we tell you about the dangers of
avalanches
Philip and his friends are planning a
ski trip but they also want to get away
from the groom piste and have some fun
off piste
however Philip knows that in order to
stay safe they need to pay attention to
a couple of things in winter there is
always the risk of a potential avalanche
which means some careful planning work
for Philip he finds out about the
current avalanche conditions and the
weather in their ski region he also
thinks about who was going on the trip
are they all fit enough are they
experienced and do they have the right
equipment last but not least he also
researches their exact route the latest
avalanche conditions can be found by
Philip at WWF aah org there are 5 levels
on the avalanche danger scale level one
indicates a low risk of avalanches level
two indicates moderate danger and level
three represents considerable danger at
level four the danger of avalanches is
considered high and there is an extreme
risk at level 5 but what does that mean
there are a few rules of thumb you can
follow if there is a moderate danger
level you should stay in terrain less
than 40 degrees this is extremely steep
usually rocky terrain at level 3 you
should avoid terrain that is steeper
than 30 degrees any angle greater than
this is classed as a steep slope if the
danger of avalanches has written as high
then you should stay unsecured slopes if
the danger is rated as extreme you
should spend the day in the sauna
instead Philip knows that even in level
1 conditions he still needs to pay
attention to local dangers these can
include critical amounts of new snow
fresh snow drifts thoroughly moist snow
and unstable
Auri snow packs in addition to this
fresh avalanches collapsing sounds and
cracks in the snowpack can indicate
potential risks
the first preparations have been made
but even right before they set out there
are still several things they need to
think up before the tour everyone checks
their kit and takes some emergency
equipment with them they also test that
their Avalanche search devices otherwise
known as Avalanche transceivers are
working properly in the event of an
accident these can make the difference
between life and death
that'll make sure that everyone knows
the route and the position of a safe
meeting point he also reminds everyone
to make sure they always keep a safe
distance between each other thanks to
their great preparation work they are
ready to go skiing
[Music]