Avalanche | 9.1.2024 Chopok
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- čas přidán 21. 01. 2024
- Avalanche accident from 9.1.2024. Location: Chopok Lukový kotol, Nízke Tatry, Slovakia. It was triggered by one skier on the second ride. First ride was through the exact same point, slope didn't show any signs of instability. Accident occured while freeride skiing, other slopes around were really hard, icy. Avalanche danger was at level 2 (moderate) that day. The problem was wind drifted snow on hard layer, creating weak spot. Lenght of slide was nearly 300m. Avalanche airbag was activated. No injuries.
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Lavína zo dňa 9.1.2024. Miesto: Chopok Lukový kotol, Nízke Tatry. Lavína bola spustená jedným lyžiarom, pri druhej jazde. Prvá jazda bola úplne rovnakým miestom, sneh nejavil známky nestability. Bolo to počas freeride lyžovania, okolité svahy boli tvrdé až ľadové. Stupeň lavínového nebezpečenstva bol daný deň 2 (mierne). Problémom bol sneh nafúkaný na tvrdej vrstve, vytvárajúci slabý bod. Dĺžka zosuvu bola takmer 300 metrov. Lavínový batoh bol aktivovaný. Bez zranení.
................................................................................................................................. - Sport
That was an epic commercial for an airbag!
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.
Wow. Thank god you are alright man. Incredible example of everything to do RIGHT if you are caught in this situation! Only advice OBVIOUSLY is if there is absolutely any risk of avalanche, at the very least be with a friend!
Because dying alone sucks 😂
@@OnceABustAlwaysABust to dig you out 😅
Hindsight is 20/20 but if i have ever seen a windpressed slab thats one.
AMAZING...Thanks for sharing this. Glad you're okay! I have been skiing for well over 30 years, mostly in the wind scoured Eastern Rockies. I would have probably made the same decision, especially considering that things are almost "always wind loaded"...your video is gonna make me probe/cut/probe more carefully. What a ride. It scared the heck outta me, which is good!
That was the hardest slab...like a frozen Toblerone. It sure wouldn't tell you to jump-cut half a meter from that hard ridge-line. And it sure was fast right off the top. A Narrow Escape. But it was one of the best Avi-vids ever!
Thanks for sharing the video and the analysis. Great teaching and learning tool!
Thank you for this video, very educational. Even with low avalanche risk wind is always the biggest risk to avalanches because it always creates a reletive weak layer compared to the hard pressed slab.
Glad you are okay, I would suggest riding with a friend and I'm glad the airbag kept you on top of it.
Thanks for posting. Educational. Ability of airbag to float you above the snow pretty impressive. Looked damn scary to me!
Looked like really windblown snow - high sign of avy danger
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 you for sharing
Always good to have a buddy to dig you out.
Good you're allright 🙌 In the video you see very strong wind from the right which made a big sideloaded windslap which was probably most weakest at the top right in the couloir. Thats probably also why you trigered it on the second run when you decided to go more to the right side. Thanks for sharing!
That Avie Vest was LOUD!
I'm glad ya had it on!
Well done, your skis didn't even come off 😊
Greetings from France
Great example of what not to do. Dont ski cut or sideslip steeps under a cornice or ridgeline. Best way to start a slide. That was the diffference between the first and second lines.
Glad you were safe - temperature gradient was higher on a north east slope and higher on the crest with thinner snowpack…
Jsem rád že jsi v pořádku! Mazec!!!!! Respekt!
Obvious active wind loading and you popped the wind slab that are quite reactive while forming. Glad you're Ok!
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.
Vow! Really well documented (& handled). Thanks for sharing
Tak to si mal riadny adrenalínový zažitok 😯, batoh pomohol , ostal si hore na lavíne , super že to takto dopadlo a dobre že to aj zdielaš... vela šťastia...
Celkom stastie, ze ta doska bola taka tenka, inac ta mohlo zomliet este pred narazom do toho rebra. A potom by mohl byt aj problem s tymi palickami na rukach nezavisle od airbagu. Dik za video!
