the transition from the snowfilled chute where the thickness of the snowlayers can be enought so your weightcone doesnt reach to the weak layer to the ridge where the weak layer rises up very close to the surface is the critical section. its saver to ride in the middle of a snowfilled chute than ride on a ridge or close to a ridge

I saw wind drifted snow. But there is wind drifted snow all the time here, so I didn't pay too much attention to it.

As the skier said, first time through he kept more to the left so wasn't really skiing on the slab which was actually quite narrow and relatively thin. He goes right onto the middle of the slab on the second run. In the time between the runs the slab would have picked up more snow due to the drifting. Lucky he didn't injure anything.

@@davidzof I mean, I agree 🤷‍♂

@@freeriderxfd6827 I hope to get back to Slovakia some day, good times and good beer ( summer time) Cheers

Just an honest observation, but that windloaded slab was super obvious even on your first run - tons of wind scouring, the plastic sound of a wind-loaded slab, the tough, icy texture of a wind loaded slab, etc. Unless the avy report was green, you had some familiarity with the year’s snowpack, and you’d dug a pit on that slope to confirm that all those visual cues weren’t telling you something, that slope looked (to me) like an absolute no-go. I’m sure you’ve been rewatching the video over and over again - it’ll help you develop an eye for the signs.

Most of time there's wind drifted snow there, so I did not see it as anything out of ordinary. Sometimes you go for the risk and it gets you back. The last sentence I agree 100% ( that's why I wear all safety gear and have airbag ready even if the slope is icy).

Make no certainties. There is no ordinary. Only the right now. A pole punch could have shown you the wind board. 1:08 shows wind loading/small cornice formation. Looks like you got up into the thinner part of the slab on the second run. Every slope, every time is different. You change/affect the structure every time you or others ride it. Active wind loading changed it in between your runs, too. Glad you are alright.

Dík za komentář. Moc sem nebyl v pozici z toho nějak vyjet či vyskočit, taky se to odtrhlo několik metrů nade mnou. Pocitově to trvalo déle než na videu, ono v takových krizových situacích se zbystří zmysli a človek to vnímá v takovém jakoby slowmotion.

It's a Gopro Hero 10 and yes mounted on helmet.

Časový odstup tak půlhodinka. Teplota přesně nevím, ale v údolí bylo ráno -12°C, pak to šlo nahoru.

I'm not sure if I hit them or not, it's not clearly seen from video, but looking at trajectory I might have hit them and probably even took I bit air (I felt my back in the evening). I wear helmet and also back protector (probably helped), while going down I also just braced for an impact.

Ťažko povedať, končí to na otvorenom priestore kde sa sneh má kde rozliať, čiže nános nie je až tak vysoký, tiež som sa aktívne snažil zostať na povrchu. Určite som ale rád, že som batoh mal.

I believe he just hit that perfect trigger point on the lee side of that rock/cliff feature where a small wind slab had formed. I can't be super sure because the video moves pretty quick, but this wind slab did not look well represented throughout the rest of the zone's snowpack. The first run was safer because he stayed out of this slab; the second (as he states), he went .5M to the right - directly into that wind deposited snow on the lee side of the rock feature. That's where this failed. I don't think an ECT was going to show significant signs of instability unless he dug it directly in the spot where it slid or underneath a nearly identical lee facing rock feature. I am not super seasoned in my snowpack studies, but I think this is one of those lottery failures; everything looks fine, it was just that last second decision to turn into that under represented wind deposited snow. Take away - stay away from possible trigger points like directly under lone standing rocks, large trees, bushes.

Atomic bent chetler 110, 180cm long.

Of course single trip is no guarantee, but you still fell a bit "safer" if it's been ridden already than if you do first ride. Warning was 2 (moderate), with 1 below tree level. What part of description do you mean? I'm not the best with words so some might understand it different than what I meant.

Just like when they started making seatbelts, the crash rate actually increased, people felt safer and took more risks. Airbag is very good but it's not certain it will always save you, just increases your chances. But true, you fell somewhat safer with it.

agreed. avabag set-up is like wearing leathers when moto riding. slovakian alps look burly. @@freeriderxfd6827

Top station of lift is 2004m above sea level, this couloir starts around 100-150m lower

he is slovak i believe but they use it too

i think he was skiing solo

@@kellilovski it was meant to be sarcastic … riding solo is plain dumb

Can't say for sure. Maybe yes maybe no. "Landing zone" had space for snow to spread, so it did not get too thick. But certainly happy for having an airbag.

Dosku som videl. Bolo to myslené na to, že pri tej prvej jazde som nevidel trhliny, malé odtrhy, nepočul podozrivé zvuky a tak. Doska tam býva nafúkaná prakticky vždy, tak som ju podcenil.

Vím, že řemínka na hůlkách není dobré mít, je to ale taková osobní preference si je nasadit. Vypínací sílu taky mám dost velikou, v minulosti jsem měl DIN 11 a při běžném oblouku mi to vyplo, od té doby nosím 13 což je dobré na náročný terén, samozřejmě horší na les a takovéto situace, je to taky taková osobní preference.

Can't say 100%. Certainly happy I had it.

@@freeriderxfd6827 ok thx. Be safe out there

I did not. I thought about it. I made few rides afterwards and kept looking if there were rescue teams coming to that location, in case somebody has called so I could tell that everything was ok. I chose not to call in case there was another avalanche close by and somebody needed help so that they don't get confused.

Well it was first propper day of riding in season and first rides in nearly month time (due to other duties in life), so of course I did not ride as fast and as confident as at the end of the season. I'm no beginner, but mistakes do happen, nobody's perfect.

@@freeriderxfd6827 Sorry for posting! It is always easy to comment afterwards. I think you learnt your lesson. Enjoy the rest of the ski season

You would have never found that layer "digging in the snow". This was a Hard Slab avalanche from wind deposition. Recognize wind slabs, especially hard wind slabs, and stay off of them.

I agree. As it held first ride I got false impression that it's somewhat safe (obviously I know and I knew that avalanche can trigger even if the slope has already been ridden). Digging snow profile is certainly really good practice (though to have exact impression of snow layer at particular place you need to be in "danger zone" which cannot always be safely accesed, and then you need to dig at base of slope or different slope of same character, that can potentionally give you safe profile, but on the top it can then be different story, but yes, snow pits provide valuable information). I did not dig that day, if I was ski touring and climbig up that slope to ride it down I would take a look at snow profile. As this is freeride zone easilly accesible by lift, I did not dig (and to be honest I am not sure if anyone who goes lift accesed freeriding here digs here, I've never seen anyone here do that). To make profile you would need to either ride down that slope first or climb from bottom. Before skiing here I read local avalache bulletin, I look at snow profiles published by rescue service and look at the weather from past days. Then on top of slopes I look at the snow, recent avalanches and I do test snowpack by jumping on it to see if crack appear. Sometimes you just go for it, even though you know it is not exactly safe (It's stupid to say, I know). This particular couloir starts about half-way down the face, route here was hard and ice, with zero powder/wind drifted snow. This couloir 90% of time has wind drifted snow, also once you stand on top of it, you don't have much else to go I have to commit to riding down here.

Pri vyslape sú dobre

alebo aspon nedavat na ruky pri jazde