Avanlanche story

**Ville** · 05-11-2005, 09:57 AM

First of all I correct that I didn't outrun it, if that means that I skied completely away from it. It buried my feets. I think splats got wrong impression about that because my english, since I don't know always right meaning of word I might use wrong ones by accidents. But now to the story(picture quality is not the best):

It was a sunny February day and three guys were skiing nice soft snow...

The place:

The "face" that slided was that one in the shadow. It is accessible straight from the lift which goes above those trees. The lower part of the run was already quite tracked when we wen't there. We took couple of runs that lower part and also dig a hole and checked how the snow was. It looked good, no layers at all. After that we decided to go and check how line looked from the top.

Me checking up the line. It looked good. I was standing there and watching that there is nobody skiing at lower part and then gave signal to my little brother, he skied skied it first and my friend after him. I was the last one at top. My friend told me with walkie-talkie that there is nobody at lower so I entered also.

here we go. i guess there were some hotspot which started a small avalanche which then pushed down the whole face. since the avalanche started so far behind me, I didn't noticed it at all. I just skied and enjoyed the powder. guys at the bottom also didn't saw it, because other one was taking pictures and other video with big zoom.

I was just skiing as normal and didn't know anything about what was happening behind me.

now guys noticed what was happening and started to yell at me. I had helmet on and I didn't hear anything. As i didn't react at all, me friend took these couple of pics as my brother continued yelling to me.

just maybe twenty meters before it hit me, i could hear guys yelling "Ville, avalanche!" but it didn't help a lot in that situation going already little bit uphill.

The avalanche buried my feet and stopped

this is what slided.

Well, after that we are a lot wiser. At least we know that if something like that happens and you know that there is nobody buried, get fast out of threre. We stayed there and said to rescuers that there is nobody buried. They didn't listen us at all. At the end there was 4 helicopters, dogs and probably 30 people looking for me and all the time, before there was any helicopters, I was trying to explain that I'm not there but standing here... I gues they kept practise with our money. 1300e per guy. Luckily our insurance company paid it all.

**snowfire** · 05-11-2005, 10:06 AM

567890

**smmokan** · 05-11-2005, 10:21 AM

Didn't we see that third to last picture on someone else's thread a while ago? I may be wrong, but I thought we all figured out the skier was cutting across the slope while the avy was heading down behind the skier. Either way... damn close call!

**Telenater** · 05-11-2005, 10:24 AM

Damn, Glad you came out safely. That's a close call.

Good thing you have insurance.

**edg** · 05-11-2005, 10:24 AM

I love how you sent your little brother down first - I can just imagine mine doing that

edg

**Ville** · 05-11-2005, 10:24 AM

yep you saw it there and asked for more pics and story.

**Ville** · 05-11-2005, 10:26 AM

yeah, little brothers and friends first

**HyRUPz** · 05-11-2005, 10:33 AM

Glad you're ok Ville, ce bon!

**splat** · 05-11-2005, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by Ville

...just maybe twenty meters before it hit me, i could hear guys yelling "Ville, avalanche!" but it didn't help a lot in that situation going already little bit uphill..

I think it was starting to sneak up on you in this pic, Ville.

**Johnny Gunn** · 05-11-2005, 02:25 PM

Unbelievable !!!

Some of those pic's are surreal. Glad your OK.

**Phatstix** · 05-11-2005, 02:40 PM

Gullies, ditches and slight uphills at the bottom =

When you dug your pit, did you dig to the bottom - the very bottom? It would be great to share more info with everyone on what your perception of the snow pack was and results of your pit. Thanks and glad you're safe.
P.S where exactly did this take place?

**freshie247** · 05-11-2005, 04:13 PM

please explain this insurance thing coupled with the cost of the searchers.

**Endlessseason** · 05-11-2005, 04:53 PM

I saw that pic a while back. That's freaking awesome to actually hear from the guy who looked like he was gonna die! It's kewl to now know "the rest of the story."

________________________________
"A pawn in a deadly game of pawn darts."

**hucksquaw** · 05-11-2005, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by Johnny Gunn

Unbelievable !!!

Some of those pic's are surreal. Glad your OK.

for shizzle..

