With the mountains currently out of reach for many of us, it’s easy to forget just how powerful they can be. In your mind’s eye, you can still clearly see the sheer sense of scale that made you fall in love with them in the first place. Some of the details though, well, they’ve gone all misty haven’t they?
Here, to remind you of the frightening power of the mountains in winter, is some avalanche footage we’ve seen recently. Give these clips a watch and immediately remember just how gnarly those big, rocky, hills covered in snow can be.
“See this, instead, as a big neon sign above the mountains reminding you to stay safe”
We’re not trying to put you off from exploring the backcountry, you understand. See this, instead, as a big neon sign above the mountains reminding you to stay safe the next time you’re up there (whenever that is). Have fun of course, but always be aware of the risks. Make sure you’re following avalanche safety guidelines and always, can’t stress this enough, take your avalanche safety equipment with you.
Just last week a 38-year old British man died in an avalanche in Verbier. This tragedy in Switzerland came after a string of deaths in the Alps in recent weeks. There’s also been some alarming, fatal, avalanche incidents in Russia since the start of 2021.