Avalanche risk service launches today for hillwalkers and skiers – and there’s already a warning of deep snow
THE vital avalanche risk service for hillwalkers and climbers is to start again today.
And already people have been warned of winter conditions and early avalanche risk on the hills.
The new Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) season gets under way with drifting snow and “unstable windslab”.
Every winter, SAIS assesses avalanche hazards and provides daily information on the stability of snowpack in the six mountain areas.
The areas are Lochaber, Glen Coe, Creag Meagaidh, Southern Cairngorms, Northern Cairngorms and Torridon.
In an update before starting this winter’s full forecast, SAIS said: “Unstable windslab will develop in wind sheltered locations on mainly southeasterly through westerly, through northerly to easterly aspects above
800 metres.
“Accumulations of deeper snow in windsheltered places around gully tops, corrie rims and scarp slopes will be especially affected.
“Here, any accumulations could be triggered by human activity with avalanche releases possible.
“When planning your trips check the weather forecasts for snow fall, freezing levels and wind directions, especially noting the aspects where winds will deposit fresh snow and windslab. When travelling in the mountains be alert to areas of recent accumulation and be prepared to alter your plans accordingly.”
Despite one of the lowest totals of snow slides in the history of the SAIS, the first white deaths in three years were recorded on the country’s mountains last season.
And there were several other near misses and “lucky” escapes too.
The SAIS logged 144 snow slides last winter – almost half of the previous season.
But Mark Diggins, the service’s co-ordinator, said the “snow-thaw-snow” conditions had produced many dangerous avalanches.
Three climbers died on Ben Nevis, the UK’S highest mountain.
Raphael Aymon, Cedric Ravimet and Adrien Robezmasson, from France and Switzerland, all died in the deadly snow slide in Number 5 Gully on Ben Nevis on March 12.
The only survivor of the accident was Swiss citizen Mathieu Biselx.
Mr Biselx described how the party of four experienced climbers were flung down the gully by a torrent of heavy snow which fell 1,500 feet on to them.
They were the first avalanche deaths in Scotland for three years.
“These were experienced people but it just shows the dangers even in a quieter year,” said Mr Diggins.
In the winter of 2012/13 eight people died from deadly snow slides.
Though last year’s total is just above the SAIS’S lowest, it included the fewest number of main winter avalanches.
A lack of snow produced less than 60 snow slides by the end of February – the lowest in the organisation’s 30 years.
Mr Diggins said by that stage he would have expected more than 200 avalanches.
“January and February is usually the peak time for avalanches, so last winter was very low,” he said previously.
“The changing conditions have made forecasting more challenging because the dynamics are changing with more extremes of weather.”