How to Survive an Avalanche

How to Survive an Avalanche

In about 5 seconds, an avalanche can hit about 60-80 mph and, before rest, can top out at speeds upwards of 200 mph.

They’re more violent than they appear and will sweep you down a mountain quickly.

However, many people have survived avalanches, and we’ll provide you with some tips to do just that.

Understanding Avalanches: Forces and Phenomena

Avalanches manifest as swift movements of snow, rock, ice, and soil cascading down mountainsides, sometimes called landslides in the case of stones or soil. Snowslides are the most prevalent among these and can outpace even the fastest skiers.

Initiating with an unstable mass of snow detaching from a slope, a snow avalanche gains momentum downhill, creating a torrent of snow and a billowing cloud of icy particles soaring into the atmosphere. As it descends, the avalanche accumulates more snow, evolving into a colossal mass weighing up to a million tons and surging at speeds exceeding 320 kilometers (200 miles) per hour.

Avalanches stem from layers within a snowpack shedding off. A snowpack comprises stratified layers of snow accumulating over time, particularly on mountain slopes. Throughout winter, successive snowfalls amass layers dozens of meters thick, each varying in thickness and texture.

Weak bonds between snowpack layers pose a risk. Surface layers may develop slick ice coatings from melted snow refreezing, hindering new snow from adhering and leading to sliding. During spring thaw, melted snow penetrates the snowpack, causing lower layers to become slippery. Additional weight or vibrations can trigger the upper layers to hurtle downhill, precipitating an avalanche.

Avalanche Survival Tips & Strategies

An avalanche can happen quickly without warning.

You’re out for a leisurely hike through a wintery wonderland, and suddenly, there’s a crack and a slowly growing roar. Within seconds, hundreds of tons of snow barreling towards you with nowhere to run. You can survive this disaster by staying calm and thinking on your feet.

Always Be Prepared

Take an avalanche beacon if you know you will be hiking back-country snow. An avalanche beacon is a small radio that will signal your location to rescuers in an emergency. A shovel and a helmet are two items you will want to have to protect you from any blows to the head or if you have to dig yourself out of a snowy situation.

Some experienced hikers and people who frequently hike in the snow-covered mountains will carry airbags. These bags have a drawstring that you pull, and they fill with air to keep you on top of the snow in the case of an avalanche scenario.

The most important thing you can do is take an avalanche training course. You can look these courses up online; they’ll teach you what to do if you find yourself in an emergency.

You won’t have much time to react; knowing what to do beforehand may be the difference between life and death.

Jump

Many avalanches are caused by your weighted footsteps or someone with you during your hike.

Statistics have proven that about 90 percent of accidents during an avalanche are caused by the actual victim or someone in their party.

Once the avalanche is triggered, look for the fissure, then jump or leap uphill and keep moving. Suppose you can’t run to the side as fast as possible to get past the actual avalanche starting point. Think about it like a riptide: whatever you do, do not try to outrun it by running with it downhill.

Swim, Reach, Grab

If you cannot escape and get swept downhill in the snow, try to keep your wits and stay calm.

Compare the avalanche with being caught up in river rapids. Find something to crouch behind a rock or grab onto a large tree. If you don’t have enough time to crouch or grab, swim towards the sunlight. Thrust and kick like you’re caught in the surf.

Keep one arm pointing towards the sunlight as you attempt to swim. This may seem not easy, but it will help you tell which way is up, and you may get lucky and come to rest with one arm sticking out of the snow, giving rescuers an easy target to spot you.

Open Airway

If you’re buried in the snow, getting air to breathe will be your primary focus.

To make an air pocket start spitting, this will begin to melt the snow and make an air pocket so you can breathe.

The second thing you need to know is which way is up. Once your air pocket starts to open, pay attention to which way your spit drips. It will fall with gravity. If it runs into your nostrils, you’re most likely upside down.

Whichever way your spit falls, you will want to start digging and climbing in the opposite direction.

Wait for Help

That little pocket of air will give you about 30 minutes of air.

It may not seem like a lot of time, but it could be enough time for first responders to come to your aid.

Don’t waste your air by screaming until you hear rescuers close or above you.

Avalanche Facts

Here are a few interesting facts about snow avalanches.

• Avalanches can reach up to 80 miles per hour (130 kilometers per hour) within 5 seconds and achieve speeds upwards of 200 mph before coming to rest.
• Most avalanches are triggered by either the victim or someone in their group.
• Avalanches can occur on slopes with inclines as low as 25 degrees but are most common between 30 and 45 degrees.
• In the United States, avalanches cause an average of 28 deaths and $300 million in property damage yearly.
• The most common type of avalanche is a slab avalanche, where a cohesive layer of snow breaks loose from the surrounding snowpack.
• Avalanches can carry debris such as rocks, trees, and other objects, increasing their destructive force.
• Avalanches are influenced by temperature, snowfall, wind, and the snowpack’s stability.
• Snowmobiles and helicopters sometimes trigger controlled avalanches to reduce the risk of more extensive, uncontrolled avalanches.
• The deadliest avalanche in recorded history occurred in 1970 in Peru, where a massive ice and rock avalanche killed an estimated 20,000 people.
• Avalanches are not limited to mountainous regions—they can occur in hilly terrain, gullies, and even urban areas with steep slopes.

A Few of the Most Devastating Avalanches in History

These avalanches represent some of the most devastating natural disasters in history, resulting in significant loss of life and widespread destruction.

1. Huascaran Avalanche (Peru, 1970) – Approximately 20,000 deaths.
2. Huascaran Avalanche (Peru, 1962) – Over 4,000 deaths.
3. Indian Air Force Mi-17 Helicopter Crash (India, 2016) – 20 deaths.
4. Wellington Avalanche (USA, 1910) – 96 deaths.
5. Tyrolean Avalanche (Austria, 1954) – 200 deaths.
6. Huascaran Avalanche (Peru, 1941) – Over 4,000 deaths.
7. Armero Tragedy (Colombia, 1985) – Over 20,000 deaths.
8. Blons Avalanche (Austria, 1954) – 200 deaths.
9. Twin Lakes Avalanche (USA, 1910) – 96 deaths.
10. Galtur Avalanche (Austria, 1999) – 31 deaths.