Dík za "report". Je dobré/poučné to vidieť takto FPV v známom teréne. Mal si riadne 🍀🤞
Glad you are alive;
sick footage , im glad you okay
This isn't meant personal and just for education, but if you didn't see the clear signs of wind loading in that couloir you should reconsider your decision making skills when freeriding. At 1:10 you kann clearly see how the rigth part of the couloir is in the Lee side of the wind and how it is beeing loaded with drifted snow. The formig of that new wind lib should be a warning sign. The weather was good and you could clearly tell the line between drfited snow and hard pack that has been cleaned of by the wind (were you skied during your first run). And at that exact line the avalanche broke of. During your first run you had luck because when you crossed the to the rigth near the rock wall (0:52), into the wind loaded bit, the slab was probaly thick enough to support you in that moment. You didn't cross it in a spot were it goes from very thin to thick snow. During the second run you crossed into the wind slab at the border between hardpack and windloaded snow, were it was very thin therefor cutting the weak layer with your skies and triggering the avalanche. Hope you are ok and be careful, this could have ended badly. Have fun freeriding and shred on! P.S. if there are similar conditions in the future and you still want to ride that couloir, go to the skiers rigth side of the wind lib (1:10), stop and try to trigger the wind lib or the slab with pressing or stepping on the snow pack with one ski. With that you can test the snow pack really quickly and still be out of harms way, but only do this if you are sure that the avalanche can't drag you down if you trigger something.
Cheers 🤙
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
Glad you're okay! Thanks for sharing! Damn scared you were going to get hit by a rock. Soo main and annoying question: Where are your buddies, why alone?
(I ask myself the same question and there is no exculpatory answer)
treba jazdit s partakom aj ked si v stredisku. Z videa mi prišlo ,že si bol sám.
classic wind slab. That did not look stable at all to me, because you weren't penetrating it. It was a giant slab wafer in the gully. A good line to point it down in my opinion. It's impossible to know with certainty snow stability (25 years skilled backcountry snowboarder and previous mountain/avi rescue worker). Assume everything will slide EVERY time you shred.✌
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.
Uff..najwazniejsze ze wszystko dobrze. Czy próbowałeś wypiac narty czy wszystko za szybko sie dzialo?
Good ride. I was worried as you neared the funnel section.
Thank Buddha for air bags, or some other guy
Thanks for sharing. Never put your ski pole strap in off piste.
Тебе очень повезло, чувак, рад , что всё хорошо закончилось
Bro that is scary as FUCK! So glad you were prepared and survived way to ride it out bro 💪
Glad you are safe. 2nd run you skied onto a steeper ridge , looking to be over 35degr.
Uf, to jsi dopadl dobře, vypadá to šíleně 🙂
What's the camera model? Is it mounted on a helmet?
It's a Gopro Hero 10 and yes mounted on helmet.
Joj, priatelia. Milujem hory, lyže, ale veru takto pokúšať osud sa nezberám.
Hnědej pruh byl?
Bloody hell, that was a close one!
The snow pack is real dodgy at the moment. Glad you are ok man..
I’m so glad that you got funneled out of the choke and didn’t hit hard!!
Hmm no 😀 živo si viem predstaviť ako by som si povedal "je to betón, tu nemôžem v žiadnom prípade nič urvať". Palec hore za super poučné videjko. Cítil si že by ťa batoh ťahal hore?
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 don't get how you didn't hit those rocks on the way down, you were heading straight in that direction. If you did hit, how did you get out uninjured?
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.
Hezké video. Pěkný žlab, poznáme to tam. Mám otázku, jak si zpozoroval první náznak trhliny ve sněhu, byl čas zareagovat, vyskočit z toho vlevo či vpravo? Kolik sekund trvalo než se to dalo celé do pohybu, pocitově (jak si to vnímal)?
Děkuji a hodně štěstí.
Martin
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.
Thanks for the video, glad you survived but maybe bring a friend next time
you are really lucky ❤
The most important thing is that you didn't lose your skis!😅
MAMMUT saved your life! The perfect example, that when you freeride, you must have an airbag!
Now that was some ride!
Neuvěřitelné... a časový odstuo těch dvou jízd? hodka? jaká byla teplota?
Časový odstup tak půlhodinka. Teplota přesně nevím, ale v údolí bylo ráno -12°C, pak to šlo nahoru.
Skis on and still holding both poles...ready for a third run!
Great explanation, as we know this area is prone to avalanches at all levels, quite ‘lucky landing’. Cursing anyhow could be avoided in YT video by beep!
From your description I conclude that you have no idea about avalanches?
Of course, a single trip is no guarantee that there is no danger. What was the warning level?
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.
what kind of skis are these? length?
Atomic bent chetler 110, 180cm long.
Question is, did you ever dig a test pit at the top of the slope to see if there was instability in the snow pack??
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.
The first ride is lucky! The avalanche was evident by all indications - Hard snow under the skis + accumulated snow on the starboard edge from the wind = slab avalanche!
Adrenaline rush for a day! That polish magical word must helped! Nicely handed.
he is slovak i believe but they use it too
na vyhlaseny stupen lavinoveho nebezpecenstva sa neda spolahnut. to ze na tvrdej vrstve z predosleho oteplenia je nafukane do dosky velke mnozstvo noveho snehu bolo jasne. mal si stastie... apropo podobne podmienky pretrvavaju aj teraz...