**DJSapp** · 05-11-2005, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by Ville

We stayed there and said to rescuers that there is nobody buried.

So WHY did you give them 1300e? Because they are stupid? Sounds like their problem if they wanted to conduct a search.

Glad you're ok, scary shit man.

**Telenater** · 05-11-2005, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by DJSapp

So WHY did you give them 1300e? Because they are stupid? Sounds like their problem if they wanted to conduct a search.

Glad you're ok, scary shit man.

Read again. 1300e per person (30 of the wankers apparently out there) + helis involved == big money.

It's a different world out there in Yurp.

**Ville** · 05-12-2005, 02:42 AM

yep we dig to the bottom, there was about 1,5m snow. It looked good, as I said no layers. I guess we should have dug another pit at the top. For me the pic of slided face looks like all the snowpack have slided only from the top(correct if i'm wrong).
yes it is different here in europe with costs of rescue, at least in austria. It is quite new law here that you have to pay costs of rescue. One of my austrian friend told me that if the insurance were not going to pay it, we should take the case to court since we told them that there is nobody buried before any helicopters arrived.

**Phatstix** · 05-12-2005, 07:14 AM

Thanks for the BETA man. Super radical pics - glad things worked out.

**Core Shot** · 05-12-2005, 07:45 AM

Hey Ville,
Can you clarify the cost of rescue?
Were each of you skiers charged 1300e?
Or did they charge 1300e for each of the thirty rescuers that were searching?

Also, how much did the insurance policy cost you to buy it?
Was it per season or per day/month??

**Phatstix** · 05-12-2005, 08:08 AM

BTW - they have this insurance in the states too. I think it's something like $2 / year. Something to think about....

**killclimbz** · 05-12-2005, 08:14 AM

Man, I am glad you are ok. I've got to say that the picture sequence is absolutely hysterical! It's obvious that you are oblivious to what is going on behind you. Probably have some song stuck in your head or something. Those are great shots, that is one hell of a story.

**Core Shot** · 05-12-2005, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by Phatstix

BTW - they have this insurance in the states too. I think it's something like $2 / year. Something to think about....

Any more info would be appreciated.
All I ever hear is "wish we could get insurance like they have in europe"

I have known and helped a few folks that have dragged themselves back inbounds to save a rescue fee.
One of the nice things about Granite Canyon is that it is National Park so resuce is free, but any other OB from Jackson is minimum $500 fee from the sherrif S&R team.
If there is a decent US policy for under $20 per year, I know more than a few folks that would buy it.

**Ville** · 05-12-2005, 08:43 AM

It was something like 300e for local firedepartment and 3300e for helicopters and other stuff plus about 100e for interests(?) since it took some time before my friends insurance company decided if they will pay his part . I haven't seen the bills because they went to my home in Finland and my little brother and friend did fighting with insurance company. That time I didn't had adress here in Austria.
Best insurance for skiers and climbers in Europe is probably is ÖAV http://www.alpenverein.at/portal/vorteile.asp they pay the costs of rescue and deliever to hospital, it's about 35e per year. I didn't had that insurance, just normal good Finnish insurance from Lähivakuutus. I didn't have any special offpiste insurance and still they paid that, great service. Although for next season I will buy ÖAV insurance.

**dork69** · 05-12-2005, 12:26 PM

Sounds GOD DAMN SCARY! Also sounds like the rescue dudes were low on beer money. Glad only your feets were buried.

**Phatstix** · 05-12-2005, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by Core Shot

Any more info would be appreciated.
All I ever hear is "wish we could get insurance like they have in europe"

I have known and helped a few folks that have dragged themselves back inbounds to save a rescue fee.
One of the nice things about Granite Canyon is that it is National Park so resuce is free, but any other OB from Jackson is minimum $500 fee from the sherrif S&R team.
If there is a decent US policy for under $20 per year, I know more than a few folks that would buy it.

I don't have a lot of info. however, when I've been on hut trips here in Colorado the Forest Service lady always asks me if I want to purchase it (which I do) and I think it really was on $1 or $2 (could be off a bit though). i suggest calling the Forest Service / Search and Rescue - maybe their web site has something....I'll check it out also and let you know.

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Avanlanche story

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