Great danger of avalanches, freeriders saved – salzburg.ORF.at
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In Wagrain (Pongau), mountain rescuers, alpine police officers and mountain railway employees rescued a skier from Colombia (Latin America). The freerider went into open terrain when there was a high risk of avalanches. Gold-plated warning level 4 in the high mountains.
The 20-year-old man did not appear at an agreed meeting point on Wednesday evening – at the valley station of the Grafenbergbahn in Wagrain. His father then alerted the emergency services. 13 men from the ÖBRD local office in Wagrain and several alpine police officers confirmed a search operation.
During a storm and very poor visibility, the team found a ski track that led to steep terrain where there was a risk of avalanches. After several hours, the missing person was located in a narrow ditch. There he was stuck in chest-deep snow and already slightly hypothermic.
Found hypothermic in ditch
The mountain rescuers had heard calls for help, but because of the snowstorm they could only see the Colombian when they were about ten meters away.
In the last few days and nights, there has been heavy snowfall and strong winds in the inner mountains, the actual cause of the great avalanche danger.
Snow slabs, dust avalanches: Appeal from the mountain guides
Avalanche warning level 4 currently applies in almost all parts of Salzburg in the high mountains – so great danger, emphasizes mountain guide Günter Karnutsch, former president of the Salzburg Association of State-certified mountain and ski guides.
Despite this situation, he is repeatedly confronted with inquiries from guests about which freeride descents and ski tours are still possible, says professional Karnutsch: “Such questions should not be asked at danger level 4. If you can’t answer that yourself, you’ve lost nothing away from the secured pistes of lift areas without expert support.”
Below the tree line: warning level three
According to the avalanche warning service, the peak of spontaneous avalanches has already been reached – below the tree line, the potential danger has been downgraded to level three – but that also means a considerable avalanche danger, says Michael Butschek from the avalanche warning service: “At least above the tree line, you still have one in the tour and variant area serious situation. Avalanches can be triggered very easily in steep areas. that’s why we advise restraint – this applies to Friday and Saturday.”
A single ski tourer can trigger slabs of snow
On Thursday afternoon, during reconnaissance flights, the avalanche activity from the air in Pongau, Pinzgau and Lungau is set up – restricted areas that are still in force are flown over. Due to westerly winds, snowdrifts and solar radiation, even at medium altitudes, a single tourer can cause a slab of snow in the coming days. Gliding snow avalanches can go off by themselves in steep terrain. Ski touring away from the secured pistes is strongly discouraged in the coming days.
Great avalanche danger
The tense avalanche situation not only creates dangers in the exposed terrain, but also applies to hikers, hunters and walkers.