Not at all surprised. Slope stability can vary significantly even a few metres apart. Repeat loading, varying loading, turn pressure etc will all have an effect. A basic avalanche safety course will highlight all this. What was the local avi forecast, for that aspect, altitude etc? Did you dig a snowpit? What were the results? If not, just a gamble... And airbags will not save you from terrain traps or rock walls & drops.... You were lucky!
You are lucky to survive that , alot of people don't!!
Lucky ride! 🤙
pekne si poďakoval pánu Bohu, ja tiež ďakujem, ale trochu inak, možno aj vďaka tomu som prežil pár krát svoju smrť
Folks who ride backcountry do not hard side cut an upward ridgeline and pause. Level 2 or not you increase chances for top layer release and being that far up a shoot it can take you out. It almost looked intentional.
first run would have satisfied me. having the bag is good but it can enable a widened exposure. might make you feel the fracturing surface you saw in the 1st run was negligible. corny laps in mid may is all the bc i need
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
You're lucky to be alive.. That was terrifying.
Seš fakt borec.Takových je málo...
snow felt nice ? the upper layer is crusty/icy !!!! the ideal conditions for an avalanche ....
How high was the sea level.
Top station of lift is 2004m above sea level, this couloir starts around 100-150m lower
that was scary!
where is the rest of the team ???
i think he was skiing solo
@@kellilovski it was meant to be sarcastic … riding solo is plain dumb
Skiing avalanche terrain solo? I didn’t see a partner in the video…
It was the screaming on the first run that set it up. 😅
Would you have been buried without the airbag?
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.
Did you go alone? That’s do dangerous, isn‘t it?
Never put pole strap around your wrist when freeriding!!!!
there were many wind science and you triggered the avalanche book-like at the crossing of the wind -> non-wind side.
That was a big "kurwa" for sure
Beste Airbag-Werbung 👍
"no signs of instability" nevidíš tam tú nafúkanú dosku?
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.
Nečekal jsem taková slova😅 Lucky
Skiing on Hard Slabs will do that to ya!
again, NEVER put the leash of your poles when going freeride, it can determine whether you live of die (because it can prevent you from moving)
Možná se zkusit zamyslet nad hůlkama s nasazenýma řemínkama a vypínací sílou vázka. No ale je fajn, že to tentokrát vyšlo, nic jste neztratil a mohl tedy dokončit sjezd ;-)
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.
Wow look a windslab sitting on top of a shitty crust. Only windslap pops, shocker
KKKUUURRWWWAAAA 😁
Do you think the airbag saved you ?
Can't say 100%. Certainly happy I had it.
@@freeriderxfd6827 ok thx. Be safe out there
Hmm, tak mal si silný zážitok 😁
barely being able to see your tracks after the first run = tons of windloading
Beginner mistakes:
Too slow and too high at the shoulder. At the shoulder(?) the snow layers are thinner and disturbing the critical layer is easier. ☝🏿🧐
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
Well lack of instability is only a, wrong, impression you got. There is a reason why mountaineers will actually dig in the snow with a shovel, and perform a more thorough test while looking at the snow layers to judge how stable the snow is. Simply because you cannot judge the danger when you are gliding on top of the most recent layer and you don't know what is below it. You are lucky, but how much effort did you put into evaluating the situation? I see in the mountains (especially since ski touring got so popular) that people do a lot of YOLO things
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.
Tak si mal dat este tretiu jazdu
Veď práve tvrdý sneh je problém - ubitý vetrom, tento prípad.
Have you called emergency services so they don't start rescue mission?
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.
Get rid of those pole straps ! Not kidding , remove pole straps for backcountry skiing !
nazdar, to bol prave ten "trigger" ze si isiel viac v pravo, kde toho snehu bolo previateho viac, a pravdepodobne tam bolo aj to najslabsie miesto , kde vzniklo kriticke napatie a ruplo to tam.., ale to je len moja teoria, zvycajne pri tych lavinach byva strasne vela faktorov, ktore je potrebne zohladnit. hlavne , ze sa nic nestalo, a ano, treba mat partaka so sebou..
Going alone for freeride is reckless
Putka na paliciach odporúčam odrezať
Pri vyslape sú dobre
alebo aspon nedavat na ruky pri jazde
Короче рюкзак решает
Ruksak dodava casto falosne sebavedomie ( taketo zlaby netreba jazdit sam) stastie, ze to dopadlo takto 🙂
Nas na kurze ucili, ze v lavine nikdy neni dobre mat putka na palickach, vzdy je lepsie palice odhodit. Chapem, ze to moze byt zvyk a preferencia ale ci to stoji za pripadne zranenia…
bez poutek dycynky