HAT blog
ORTOVOX & HAT Virtual Tour: Talks and Webinars 2020-21 brief overview
This video gives a glimpse at how we adapted the ORTOVOX / HAT 2020-21 Tour of events to both the unique COVID situation, and to the dangerous, (in a number of countries, tragic) winter sports season. By October 2020, it had become clear that I would...
Rapid warming, rain and wet snow avalanches
A common misconception about avalanche accidents is that they’re mainly related to rising temperatures. When I ask people about when and where they think most avalanche accidents occur, they nearly always reply ‘In Spring, on South facing slopes’. It’s an...
Avalanche Rescue Val d’Isère Chemins des Côves ‘The Avalanche Path’ today: a quick written & video summary
4 people on snowshoes taken in a natural avalanche today around 13h. 3 partially buried - minor injuries. 1 person buried for over two hours; he was found miraculously alive. Chances of survival under snow drop below 50% after 30 mins, thus the importance of...
I trusted my intuition even when it was wrong
On this evening's webinar event, "Recent avalanche accidents, Are the victims unlucky? Or were the accidents predictable?" My heart is heavy with all the avalanche accidents and deaths over the last few days in the Northern French Alps and in parts of Switzerland not...
Recent avalanche accidents, Are the victims unlucky? Or were the accidents predictable?
Webinar 1730 GMT Wednesday 27th January Pictured here is the slide path of a large avalanche that struck near Verbier, Switzerland, this winter. | Photo courtesy Swissinfo.ch There have been quite a few fatal avalanche accidents in the alps this season despite the...
Massive Avalanche Results from Avalanche Control in the Alps
Following and complementing our post this past Friday, "An exceptional avalanche situation, ... in the Northern French Alps and surrounding areas - worth noting, following and learning from. " The following video in Tignes, France, is of a massive avalanche set off...
An exceptional avalanche situation…
... in the Northern French Alps and surrounding areas - worth noting, following and learning from. "But", you may say, "Every year there's a weak layer - it's always there". Yes, but every year 'the weak layer' is different. Plus, weak layers can evolve with new ones...
Companion Avalanche Rescue Training
Are you able to locate and dig out your friend or family member in 15 mins?