In the last decade, a ski resort’s revenue has increased by 12% year-on-year. But this growth has not been achieved without a significant loss of life and property. Avalanches are the biggest threat to the ski industry, claiming the lives of 19 people (and injuring 144) in 2018. These awful statistics make it clear that something must be done to prevent further deaths and loss of property.
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Why Are Avalanches So Deadly?
Avalanches are one of the biggest threats to the ski industry. These deadly slides cause millions of dollars in damage and close down the resorts they affect. An average avalanche that causes no injuries or damage to property claims the lives of one person and injures another every two weeks around the world. The largest avalanche in recorded history – the 2018 season’s Avalanche Peak in Canada – reached 7.6km in length and was 75m high. This season’s snowfall was particularly heavy, resulting in hundreds of avalanches.
Why do these deadly slides occur? The main factors that put the world’s ski resorts at risk of avalanches are snow chemistry, steep drop-offs, and poor weather. When it comes to the snow itself, a significant amount of energy is generated as a result of snow agitation caused by strong winds or ski boots hitting the snow. This snow agitation causes tiny particles of ice or snow to become detached from the main mass and travel through the air for some time before eventually landing and bonding with other flakes. This is known as snow entrainment or ‘ghost flitting’. When these ice particles subsequently bond with other flakes in cold conditions, an avalanche is the result.
The steep drop-offs associated with most ski resorts cause a constant threat of injury, especially to those walking or driving on the mountain. These cliffs lead to unstable and sometimes dangerously icy terrains, making them prone to toppling. The location of a resort within the Northern and Southern hemispheres puts it at a significant risk of avalanche due to the influence of the wind on the snow. In the Southern Hemisphere, the wind blows from the directions that put the resort at risk of slides, while in the Northern Hemisphere the wind brings protection from avalanches.
The Solutions To Prevent Fatalities And Damage
To reduce the risk of avalanche and save lives, resorts implement a variety of measures. These range from snow fences and shepherding dogs, to warning signs and more. When a resort is situated at a particularly high altitude, it is common practice to build an accommodation block called a chalet or lodge above the treeline. Access to these well-built structures protects the lives of those in them from the constant danger of avalanche.
Resorts also work hard to ensure that the snow is tested and groomed regularly. Snow guns are responsible for blowing snow across the entire slope to create a smooth, even surface. This even surface – or ‘magic carpet’ – minimises the damage that would otherwise be caused by the wind and the drop-offs associated with steep skiing terrain. Some of the biggest names in the ski industry, such as Val d’Isere in France and Park City in the United States, have invested heavily in these snow guns and use them to maintain an uncluttered snow surface that does not pose a threat to the public or to the environment.
When a road or trail leads to a ski resort’s front door, it is highly likely that it will become a popular route. The ski industry works hard to keep these access points safe, using snow cannons to prevent skiers and snowboarders from venturing beyond controlled zones.
Traveling further afield than one’s residential destination to reach a ski resort is another popular activity. When traveling abroad, tourists must be extremely careful when moving around on icy terrains. Even seemingly innocuous actions, like stepping out for a smoke or taking a photo, can cause unpredictable and dangerous results. To prevent injuries and loss of life, ski resorts implement measures to limit access to unsafe areas when traveling to or from a resort. These include passport control and the use of a snowmobile escort to navigate hazardous terrains. The use of these measures does not, however, eliminate the risk of avalanches. Once you are within the controlled area, you are no longer at risk of an avalanche. But it reduces your exposure to the deadly flocks of tiny fragments of ice and snow that can cause so much damage.
How Do Ski Resorts Prevent Property Damage?
The scale of the financial damage inflicted by avalanches in the past decade is truly dreadful. The worldwide cost of landslides and avalanches was estimated at $13.7 billion in 2018. This figure, which does not include damage to wildlife or property incurred as a result of the slides, is likely to increase in the next few years. It is, therefore, important that resorts implement suitable measures to ensure that this kind of loss of life and property does not continue. One way of doing this is by raising public awareness of the risks associated with avalanches. To further protect their assets, resorts work hard to identify and remove vegetation that could act as a trigger for an avalanche. This vegetation, including grass, shrubs, and fruit trees, prevents proper drainage and can also pose a threat to human life if it becomes uprooted in the event of an avalanche. When removing vegetation from a ski slope, extreme caution must be taken to ensure that the terrain is not made significantly steeper than it already is. This could result in an accident or a tragedy. The same rules apply when using snowmobiles in the mountains – you must maintain a safe distance from cliff edges and drop-offs, and must travel only on groomed and well-established tracks.
Most importantly, resorts implement suitable measures to prevent the formation of ice on their slopes in the first place. The main ways in which they do this is by keeping the grass trimmed, hosing off the terrain, and patrolling with snow dogs. These are German shepherds trained to locate and alert ski patrol of any unusual or suspicious behavior on the slopes. The presence of this trained canine – which can smell out changes in the snow – deters any unauthorised exploration and acts as a constant deterrent to the dangers posed by hidden ice in the form of gullies or hidden pockets of snow.
With more people than ever heading to the slopes this winter season, it is important that resorts implement measures to keep everyone safe. These include snow fences, avalanche awareness training, and more. But perhaps the biggest step forward would be better legislation to protect the skiing and hiking community. In the meantime, let this be a warning: the slopes will be covered in protective snow until the end of the season, so if you see something dangerous, say something!