Avalanches can be deadly, but they only kill about 150 people every year on average. They are always a hazard for those climbing some of the world’s tallest mountains or enjoying a fresh coat of powder for skiing. Avalanches should be respected, yet they don’t have to be something that is feared if we know what we are doing. Here are some interesting facts that prove that notion.
1. Washington State Has the Deadliest Avalanche
In 1981, a group of 29 climbers was ascending to the summit of Mount Rainier in Washington State, just south of Seattle. A massive ice fall was triggered that would wind up burying nearly half of the hiking group in over 70 feet of avalanche. 11 people were killed that day, including a guide, making it the deadliest avalanche in US history.
In 1910, an avalanche in Washington also swept a train off of its tracks and into a ravine, killing 96 people in the accident. Amazingly there were survivors that were able to be dug out of the snow when rescuers arrived.
Outside of the US, there are numerous examples of avalanches that have killed dozens more in one event. One of the worst occurred in the Pamir Mountains after an earthquake, killing 43 people at their base camp.
2. Hannibal Might Hold a Record
The story of how Hannibal tried to conquer Rome, if true, would be the known world record for an avalanche taking lives. Hannibal marched elephants, horses, and tens of thousands of troops through the Alps in an effort to take Rome. An avalanche in the Alps is believed to have killed more than 20,000 people, although Hannibal was able to survive.
3. Different Avalanches, Different Results
There are actually several types of avalanches which may occur. The most lethal type is the kind that happened on Mount Rainier, which is a slab avalanche. This happens when an entire chunk of snow breaks free and slides against the snowpack, triggering a cascading wave of snow that collapses underneath any weight. This type of avalanche can go from 0 to 60 mph as fast as a top performance sports car. They can reach a top speed of 250 mph when the slope and weather conditions are conducive for speed.
Loose avalanches are the other major type of slide that occurs. These two main categories can then be broken down into subcategories.
Many avalanches are triggered by people exploring. The body weight of just one person is enough to trigger a slide. When a trigger point is reached, the avalanche begins and this sweeps up everyone and everything in its wake.
4. It Takes an Angle
Most avalanches occur on a mountain side that has at least a 30 degree slope. Once a slop becomes greater than 45 degrees, the snow doesn’t collect in the same way and so there aren’t the same triggers in place that can collect snow. For climbers, this means that vertical routes up to a mountain summit tend to be safer from the threat of an avalanche then the easier, flatter routes that could be taken across the snowpack.
5. Time Is a Major Factor
Most people who are buried by an avalanche die from asphyxiation rather than trauma or hypothermia. This means time is a critical factor in being able to save someone if they get buried. If someone can be removed from an avalanche burial within 18 minutes of it occurring, then their survival rate is over 90%. Even at 35 minutes of burial time, the survival rate is still 35%. For this reason, it is important that all climbers and skiers carry avalanche beacons with them while they are climbing a mountain.
6. It Takes Just Seconds
If people are alive after being buried, then why don’t they just start digging their way out? It’s a common question that is asked, but this task is impossible. It only takes seconds for the snow of an avalanche to freeze over into a solid icepack. It can be as tough as cement once it forms. Unless there is an air pocket that is large enough for someone to pull out any digging tools they have with them, they will be frozen into place by the snow.
Avalanche risks are always greater for the first full day after a snow fall occurs. Remember to take a beacon, let someone know where the climb will be, and keep these facts in mind to stay safe from this deadly threat.
