Danger on the Mountain?

Snow in the Colorado Rockies

Skiing is an excellent way to combine the beauty of nature with getting outdoor exercise.  However, it’s important to be aware of one of the greatest dangers that skiers face around the world: avalanches. The severity of an avalanche depends on a multitude of factors; including, depth of the snow, slope of the mountain, volume of traffic, temperatures, etc.

All these elements cause stress on the snowpack of a mountain that can lead to an avalanche. Similar to hurricanes and tornadoes, the severity of an avalanche is measured on a scale of 1 to 5. However, the avalanche scale is a logarithmic scale and each category increases by a factor of 10.

It is vital to ski only in properly designated areas with a partner in case you become separated. As is the case with rip currents at the beach, avalanches can and often do occur with little or no warning.  Avalanches move downhill extremely quickly following the path of least resistance so it’s virtually impossible to outrun – or ski fast enough – to escape an oncoming avalanche.

Avalanches are more common in the Rocky Mountains than they are in the Eastern United States.  That’s largely because the grade of the mountains are typically steeper in the larger mountain ranges out west.  The best safety is not skiing alone, in unmarked areas, or whenever there’s an announced avalanche danger.